Many a woman who is past her due date, tired of being pregnant, wanting to hold her newborn in her arms, and frightened at the thought of a medically induced labor, may turn her thoughts to tricks to induce labor.

Although doctors have varying opinions as to whether some of the old wives tails actually work, women have been using some of the following tricks to induce labor for centuries:

Check out this awesome trick to induce labor! Click here

Well known techniques

walking
intercourse
spicy foods or exotic fruits
bouncing on an exercise ball

Although these common tricks to induce labor are pretty much safe, do not attempt any of them without first consulting your physician. It is important that a woman does not attempt any form of self induction, no matter how harmless it may seem, until she is at least into her 40th week of pregnancy.

Potentially dangerous techniques

Evening primrose oil – used to soften the cervix but can have a negative reaction

labor induction herbs – herbs used in the wrong quantities can have damaging effects. Always consult a herbalist before administering herbal potions.

Castor oil – can cause bowel distress and the baby could ingest the castor oil too

Labor Induction Recipes
Many families have their own secret recipes that they claim are  their particular tricks to induce labor and  certain restaurants are well known for serving dishes that are designed to send a woman into labor.

Some of the more legendary dishes include Eggplant Parmigiana Alla Scalini’s to be found at Scalini’s restaurant in Georgia, Caioti’s Balsamic Vinaigrette  also known as “the miracle maternity salad dressing” to be found at Caioti Pizza Cafe in California and Prego Pizza at Skipolini’s in California.

Of course, you could always try asking friends what they dined on the day before they gave birth. You never know, you may find a pattern emerging of specific foods that seem to encourage labor to start.

Acupressure
More women are turning to holistic methods to induce their labor and acupressure is fast growing in popularity. It is an effective and safe practice that works both with the emotions as well as the body.

Click here for your easy step by step instructions to learning Maternity Acupressure

Tricks to induce labor – The Outcome
Although women all over the world swear by their own tricks to induce labor, there is still no getting away from the fact that more often than not, the baby will not be hurried and will come when he or she is ready, no matter what tricks you try.

Chances are that if you’re reading this article, you’re late in your pregnancy or overdue, tired of being pregnant, or trying to beat a scheduled induction date! Natural labour induction methods are a great way to try and stimulate labour and ripen the cervix, especially if this means avoiding a medically induced induction or caesarian, should you not go into labour beforehand.

Check out one of the best natural labour induction methods. Click here.

Why hasn’t my baby come yet?
There are several reasons why your baby may not have arrived yet and this could be that your due date is inaccurate by a couple of weeks, you are feeling stressed and over anxious  or you have a medical or health problem.

Get the all clear

It is important to get the all clear from your medical carer, especially if you have a pre- existing medical condition.

Be informed
It is important to make sure you are well informed  before trying any natural method of self induction. Do your research because some treatments may not be suited to you as an individual.

Three natural labour induction methods

1. Acupuncture
2. Sweeping membranes
3. Acupressure

Acupuncture
Whilst some women have a fear of needles, it is true to say that the needles are so fine that there really is no pain involved. Acupuncture has been one of the natural labour induction methods used by women for thousands of years. There are mixed reports with acupuncture, some practitioners saying that one treatment is usually sufficient to induce labour with labour usually starting within 6-48 hours. Other studies show that acupuncture is most effective when the woman has been having treatments throughout her pregnancy in order to prepare the body for labour.

Sweeping membranes
Sweeping the membranes involves your medical carer gently separating the membranes from the cervix by means of a vaginal exam. This may be a little uncomfortable for some women and on the other hand, some have said they didn’t feel much at all. Some spotting or bleeding may occur as a result and some find they have irregular contractions after a sweep. However it has been shown to be quite effective as one of the natural labour induction methods. A sweep will usually only be performed on women who are at term and have no other complications, e.g. placenta praevia.

Acupressure
Acupressure is growing in popularity and is effective for pregnancy, labour and post birth, with solutions for all sorts of situations, from inducing labour to curbing sickness and feelings of nausea during pregnancy. It works on much the same philosophy as acupuncture, the main difference being that thumbs and fingertips are used instead of needles. Acupressure is one of the best natural labour induction methods because it is easy to learn and a woman can apply it to herself or, if she prefers, get assistance from her birthing partner. It is perfectly safe to use and there are no side effects that could cause potential damage to the unborn baby.

Click here for your step by step guide to maternity acupressure

As with all natural labour induction methods, not every woman will experience success. Some methods work for some and not for others and sometimes, no matter what a woman tries, if her baby is not ready to  be born then quite simply,  nothing will do the trick and she will just have to wait.

Some women suffer long drawn out labors and with constant contractions plus the expectancy of finally meeting their new baby face to face, they are eager to learn any ways of how to speed up labor.

Click here to learn how to speed up labor with one easy method

Sexual Intercourse
Sexual intercourse is maintained to be one of the best ways for how to speed up labor and it can be a good idea to have intercourse before your baby comes along and you find life becomes that much busier. When you have sexual intercourse and your husband ejaculates his sperm releases a hormone called prostaglandins which helps to soften the cervix and prepare it for labor. Additionally, if a woman reaches orgasm, her body releases a chemical called oxytocin which encourages the uterus to make stronger contractions.

Relaxation
Tension and stress can play a large part in stalling events and learning how to speed up labor by using some relaxation techniques is key moving things along. Relaxation cds can be very effective coupled with breathing exercises, and acupressure can be used as well. In addition sipping teas made from nutmeg and red raspberry at the onset of labor will effectively reduce labor pain and prevent cramping.

Motion
Gravity is a woman’s best friend when she is in labor because it ensures proper circulation for both mother and baby and helps to move the baby down into the pelvic area. The best vertical positions for gravity to take effect during labor include walking, sitting on a birthing ball and squatting. Some of the quickest births take place when the mother is walking and squatting between contractions.

Herbs
For women who respond well to homeopathic methods, blue and black cohosh can be combined as a means of how to speed up labor.  Blue cohash used on its own will stop contractions, but when combined with black cohash it helps the body form a natural rhythm of contractions to speed up labor.

Acupressure
Aupressure is being used by more and more women as a means of how to speed up labor. It is safe and effective to use and works well with both the emotions and the physical side of things, creating a feeling of relaxation and well being. It is an easy technique to learn and a pregnant woman can use it on herself to calm herself before the onset of labor as well as a means of inducing her labor and controlling painful labor contractions.

Check out this awesome guide for how to speed up labor. Click here!

Quite often however, no matter how desperately you may want your baby, he or she just won’t be hurried and you just have to sit back and be patient, after all once your baby arrives, you have a lifetime together to look forward to.

I remember when I first became pregnant with my daughter, I was so excited I just wanted to shout out to the world that I was expecting a baby. I couldn’t wait to start wearing maternity clothes and somehow, I just felt really special. The trouble was that after about 6 months the novelty began to wear off and as the due date approached I was searching in earnest for tips on how to induce pregnancy.

Click here for a great tip to induce pregnancy

Although many women may feel like me, it is important not to attempt any self induction until you are in to your 40th week or better still, are actually overdue. Although you feel you just can’t wait, you don’t want to run the risk of bringing on labor too soon and possibly putting your new born baby at risk.

There are many tips on how to induce pregnancy and a few old wives tails, which many women swear by. Some of the most popular tips include having sex, taking evening primrose oil to soften the cervix, taking castor oil, nipple stimulation, eating spicy food or exotic fruits, going for a bumpy car ride and drinking raspberry leaf tea.

Below are some more general tips on how to induce pregnancy and get things moving:

• Rest at night as best you can and use the day to try and get thing moving.

• Walk as much as you can – this is especially helpful in between contractions

• Climb stairs. This is a great tip on how to induce pregnancy since it helps get the baby down and into a good position

• Avoid taking a bath or swimming because it counteracts gravity. Jump into the shower instead

• Keep upright wherever possible to make full use of gravity. When the uterus contracts, it contracts forwards, so lean into them, bend your knees and have them apart. Don’t lean too far forward , certainly no more than a 45 degree angle.

More importantly keep yourself busy, may be with a hobby like scrap booking, Anything to keep your mind off the events to come, otherwise you will slowly go mad!

Then again, as a final tip on how to induce pregnancy, you could try acupressure which is a treatment that is slowly climbing the ranks. It is safe and works with the body and has no nasty side effects. It is performed using the fingers and thumbs to gently massage specific pressure points on the skin. It can be done on your own or with the help of a partner. Even if it does’t induce your pregnancy, it will leave you feeling so calm and relaxed, that you’ll be glad you tried it anyway.

For my very best tip on how to induce pregnancy, CLICK HERE!

There comes a time during every woman’s pregnancy when she is so fed up with feeling bulky and cumbersome, of having swollen ankles, and of feeling tired all of the time, that she is keen to try anything that might just bring her baby sooner.  Many women feel this way and many of them are turning to natural and holistic methods to try and bring about the onset of labor.  Stimulating an acupressure point to induce labor is one such method that works for some women and has proven to be very effective as acupressure works on the emotions as well as the physical side of things, leaving a woman feeling calm and ready to begin her labor.

What is acupressure exactly? It is the massaging of a specific acupressure point on the skin using thumbs and fingertips. Each point it linked to a specific organ of the body and is used for relieving various conditions, and in the case of maternity, for stimulating contractions.

Check out this awesome guide to Maternity Acupressure. Click Here

Acupressure and locating an acupressure point is easily learned by a novice with just a few basic instructions and reference to an acupressure chart will show a person which points to stimulate for a specific condition. It is important to note that all charts will give a warning against a specific acupressure point if it is not to be used for pregnancy. This in fact means that it is a specific  acupressure point to be used for inducing pregnancy only and great care must be taken only to use these specific points if a pregnant woman is in her 40th week of pregnancy or later. Stimulating the point if a woman has not reached that stage, may well bring on labor and could potentially endanger the health of her new born baby by being born too early.

There are four main pressure points that can be used to induce labor and I will go into more detail below:

1. Technique: Adjoining Valley
The Adjoining Valley technique stimulates the large intestine which surrounds part of your uterus. To stimulate this acupressure point, locate the webbing between your thumb and your forefinger (finger closest to your thumb).  This area will feel tender to the touch. Press firmly, applying a continual pinching like motion to the area. This point will also help ease pain during delivery.

2. Technique: Shoulder Well
The Shoulder Well technique is performed by applying pressure to the trapezius muscle, the large muscle that connects your neck to your shoulder. Find the highest point where the muscle connects to the neck, then go down slightly, approximately the width of four fingers. This area should feel the most tender along the muscle. Apply gentle but firm pressure intermittently to this acupressure point.

3. Technique: Big and High
Apply the Blue and High technique by massaging the area between your ankle bone, the part that sticks out, and your Achilles tendon (just above your heel). This technique will encourage the baby to descend toward your pelvis.

4. Technique: Three Yin Crossing
The Three Yin Crossing will help strengthen weak contractions. This acupressure point is located about hands width above your ankle next to the bone on the inside of your leg by your calf muscle. While feeling in this area you will most likely come across an area that is more tender, this is the area you should be focusing on.

A woman can apply acupressure on herself or with the assistance of a partner. If the sensation on a specific acupressure point becomes too much to bear, then simply move on to another point. Some women only need one treatment of acupressure to induce labor whereas others may require several treatments repeated throughout the day. Studies have shown that most women go into labor within 48 hours of treatment.

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When you are nearing the end of your pregnancy it’s only natural to be keen to get the delivery over and done with and finally have your bundle of joy in your arms. But before you start looking at how to naturally induce labor you need to be aware that you must not even contemplate doing anything until you are around 40 weeks or overdue. This is because your date may be inaccurate by a couple of weeks and you might give birth to your baby before he is ready to thrive outside of the womb. Women are always seeking methods of how to naturally induce labor  and I am going to discuss three methods that you could try.

• Walking
• Sexual Intercourse
• Acupressure

Walking If you are having mild contractions walking can be an effective method of how to naturally induce labor. Walking allows your hips to sway side by side, encouraging the baby to get into a position for birth. Also by standing upright gravity encourages the baby to move down in to the pelvic area.

Sexual Intercourse Although sex may be the last thing on your mind when you are feeling huge and uncomfortable, certain hormones (prostaglandins) contained in the man’s semen that are released when he ejaculates  can actually soften and ripen the cervix preparing it for labor. Additionally, if a woman orgasms, her body releases a hormone called oxytocin which causes the uterus to start contractions.

Acupressure This is by the most relaxing and comfortable method when looking at how to naturally induce labor, and even if it fails to work, you will be pleased you gave it a go. Acupressure works by gently massaging specific pressure points with the fingertips and thumbs and can help to bring on labor.  It can also be used for changing a baby’s position before birth. Because of its simplicity, acupressure is easily learned with just a few basic instructions and a woman can either use it on herself or ask her partner to help massage specific points. Whatever method you try, your baby will come when it is ready and then you’ll have a lifetime together to look forward to.

Check out how to naturally induce labor with this awesome E-book, A Shorter, Easier and Safer Birth. Click here

Acupressure massage is an ancient Chinese healing method that involves applying pressure by massage on to certain points or meridians of the body to relieve pain. These meridians start at the fingertips, connect to the brain and then connect to the organ that is associated with the specific meridian.

Acupuncture and acupressure use the same points, but acupuncture uses needles whereas acupressure massage uses the gentle but firm pressure of hands.

Acupressure massage is the most effective method of self treatment for tension related ailments by using the power and sensitivity of the human hand.  It deals with both the physical and emotional side of the body resulting in a feeling of well being and renwed vigor.

The benefits of acupressure massage are

• relief from stress and tension
• a relaxed mind and body
• increased blood circulation
• relief from neck, shoulder and head aches
• help for removal of toxics
• promotes the healing of injuries
• increased energy levels
• increased overall feeling of well being
• lessening of labor pains

Acupressure massage uses the massaging of key points on the skin to stimulate the body’s self curative powers. When these points are pressed they release muscular tension and promote the blood circulation and the body’s life force to aid healing.

Acupressure massage is very effective when used throughout a woman’s pregnancy, not only to rid her of any feelings of nausea and back aches but also as a natural home labor induction, should the need arise. It is also very effective at preparing her mind and body for labor and for helping lessen painful contractions.

Check out this amazing Acupressure Massage guide for an easier, shorter and safer birth. Click Here

If you’re sick of being the size of a house and tired of struggling to put on your slippers, then it is only natural that you would be looking at methods of home labor. It is important, however, to know that home labor induction should only be attempted if you are nearing or past your due date, since to induce labor too early could lead to health complications for your new born baby.

The natural home labor inductions that we will discuss are

• sex
• nipple stimulation
• food
• herbs
• castor oil
• acupressure

and we will discuss which ones are old wives tails and which may actually work.

Sex

When you’re nine months pregnant and feeling tired and uncomfortable all of the time, sex is probably one of the last things you want to do. But does it work as a method of home induction? It’s possible but it is more likely to ripen the cervix and prepare it for labor, This is because semen contains an enormous quantity of prostaglandins and this, when deposited on the cervix, has the effect of softening the cervix.

Nipple Stimulation

This one has been known to work because when a nipple is stimulated a hormone called oxytocin is produced and this hormone is responsible for producing contractions. It is interesting to note that orgasms also cause the production of oxytocins.

Food

Unfortunately the statistics are out on this one. Women over the years have sworn foods like pineapple, spicy foods, Chinese food and licorice  have worked as a method of home labor reduction but in actual fact, scientists are today telling us that spicy foods could be something to avoid prior to labor because they release capsasins which could be counterproductive in labor and may actually work against the natural release of  endorphins, which serve as painkillers, thus making childbirth more painful.

Herbs

Herbs have been used for centuries as a method of home labor induction, but in truth they can sometimes do more harm than good, since some herbs are harmful in high doses but safe in low doses and it can be confusing to know what dosage to take as it can vary from one manufacturer to another.

Castor Oil

Again castor oil has been used for centuries as a form of home labor induction and works on the basis that it causes intestinal cramping and diarrhea, which stimulates the uterus which then produces prostagladins which then produce contractions. Time is out on this one really since the mother can be at risk of dehydration, due to the diarrhea and this can tire her out leaving her less able to endure the physical process of labor.

Acupressure

This method of home labor induction is by far the most relaxing and comfortable to try, and even if it doesn’t work for you, you’ll be glad you gave it a try. Acupressure works in much teh same way as acupuncture, by focusing on specific pressure points of the body, only thumbs and fingertips are used in place of needles. This makes it a much gentler treatment and is good for anyone, like myself, who has a phobia of needles.

Click here for your step by step guide to Maternity Acupressure

Because I had experienced a long and difficult birth with my first child, my husband and I were keen to try anything that would make a second birth easier for us both. We had heard about the benefits of acupressure for a variety of conditions and decided to learn how to do maternity acupressure because we thought we had nothing to lose, and it might actually help.

When it came to the delivery, I was shocked at what a difference the acupressure made. When my husband was not using the points, my contraction pains intensified noticeably and the contractions were lasting a full minute, whereas with the acupressure the contractions were barely taking 15 seconds! We were so glad we had learned how to do maternity acupressure together because it bought us even closer as my husband felt so much more involved, than he had in my first pregnancy.

Click here for simple step by step instructions for how to do maternity acupressure

In traditional Chinese terms, acupressure is thought to improve the workings of the body both physically and emotionally, but in pure medical terms, acupressure is used to release endorphins, blocking the pain receptors to the brain, dilating the cervix and increasing the efficiency of the contractions.

What is important to know is that it is easy to learn how to do maternity acupressure and it can be used by the pregnant mother on her own or with the support of her partner, both during pregnancy and throughout labor.  Acupressure is all about massaging specific pressure points on the body which correspond to relevant organs with the use of fingertips and thumbs. As you learn how to do maternity acupressure you will be taught how to locate the specific pressure points and which ones are strictly off bounds unless a pregnant woman is well past her 39th week. Specific points are used to induce labor and to massage these too early and induce labor could have serious implications for the health of your new baby.

How much practice when learning how to do maternity acupressure is up to each individual couple, but obviously the support partner needs to feel comfortable about locating the points on the woman’s body, remembering that the points will often feel quite different once the woman is in labor.

We found that it was it was important to start using acupressure right at the onset of labor because it enabled me to feel calm and relaxed and that I could cope with any pain that came my way. These feelings disappeared the minute my husband stopped the massaging.  I can only say what worked for me, and it may not work for everyone, but if we hadn’t learned how to do maternity acupressure,   I may well have had another long painful birth, instead of a short and easy delivery with no nasty medical pain relievers.

Click here for how to do maternity acupressure for an easier, shorter and safer birth

If you have gone past your due date and are feeling really uncomfortable and tired plus you don’t want to be induced medically, then you may well  be looking for do it yourself labour induction methods.

There are various natural do it yourself labour induction methods such as having sex, walking, doing squats and even eating spicy foods, but by far the most effective is maternity acupressure. Acupressure is very similar to acupuncture but is better for those of use who are a bit squeamish about needles because it uses the fingertips and thumbs to gently massage specific pressure point.

Learn more about pressure points for do it yourself labor induction. Click Here

About 5,000 years ago Chinese physicians found that soldiers with battle wounds were unexpectedly able to get relief from chronic illnesses. They were able to map out charts corresponding with various organs of the body that responded either to finger pressure (acupressure) or piercing with a needle (acupuncture). Think about how you instinctively press your temples if you have a migraine. Pressure points work in a similar fashion.

Maternity acupressure is invaluable not only for do it yourself labor induction but also it can be used to treat pregnancy related symptoms such as nausea and back ache, and be used to control the pain from contractions during labor itself. Studies have shown that most women who used acupressure also had a shorter, easier birth than those women who did not. It is very important, however, not to practice on those points that are specifically used to bring on labor unless the woman is past her 39th week since bringing on labor too early could have serious implications for her newborn baby.

Because of its simplicity, acupressure is very easy to learn with just a few basic instructions, and this makes it even more popular as a means of do it yourself labor induction because a woman can also get her birthing partner to learn the techniques. It is important to understand that not all women will respond to the same pressure points so it may be necessary to experiment a little with which points seem to respond the best. The points being massaged will tend to feel sore, a bit like rubbing a bruise, and if this sensation becomes too much to bear, then move on to another pressure point.

Get your maternity acupressure guide for do it yourself labor induction by clicking here