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How to do nipple stimulation
Some women will use nipple stimulation to ripen their cervix in late pregnancy. It is usually done with the aim of preparing the woman's body for labour, and avoiding going too far past the due date. Nipple stimulation has been used to induce (or
augment) labour, especially if the waters have broken (but the success of it can vary). Nipple stimulation can also be used to control the bleeding after the birth. While it will not work for everyone, it can be an effective therapy for some women, and is possibly worth a try.
Nipple stimulation works on the basis that when the woman (or her partner) massages her breasts and strokes her nipples, it can stimulate her body to release the natural oxytocin hormone from the pituitary gland in her brain, into her bloodstream. Oxytocin is normally released when labour starts, to stimulate contractions, and maintain labour until the birth.
Women may use nipple stimulation to: