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Warning: You may not want your children to read some topics in this section. |
Some women use natural therapies to help induce their labour, usually at some point after 37 to 38 weeks of pregnancy. However, as with any form of induction (including medical methods) they are generally more successful closer to the due date, or even when overdue, as the woman's body is 'ready'.
Some women try natural therapies to induce their labour around the due date, and then lose interest if they don't produce results immediately. For many women, if they leave them alone for a few days, and then retry them again later, often the response is better, as sometimes the earlier attempts have primed the woman's body to be more receptive.
The other side of this argument is that the woman's body was going to start labouring anyway. Many women become fed up in the later stages of their pregnancy, perhaps Mother Nature's way of preparing her for wanting the pain of labour! In this psychological state some women will try virtually anything to get labour going. It is hard to know whether the methods used have worked or if the woman was already on the verge of starting labour on her own.
The following is a guide to some of the more common natural therapies that women use to induce their labour. If you are considering any of these methods check with your caregiver and / or practitioner, to make sure they are appropriate for your individual situation.