Acupressure
Some women use specific acupressure points to prepare their body for labour during the last few weeks of pregnancy or to help stimulate contractions. These are explained in more depth in
acupressure points. Some women hire a
TENS machine for their labour, primarily for pain relief. However, the machine can also be used on certain acupressure points to help stimulate labour contractions.
Acupuncture
A few women use acupuncture to stimulate contractions and induce their labour. A qualified acupuncturist, particularly one experienced in dealing with pregnant women, can target particular body points with needles or
moxibustion) to relax or fine tune the woman's body in preparation for her labour. Certain points are used to balance and / or raise or lower energy levels, to create the best possible environment for labour to start. Sometimes the acupuncture actually stimulates contractions.
Aromatherapy
Some women organise an aromatherapy massage or burn aromatherapy oils to help stimulate their contractions. A few
essential oils are capable of stimulating contractions and should be avoided until after 38 weeks of pregnancy. Some commonly used oils are Clary sage (not recommended if you have epilepsy), jasmine, lavender, chamomile, mandarin, geranium or rose. Consult with your caregiver and aromatherapist.
Bowel stimulation
When labour starts naturally, it is not unusual to experience diarrhoea as part of the early process. However, whether labour causes diarrhoea, or diarrhoea causes labour is uncertain. Certainly the smooth muscles of the bowel react in similar ways to the smooth muscles of the uterus, making them go hand-in-hand.
Bowel stimulants to bring on labour have been used since ancient times, with the most commonly documented method being castor oil. How individual women react to bowel stimulants can vary. For some they cause cramping and/or temporary nausea that may, or may not lead to labour.