Tired of Being Pregnant? - How to Naturally Induce Labor

Swollen ankles? Back pain? Want to see your feet again? Tired of being a walking womb and ready to be a mommy? I hear you! I have three children of my own and all the labors were long and induced by my doctor. My third pregnancy I was able to start labor naturally but unfortunately was stopped by the nurses. Here are some helpful tips that I have either tried or know someone who has.

First of all there is the ever-famous "Castor Oil". I have tried this and it actually worked. It tastes awful, I recommend mixing it with orange juice. Since it is a laxative, you will probably make several trips to the bathroom. This also makes for some nasty cramps! I only had to take it twice before the contractions started coming fast and furious! I labored for several hours, went to the hospital and was given a morphine shot which ended up stopping my labor. Laxatives relax the uterus, so make sure that you are either very close or past your due date!

Another thing to try is nipple stimulation (Or even intercourse if okayed by your doctor!). My nurse actually told me about this to keep my labor going (I always have "stalled labor", labor that stops around 7 centimeters.) She said to stimulate your nipples simultaneously for 15 minutes, take a 2 minute break and repeat for up to an hour. Nipple stimulation releases a natural drug called Oxytocin (Pitocin is the synthetic drug used by hospitals to mimic Oxytocin). Apparently Oxytocin tells the uterus that "It's time!" Mild exercise is another great way to start labor! You don't want to do anything too strenuous since you will want to save as much energy as you can for the labor part! Walking, swimming, gardening are great ideas. If you have contractions that seem to keep stopping, pay attention to what makes them stronger. If laying down makes them stronger,lay down! If moving around gets them going, keep moving!