If you’re reading this, chances are that you have been searching for a way to induce labor either for yourself or for someone you know. It’s quite possible that you or your partner is overdue in their pregnancy or getting really close to your expected due date. Most women get to a certain point in their pregnancy when they just want it to be over. Every woman will experience this at a different time. Going through 8 or 9 months of continual changes in your body can take its toll on any person. The doctor may say any day now and you’ll begin your labor, but that isn’t any comfort to you, you’re the one carrying the baby. The bright light at the tunnel is so close yet so far, your baby’s smile is right around the corner but the moment can’t seem to come fast enough.

So now you’re here looking for any type of information to help you induce your labor. There is so much information to sift through and so many different ways that it can be hard deciding what the best course of action might be. You need to weigh the risks involved for both you and your baby. Some methods of inducing a labor can have harmful side effects. Old wives tales can sometimes be just that, an old tale.

Many natural methods such as herbs will have harmful effects on the body. You should never blindly ingest something, whether you’re pregnant or not without first researching the herb and finding all the information you can. Herbs such as black and blue cohosh can lead to severe bleeding in the mother and asphyxia in the baby. Taking castor oil can leave you dehydrated from the diarrhea and it may continue through labor. Black licorice root is also found to start contractions, but you need to ingest large amounts and it has to be natural licorice, the standard black vines sold at the grocery store won’t work.

Sexual intercourse, exercise and house work are relatively safe ways to jump start your labor. All of these require muscles to work which could start contractions. Lifting laundry baskets or other children can sometimes have the effect of triggering contractions. Having sex or nipple stimulation can release hormones that will help the uterus contract and the cervix to soften. Many women have found that acupressure helped them more than any other form of inducement. It’s an easy, safe and natural form of inducement. It cost nothing and you can have your partner apply it. Even if you have already started labor and it isn’t progressing quickly enough for you, the techniques that are used can be of great benefit to you. If you decide to induce your labor talk to your doctor, the physical safety and health of you and you new baby should be the first priority on your list.