by Joan Hall

Created on: August 03, 2009   Last Updated: August 05, 2009

If you're looking for ways to induce labor, first you should examine the reasons for doing it.

If it's simply because you're eager to meet your precious new baby, take a second thought. Pregnancy can get tedious, but letting the baby decide when it's time to be born is usually the healthiest choice. Accept your baby's timetable, and don't rush him or her. Patience is always needed in parenting, even at the earliest stages. Breathe deeply and give your baby permission to choose his or her own birthday.

If your doctor or midwife is recommending that your baby needs to come out soon, learn as much as you can about the situation. Some caregivers follow a rigid schedule that specifies that all babies should come before a certain time. This doesn't take into account the fact that every body is different, and every baby develops at a different rate.

A woman I worked with went two-and-a-half weeks past her official due date and then gave birth to a perfect, beautiful, pink, plump, healthy baby girl who still had the creamy vernix in the folds of her arms and thighs. If she'd had her labor induced at 40 weeks, the baby would have been two-and-a-half weeks underdeveloped. Another woman I knew had a history of going two weeks past her dates with all of her babies, all seven of them. A decision about when to deliver should be based on the baby's state of health, not an inflexible schedule. If the baby is vibrant and happy inside of mom, rushing labor could be a premature move (perhaps literally!).

On the other hand, some babies do show signs that they need to be delivered. If you're near or past your due date, your caregiver is probably doing assessments on the baby like non-stress tests, biophysical profiles, or having you track the baby's movement patterns. If these tests indicate that your baby is not thriving inside, then there is a valid reason to consider inducing labor. Some of the suggestions below can be used to try to stimulate labor without the use of drugs.

This first set of methods deal with stimulating the uterus itself to get it to start contracting.

* Sexual intercourse can help in two ways. One is that orgasms stimulate uterine contractions. The other is that semen contains hormones that soften the cervix (the opening to the uterus) and help it dilate more easily.

* Nipple stimulation causes your body to secrete oxytocin, which is the very same hormone that hospitals use to start contractions and induce labor.

* Physical activity also stimulates

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