This is my personal experience of how I induced labor naturally. It is not medical advice. Please consult with your doctor first before trying any of the methods I am describing below and ask if they are safe for you and your baby.
At the end of my first pregnancy, I went into labor spontaneously at 37 weeks 4 days, after a failed external cephalic version.
My baby was still in a breech position, so the doctors performed a c-section to deliver her.
My experience was not bad, but I never quite got over the fact that I wasn’t able to even try a vaginal birth. It felt like an incomplete experience, even though I am just beyond grateful that my daughter was delivered as a healthy baby.
So when I reached the third trimester of my second pregnancy, I had a decision to make. Would I go for another c-section, or try a vaginal birth this time around?
Due to a variety of aspects, my doctors recommended to schedule a c-section for no later than 39-40 weeks, and I ended up getting on their schedule right at 39 weeks.
Nevertheless, they still left me the option to try for a vaginal birth if I ended up going into labor before that date.
Determined to at least try for a vaginal birth experience, I tried a few things to induce labor naturally once I reached 37 weeks. And I succeeded – my water broke at 38 weeks 1 day and I delivered my baby boy the same day.
Exercise & Yoga
Throughout my entire pregnancy, I tried to stay as active as possible.
I found out I was pregnant a couple weeks after I had knee surgery.
While this may not have been the best timing, it also gave me a lot of incentive to keep exercising. As part of the recovery post knee surgery, I had physical therapy sessions for 3 months.
And even after I completed my PT program, I was encouraged to keep up with a workout regimen to ensure a full recovery of my knee.
One of my favorite things to do was to go on walks with my daughter in her stroller every day. It was my favorite way to start the day, get the body and blood moving.
In addition to that, I also followed a pregnancy workout program. This helped me stay strong and was a great preparation for labor and the postpartum period.
And it was probably one of the most essential parts of inducing my labor naturally.
The last few weeks of my pregnancy I opted for specific labor preparation exercises and yoga flows.
I followed the Pregnancy and Postpartum TV YouTube channel and her specific yoga and exercise videos for labor preparation. It helped a lot to open up my hips, making space for the baby in my pelvis, and keeping my body flexible and strong enough to tolerate different labor positions.
Eating Dates
I’ve read a lot of pros and cons about eating dates in order to prepare your body for labor.
Some believe it helps ripen the cervix, to induce labor naturally and even make labor less painful. Others say it has no benefits at all, and might not even be that great due to the high amount of fruit sugar.
Nevertheless, I like dates and decided to give it a try.
The recommended dose is about 6 medjool dates per day.
Now, that is a lot of dates, especially if you eat them every day for weeks.
And if you’re not a fan of the taste, there are a few things that you can do.
Add dates to your smoothie
An easy way to incorporate dates into your diet is to add them to a smoothie.
They will add subtle sweetness, depending on the amount. And if you’re not a fan of the taste, it will blend right in with whatever else you mix into your smoothie, so you won’t taste them as much.
Add nut butter to your dates
My favorite way to eat dates is probably to add some nut butter to them.
I love peanut butter, but even almond butter or cashew butter are great options to add to your dates.
Some even like adding a few chocolate chips on top and sprinkle their dates with some sea salt.
Use them in oatmeal or baked goods
Besides blending them up in a smoothie, you can also add dates as a sweetener to many baked goods, like homemade granola bars.
And they make a great addition to your morning oatmeal.
Bacon wrapped dates
Have you ever had bacon wrapped dates? They are absolutely delicious, pregnant or not.
Wrap a single date in a slice of bacon, and then pop it in your air fryer or fry it in a pan until crispy.
Space out the amount throughout the day
If eating 6 dates at once sounds like way too much, try eating two after each meal and spreading them out throughout the day, so it’s not too overwhelming.
I preferred to eat mine after lunch or dinner, as a little sweet treat instead of some candy or chocolate.
Red Raspberry Leaf Tea
Red raspberry leaf tea is a type of tea that is believed to have many benefits for pregnant women.
However, you’re only supposed to drink it at the end of your pregnancy. This is because it is believed to strengthen the uterus and help it contract to ensure a faster labor process.
The taste of the tea is not too bad, it’s an herbal tea, that I didn’t mind drinking. Some say you’re supposed to drink 2-3 cups during the last few weeks of pregnancy, but I could only do 1-2 cups per day. I like tea, but not that much.
Birth Ball/Yoga Ball Bouncing
Do you have a birth ball yet? No matter if you call it birth ball, yoga ball, or balance ball, it might be a good idea to invest in one.
I used a yoga ball throughout my entire pregnancy. Some of my pregnancy exercises and yoga sessions used one, but I also just enjoyed sitting on it over a regular chair.
During the last few weeks of my pregnancy, I followed specific videos on YouTube that offered some guidance on how to use the ball for labor preparation and to induce labor.
It included lots of moving your hips around and I felt like this really helped open up my hips and get the baby really low.
Another fun part was bouncing – bouncing on the ball is also believed to help get the baby low in your pelvis and maybe put some pressure on the cervix to help it open.
I especially liked doing those exercises in the evening in front of the TV.
Just sitting and moving around on the ball for 10-20 minutes each night did the trick. It also helped me feel more mobile in those last stages of my pregnancy.
My favorite part was that I ended up using the ball a lot during the first months postpartum as well. My baby was very colicky, and bouncing on the ball with him in my arm helped soothe him a little bit.
Membrane Sweep
Two days before I went into labor, I opted for a membrane sweep at my checkup.
I was 37 weeks 6 days at the day of the appointment, and the doctor gave me the option to check on how dilated I am and perform a membrane sweep if I would like one.
I agreed – I was way too curious to know how dilated I was after feeling serious contractions at night a day prior.
The doctor told me I was at 2cm and performed a membrane sweep. It was a very quick procedure, lasted maybe 10-20 seconds if at all, and didn’t really hurt.
She told me there is a 50% chance I will go into labor within 48 hours. Apparently, those sweeps only help if your body is already ready to go.
The membrane sweep itself didn’t really hurt. But for the few hours afterwards, almost the entire rest of the day, I felt some cramping, which told me it definitely had some sort of effect. The cramping was completely gone the next day though, leaving me to think it didn’t do anything for me after all.
But I was wrong. A little less than 48 hours after the sweep, my water broke spontaneously and I went into labor.
Conclusion – what did help me to induce labor naturally?
Since I have tried a few different things at once, it is hard to say which one exactly had the most impact on inducing my labor naturally at 38 weeks.
In the end, I believe it is the combination of all factors. And the fact that my baby was ready to come out.
There are lots of different things you can try out to kick start labor, some of them easier and safer than others.
I picked a few that I felt comfortable with, that were safe for me and my baby, and that were easy to incorporate into my daily life.