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Can Labor Be Induced Naturally?

Childbirth experts remain skeptical about most non-medical methods for inducing labor

It's just a week or two until your due date. You're scouring the Internet for some way to coax baby out on time -- or maybe even a couple of days early. The message boards are full of suggestions for inducing labor "naturally." These suggestions range from eating spicy foods to spooning down castor oil. But does anything really work? Childbirth experts are skeptical.

"There are no proven non-medical ways for inducing labor naturally," says midwife Elizabeth Stein, CNM, owner of Ask Your Midwife, PC, in New York. The only safe and reliable methods for starting labor involve medications administered at the hospital. Most other techniques are rumors, unlikely to help at best and potentially harmful. Only a couple of non-medical alternatives show any promise. The jury is still out on those.

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Inducing Labor With Acupuncture

In parts of Asia, acupuncture has been used for centuries to jump-start labor. Researchers at the University of North Carolina completed a small study to test whether this method has real benefits. The study involved 56 women who were 39 ½ to 41 weeks pregnant. (Forty weeks is full term.) Half of the women received three acupuncture sessions, while the other half did not.

Among those who received acupuncture, 70% went into labor without medical intervention. This compares to 50% of those who received standard care. The women who got acupuncture were also less likely to deliver by cesarean section -- 39% compared to 17%.

"We had almost a 50% reduction in the C-section rate," researcher Terry Harper, MD, tells WebMD. Harper, who now practices maternal fetal medicine in Albuquerque, says the small size of her study means additional research is needed. She hopes acupuncture might one day help more women give birth vaginally.

Can Sex Induce Labor?

Another strategy that gets positive reviews from doctors and midwives is inducing labor the same way you started your pregnancy -- by having sex.

"I tell my patients to do that all the time," Harper says. Although there's no proof sex can start labor, there is a good reason why it might. "It creates a prostaglandin release, which is similar to the medications we use for inducing labor. Because no harm comes from it, it is reasonable to try."

"I think sex is a great idea," Stein agrees. But make sure your water has not broken and your doctor or midwife has given you the green light. She adds that it's important for the man to ejaculate inside the vagina. "This ejaculate contains prostaglandins which stimulate the cervix ... possibly leading to contractions."

Other Methods to Induce Labor

When it comes to inducing labor, the following methods draw mixed reviews from childbirth experts. Either there's no evidence to support them or they might work but carry risks. If you plan to try any of them, consult your doctor or midwife first.

Long walks: Going for a long walk is "good exercise," Harper says, "but I don't think that it helps bring on labor."
Stein is more critical. "Short walks are OK, but I'm not a fan of long, tiring walks. Exhaustion is not a good way to go into labor."
Spicy foods: There's no direct connection between the stomach and the uterus. So, there's no reason to think a particular type of food will stimulate contractions. "I have never seen anything that supports [spicy foods] one way or another," Harper says.
Castor oil: Stein occasionally recommends swallowing a small amount of castor oil after the 38^th week. "There's no direct action on the uterus. It's indirect via stimulation of the bowels, which lean on the uterus. This only seems to work when the body is ready to go into labor."
But Harper says there's "no good evidence" for inducing labor with castor oil. "Castor oil brings on horrific diarrhea. I don't recommend it, because you could get moms dehydrated."
Cohosh: Some women try starting labor with cohosh, but doctors caution that this herb contains phytoestrogens, compounds that may impact blood clotting. "I'm actually pretty nervous about it," Harper tells WebMD. "It's not well enough studied."
Evening Primrose oil: Another herbal solution called evening primrose oil gets more support. It contains a precursor to prostaglandins, which could help prepare the cervix for labor. "Evening primrose oil does supposedly release prostaglandins," Harper says. "But it needs more study."