natural nudges for birth
So, you’ve been pregnant for what feels like FOREVER. You’re prepped, feeling calm and confident and ready to meet your baby. It’s really common for women to start exploring natural ways to nudge baby along, particularly once they’ve passed their estimated due date or if they have an induction booked in.
You may also be offered a stretch and sweep (often known as a sweep), which may help to induce labour. It is your choice if you accept a sweep. Your doctor or midwife will gently insert their gloved finger into the vagina and sweep around the neck of your womb (the cervix). The aim is to part the membranes of the amniotic sac that surrounds your baby from the cervix itself. There are pros and cons to this intervention, so please do your research and remember you can always ask to wait and take some time before you make your decision to accept or decline.
By this point I’m sure you’ve repeated the affirmation “my baby will come when my baby is ready” many times over - and it’s really important to continue to bear that in mind even if you decide to carry out some natural nudges. Try not to get your hopes up or feel frustrated if they don’t work - but if it helps you feel a bit more in control, then go for it!
The NHS and NICE do not recommend natural nudges, as they don’t assess the evidence on them as sufficiently robust. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t anecdotal or traditional accounts of them helping.
Nipple stimulation or sex - this was the only one that my midwife recommended to me (although officially it’s not NHS advice). Good for you if you feel like it! However if your waters have broken, advice sex as it may increase the risk of infection.
Acupuncture - make sure you visit a specialist trained to carry out acupuncture in pregnancy
Releasing fear and deep relaxation with your MP3s - relaxing, getting oxytocin going is never going to be a bad thing!
Walking - I certainly did a lot of this when I was over my estimated due date - very slowly!
Eating dates (starting around 36 weeks) - there is some evidence around eating dates to soften your cervix (which is necessary for baby to be born). You can always add a bit of peanut butter or put them into smoothies if you don’t like them by themselves. Aim for 3-4 a day. You should avoid this if you have gestational diabetes as they are quite sugary.
