Natural ways to start your labour

If you are fast approaching your due date and feel like you can't wait one more minute, here are some natural and fun ways of kick-starting your labour..

A drop of the hot stuff

Many women go for the hottest vindaloos working on the principle that stimulating your stomach will in turn stimulate your uterus into contracting.

Does it work? It's a bit hit and miss and may leave you feeling sick. Don't try castor oil as an alternative - it could cause a bad reaction (especially in the bowel region) and is no longer recommended as a way to get labour going.

Tweak those nipples

Twiddling your nipples can stimulate the release of the hormone oxytocin and help to soften the cervix. Start twiddling from 37 weeks (or ask your partner to gently do it for you!). Don’t overdo it – one nipple at a time is best.

Does it work? Well, even if it doesn’t you could always get your partner to do this for you, and you never know it may even lead to...

Sex, sex and more sex

It’s said sex could get your labour going as semen contains prostaglandins which can help ripen the cervix.

Does it work? It sounds easy but at 40 weeks plus, sex could be the last thing on your mind.

Get walking

A long walk or even a bumpy bus ride has been known to get things going.

Does it work? Well there’s no guarantee, but it might take your mind off the labour if nothing else. Don't walk for too long, though, or you may run out of the energy you’ll need in labour.

Drink raspberry leaf tea

Raspberry leaf tea is said to tone the uterus, making contractions more efficient. This shouldn’t be drunk until the last trimester and then only in small amounts until about 37 weeks.

Does it work? If you like the taste then you have nothing to lose, but it needs to be pure raspberry leaf tea and not just flavoured tea.

Try the alternative

Aromatherapy massage, acupuncture, homeopathy, and reflexology all have gentle ways of encouraging the onset of labour and helping you to relax during it. Always use a qualified practitioner who knows you’re pregnant.

Does it work? Both reflexology and acupuncture have yielded positive results from many women for getting their labour going, but every woman’s body is different and what works for one may not necessarily work for you. If nothing else, a session of reflexology or aromatherapy will make you feel more relaxed and ready for labour.

What the expert says:

Kate Walmsley, midwife from the Wessex Maternity Centre

‘I can understand the theory behind eating hot curries to get labour going. Years ago gave women enemas in the belief that if you stimulate the bowels you stimulate the uterus, and a hot curry can have the same effect.

'If your body is ready for labour anyway, these things will just tip you over into it. But if your body isn't ready for labour then all the methods in the world aren't going to make a difference.

‘I think women get anxious about starting labour, because they don’t want to be induced. But we're a lot more relaxed about inducing labour now.

'It used to be that you got to your expected due date (EDD) and they were talking about induction on that day. Now most hospitals are prepared to let you go for at least 14 days over.

‘Women shouldn’t focus too much on their EDD. I know it’s disappointing when you get to the date, nothing has happened, but your EDD is a rough guide. We haven’t got it down to a fine art of exact dates.’

Did you know? Due date facts

* Only 5% of babies turn up on their due date – 80% arrive late, and 10% go two weeks over.

* Your due date won’t be spot on if you don’t ovulate on the 14th day of your cycle, but have a longer or shorter cycle.

* Your baby probably won’t arrive on your expected due date (EDD) if it’s larger or smaller than average.

* A show doesn’t necessarily mean labour is imminent – you may have another couple of weeks to go.

* It’s a myth that you’ll follow your mother’s pattern of giving birth, or that first babies are late and subsequent ones early