# How to induce labour **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 9, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880 "2010-03-09T17:29:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Arglefraster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@Arglefraster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arglefraster)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/21 "2010-03-09T19:11:01Z")
> [@Chicken\_Fingers](#): > > The night I finally got labor going I had used a combo of acupressure (there is a spot near your inner ankle) and nipple stimulation for hours. I tried the ankle pressure point when I was overdue. It didn’t help, but I may not have been doing it right. If I remember correctly, you’re supposed to feel a slight pain if you have the right spot, and I didn’t. Several people told me to mow the lawn. I’m not sure what the logic behind that is. Vibrations maybe? Also an addendum to the “long walks” suggestion, going up and down stairs in particular is supposed to induce labor. I wound up having a c-section because my cervix flat out refused to dilate, even when the doc tried to induce. I was having contractions, but my cervix stayed stubbornly shut and they wheeled me into the operating room when the baby started showing signs of stress. She’s fine now. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/22 "2010-03-09T19:26:40Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > BTW, **Lacunae Matata,** did that situation actually occur for you? Yikes! It’s like the planets all aligning - in a bad way! Yep! Midwife out of town, snow falling in Atlanta, no gas in car, dishes not done, no one to walk the dog! It was a set of events that practically guaranteed that I’d have to go into labor that night. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/23 "2010-03-09T19:28:28Z")
My first kid never showed signs of stress, never descended, and flatly refused to come out without force. Yeah, I know that it’s ‘when baby is good and ready’. We have a Planned Last Day, though- ten days past due date, or March 31st, scheduled c-section. In Ontario they won’t induce for vbac due to the risk of rupture, and my husband is really big and I’m not- midwife and OB think the longer the kid stays inside the less chance I have of regular delivery. Good thing we were making pizza tonight, huh? I might actually pick up evening primrose oil. Can’t hurt. No castor oil, though. None. **Chicken Fingers** , Mr. Lissar is being very very helpful about dsex-through-induction. He’s in favour. Actually we’re supposed to do a [stretch and sweep](http://www.todaysparent.com/pregnancybirth/labour/article.jsp?content=20030522_163200_1452) tomrrow if the kid’s descended enough. We’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/24 "2010-03-09T20:44:48Z")
Olive oil, sex already mentioned so I’ll add scrub the kitchen floor - little blighter soon gets the message. ---
**Author:** ![Wednesday\_Evening](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Wednesday\_Evening](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wednesday_Evening)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/25 "2010-03-09T20:48:17Z")
Well, with my second pregnancy I saw my OB when I was 40.5 weeks. She stripped my membranes (without telling me beforehand - Ow!) and baby was born 24 hours later. Good Luck! ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/26 "2010-03-09T20:53:28Z")
My mom had a car breakdown on her, and had to walk 2ish miles or so. While a couple of weeks late. With a 14 month old toddler too. Try that, maybe. I heard my mom-in-law played tennis and ran 10Ks up to her 8th month or so - that might be worth a gander. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/27 "2010-03-09T21:34:31Z")
Sex, yes. More specifically…nipple stimulation. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/28 "2010-03-09T21:43:23Z")
Good pizza with plenty of hot peppers did the trick for me, at least I think it did. I was ten days overdue so who can tell exactly? Maybe I’d have gone into labor that night regardless. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/29 "2010-03-09T22:05:14Z")
> [@Lacunae\_Matata](#): > > Yep! Midwife out of town, snow falling in Atlanta, no gas in car, dishes not done, no one to walk the dog! It was a set of events that practically guaranteed that I’d have to go into labor that night. 🙂 Mine was my labor coach leaving town (I was two weeks early) so I was stuck with my husband, who hadn’t paid attention because my sister was going to be my labor coach. And if he had paid attention, I still think he’d have been fairly useless - he was well into husband “my wife is in pain, my baby is on the way” panic mode. And I gave birth on a Monday (went into labor Sunday night). I was supposed to have a major deployment at work Monday morning (it was to be earlier, but like all IT projects, the date slipped). I never did do that deployment… ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/30 "2010-03-09T22:28:36Z")
With no experience whatever, I’ll recommend tricking the ornery cuss. “You better not come outta there. Stay right where you are. Don’t make me turn this car around. I’m warning you, kid, if you try to sneak out, the doctor is gonna wad you up and stuff you back in. You stay in there, you’re grounded, child. I’m busy makin’ cookies out here, and I don’t need some wet little baby hanging around. No peeking, kiddo, I’m wrapping presents!” That, or start hanging wallpaper. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/31 "2010-03-10T01:17:05Z")
I went into labour 2 hours after downing some evening primrose oil, some raspberry leaf tea tablets and taking a yoga class. The 5 hour walk the day before might have had something to do with it too. ---
**Author:** ![Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nefarious_chipmunk/32/1045_2.png) [@Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefarious_Chipmunk)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/32 "2010-03-10T01:41:48Z")
> [@Lissla\_Lissar](#): > > Actually we’re supposed to do a [stretch and sweep](http://www.todaysparent.com/pregnancybirth/labour/article.jsp?content=20030522_163200_1452) tomrrow if the kid’s descended enough. We’ll see. 8 days after her due date, after super spicy food, longs walks, and all the rest of the tricks, this is what finally worked for my sister. 12 hours later she was in labor. The doctor had warned us that she had “magic fingers.” Sure enough. It did look pretty uncomfortable, but at that point, she didn’t care and just wanted the baby OUT! Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/33 "2010-03-10T01:44:31Z")
Everyone’s saying sex, but don’t forget the orgasm! I was at 42 weeks with my third, completely miserable but hoping for a VBAC so I wasn’t allowed to induce medically. My midwife suggested sex–to climax–as a trigger. Sadly, my baby’s father and I were not in the same area at the time so I had to take matters into my own hands. Now–possible TMI here–but with the second climax I actually felt my entire abdomen _lurch_ downward. I lost my mucus plug then and there. Gross, right? But I was at the hospital less than twelve hours later–already at 8 cm when they got me on the table. Granted, it put me off masturbation for a while, but I’d say it was a decent trade. ---
**Author:** ![tygre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@tygre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tygre)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/34 "2010-03-10T01:56:45Z")
Okay, here’s the weird one that made the circuit of my due-date email list 13 years ago: For dinner, you must eat Kraft macaroni and cheese (Kraft dinner for our Canuckistans). Someone else has to prepare it. Top it with A1 sauce, as much as you’d like. No substitutions on brands here! I did this after orgasms didn’t work, castor oil didn’t work, and nipple stim didn’t work and I was 17 days late and desperate. The next afternoon, I had my baby boy. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/35 "2010-03-10T05:12:50Z")
Brew a magic tea with a key in the pot, it unlocks the womb ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/36 "2010-03-10T05:23:25Z")
Ooh, **Lissla** , your due date is my birthday! Whatever you do, have that baby that day. It’d be cool. 🙂 Your Last Day is my brother’s birthday. It’d be much much funnier if you’d let that go to April 1st, though. I’ve told him for years, if you’d only waited _one more day…_ ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/37 "2010-03-10T12:54:03Z")
Make plans to get together with people you haven’t seen in ages. Make reservations at a fabulous restaurant. Get all dressed up…wait…what??? Oddly enough, this scenario will play out after you give birth, too. You won’t go into labor, but ‘something’ will come up at the last minute that will thwart your lovely plans. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/38 "2010-03-10T13:56:28Z")
Being suprised by an alien crab seems to do the trick, especially if they are a doctor. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/39 "2010-03-10T16:23:20Z")
> [@belladonna](#): > > Everyone’s saying sex, but don’t forget the orgasm! > I was at 42 weeks with my third, completely miserable but hoping for a VBAC so I wasn’t allowed to induce medically. My midwife suggested sex–to climax–as a trigger… Heh… someone we knew did a home-birth with a midwife. Apparently at one point, the midwife said to the parents to be “I’m going to leave the room for a while. I don’t care how, but you need to have an orgasm”. I gather it worked 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880/40 "2010-03-10T17:27:01Z")
The “sex induces labor” myth was created by the same people who came up with the “pregnant women become nymphos in the second trimester” myth. They felt guilty that they had tricked so many men with that one, so they decided to help the guys out a little just before their sex lives go on a long hiatus. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-induce-labour/531880.md?page=3)