# Sex to induce childbirth **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 16, 2005, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943 "2005-09-16T09:21:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/1 "2005-09-16T09:21:36Z")
A work mate is due to give birth any day now and is a little frustrated by the baby’s reluctance to leave. My g/f (who is pregnant for a third time now) and I were talking about it and the old story of sex to induce an overdue childbirth was brought up. I’ve seen it mentioned in “Nip/Tuck” too, something about the chemicals in semen being the reason why. So does sex help bring on childbirth? Is there reason why it should? ---
**Author:** ![metj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@metj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metj)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/2 "2005-09-16T10:08:33Z")
Sex (and breastfeeding, actually) produce the hormone oxytocin, which cause contractions in the uterus, sometimes inducing labor. [Linky](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxytocin) One should never ever have sex after the water has broken though. I’m not sure why on that one, but it doesn’t seem like a good idea anyway. ---
**Author:** ![metj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@metj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metj)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/3 "2005-09-16T10:11:26Z")
Just wanted to clarify that there is usually nothing harmful about breastfeeding kiddo #1 while you are pregnant with kiddo #2 (worrying about preterm labor) unless your doctor has also advised you to abstain from sex. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/4 "2005-09-16T11:37:24Z")
> [@metj](#): > > One should never ever have sex after the water has broken though. I’m not sure why on that one, but it doesn’t seem like a good idea anyway. Doesn’t seem like a good idea to me either, but you’d have other things on your mind if your waters had broken surely 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Martiju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Martiju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martiju)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/5 "2005-09-16T12:37:25Z")
> [@metj](#): > > Sex (and breastfeeding, actually) produce the hormone oxytocin, which cause contractions in the uterus, sometimes inducing labor. [Linky](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxytocin) > > One should never ever have sex after the water has broken though. I’m not sure why on that one, but it doesn’t seem like a good idea anyway. Too much effort swimming against the tide probably… ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/6 "2005-09-16T12:52:27Z")
When my ex was pregnant with our first child together. We had planned a home birth. Unfortunately, things got complicated and we needed her to deliver soon. She had developed oligohydramnios (a dangerously low level of amniotic fluid). We were sent home with instructions to try any home methods we could to induce labor within the next 24 hours. Otherwise they wanted to induce labor and deliver in the hospital. The nurse who did the ultrasound wanted to make sure that we had tried having sex, so she kept saying, “have you tried ‘the sex?’” I finally told her that it was delicious, but that it had not started the contractions. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/7 "2005-09-16T13:14:03Z")
In 1974, when dads where just beginning to be allowed in the delivery room in these parts, my dad was in the waiting room when my mother’s labor stalled. The nurse told her sex could sometimes help, then mentioned that all the nurses would be on a coffee break for the nest 30 minutes. She then sent my dad in and closed the door. :eek: Once the amniotic sac has broken and fluid is leaking or gushing out (“the water’s broken”) then bacteria can get up inside the uterus and cause an infection. Now, hopefully if you’re bag has broken, you’re in labor already and it’s no big deal. But it is possible for it to rupture days or even weeks before you deliver (in my case, at 5 months, and bacteria - though not from sex - did get in and the result was an emergency c-section). Sexual intercourse can literally push bacteria up near the cervix and from there it’s a short trip into the uterus, where it can infect the placenta or the baby. If your water hasn’t broken, there’s generally no way for bacteria to get in, so you’re OK. The chemical in sperm that ripens and softens the cervix is called prostaglandin. It can also, for some reason, cause the baby to drop to the bottom of the uterus if the presentation is high (this is a good thing.) Interestingly, semen consumed, uh, orally, absorbs roughly 10 times more than semen applied to the cervix. Yes, men, take this and run with it. Fellatio is even better for bringing on labor than sex. Enjoy. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/8 "2005-09-16T13:16:36Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > The chemical in sperm that ripens and softens the cervix is called prostaglandin. :smack: that should read: The chemical in \*semen \*that ripens and softens the cervix is called prostaglandin. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/9 "2005-09-16T14:26:00Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Interestingly, semen consumed, uh, orally, absorbs roughly 10 times more than semen applied to the cervix. I am _so_ bookmarking this post for future reference. ---
**Author:** ![metj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@metj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metj)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/10 "2005-09-16T14:29:25Z")
Uh, **WhyNot** , can I have a cite on that? Not that I don’t believe you, but none of my pregnant friends will believe me if I tell them that! ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/11 "2005-09-16T14:50:29Z")
> [@](#): > > About fellatio: Actually, it would probably be beneficial, if the idea is to get the labour started. A great OB in Hamilton (John Lamont, I believe) spoke to our class about sexuality and pregnancy. He mentioned the concept that prostaglandins are absorbed 10X more efficiently through the gut than through the vaginal mucosa, with respect to semen and labour onset. [Non-Pharmaceutical Induction - from Ronnie Falcão's Midwife Archives](http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/natinduc.html)😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/12 "2005-09-16T15:01:58Z")
On the other hand, there is this: > [@](#): > > Further research is required to determine the optimal route of prostaglandin administration, although the oral route appears to be unsuitable. Prostaglandins administered vaginally or endocervically appear to offer the best balance of effectiveness and safety. ☹ > **[Prostaglandins in preinduction cervical ripening. Meta-analysis of worldwide...](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8429533/?dopt=Citation)** > > The state of the cervix is an important predictor of success in the induction of labor. A firm and rigid (unripe) cervix increases the likelihood of a failed induction or a prolonged, exhausting labor. Administration of prostaglandins has shown good... Paging Dr. **Qadgop**. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/13 "2005-09-16T15:08:53Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > So does sex help bring on childbirth? Is there reason why it should? It worked in our case. We had sex, then about 40 weeks later childbirth occurred. This actually worked both times. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/14 "2005-09-16T15:25:18Z")
(Oh, darn - looks like they can put it in a pill: [http://www.aafp.org/afp/990800ap/477.html](http://www.aafp.org/afp/990800ap/477.html) and [http://www.childbirth.org/articles/cytotec.html](http://www.childbirth.org/articles/cytotec.html) , where it goes by its synthetic name of “mistoprostiol”) But it does look like I nay need to update my lore. It now appears that oral administration may be preferable for a \*different \*reason: to lower the chaces of a c-section. > [@](#): > > \*\*from \*\*[**this site here**](http://www.biomedcentral.com/1534-5874/3/55) > > Oral versus vaginal administration of misoprostol > > Recently, seven randomized trials have compared oral versus vaginal administration of misoprostol for cervical ripening and labor induction [11]. In aggregate, 1191 patients were randomized to receive misoprostol orally (n = 602) or by the vaginal route (n = 589). The oral doses employed ranged from 50 g to 200 g every 4 to 6 hours. Vaginal misoprostol was administered in doses ranging from 25 g to 100 g every 3 to 4 hours. No difference was noted in the proportion of patients who delivered within 12 and 24 hours in each group. Similarly, the intervals from start of induction to vaginal delivery were not different. The proportion of patients experiencing increased uterine activity (tachysystole or hyperstimulation) was similar for both groups. Additionally, no difference was noted for the incidence of abnormal 5-minute Apgar scores and rates of NICU admissions. Interestingly, the rate of cesarean delivery was significantly lower among those induced with oral misoprostol. Although both routes of misoprostol administration seem to be efficacious, the evidence documenting the safety of vaginally administered misoprostol is much more extensive. Looks like they’re still arguing it out. Obviously, to be safe we need to employ \*both \*methods, alternating, at 23.7 minute intervals. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/15 "2005-09-16T16:04:42Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > It worked in our case. We had sex, then about 40 weeks later childbirth occurred. This actually worked both times. YMMV. Both times. Huh, sucks to be you. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/16 "2005-09-16T16:41:13Z")
> [@flight](#): > > Both times. Huh, sucks to be you. Touché. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/17 "2005-09-16T18:08:28Z")
Yeah, but Shibb is bald so that makes up for it. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/18 "2005-09-16T18:12:14Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Touché. While we are on the topic, how does the effectiveness of rectal administration compare with oral and vaginal administration? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sex-to-induce-childbirth/321943/19 "2005-09-16T22:51:53Z")
> [@Gfactor](#): > > While we are on the topic, how does the effectiveness of rectal administration compare with oral and vaginal administration? 😉 You mean the Bush administration, as compared to the Clinton administration?