Pregnancy is the most wonderful time in the life of every woman. Waiting for the baby psychologically prepares her for the appearance of the child. But when it is a little delayed, the expectant mother begins to think about how to quickly give birth to a long-awaited child.
A woman has various fears about a future birth, her stomach begins to interfere, heartburn and pain in the lumbar region appear. And if the expected term for the appearance of the baby has already passed, she begins to feel the pressure from doctors and close relatives, which is very depressing.
Usually the tipping point is 41 weeks. By this time, both the child and the mother are fully prepared for the acquaintance. But for some reason, childbirth does not occur. Doctors in this case are advised to go to the hospital and carry out stimulation. But if the cervix is not yet sufficiently prepared, then this is fraught with tears and other unpleasant consequences. Therefore, a woman begins to look for other ways that will help cause labor activity in a natural way.
There are a lot of methods, but this does not mean that they are universal and will help absolutely everyone.
Method number 1 – sexual intimacy
This tool is one of the most effective. Even gynecologists recommend having sex in the last weeks of pregnancy. The proximity will not necessarily cause the onset of contractions, but it will help soften the cervix, which will allow a woman to easily cope with the first stage of labor.
But the likelihood of contractions after sexual intercourse is still quite high, since with orgasm, the uterine muscles begin to contract sharply, which can cause the onset of labor. That is why doctors do not recommend sexual intimacy in the last trimester of pregnancy. Many couples do not want to have sexual intercourse for fear of harming the baby, but this opinion is erroneous. The main thing is to approach this with caution and observe a number of simple rules.
The right pose
The most important thing when choosing a pose so that a woman does not feel pressure on her chest and abdomen. Otherwise, there are no restrictions. You can easily choose the option that suits both you and your spouse.
Grease use
Mother nature, unfortunately, did not provide for sex in the latter stages of pregnancy. And therefore, very often the release of natural lubrication in the expectant mother is significantly reduced. To avoid discomfort, you can use special water-based compounds that you can buy at the pharmacy, the main thing is that they do not contain dyes and fragrances.
Method number 2 – nipple massage
Stimulation of the nipples can also cause the onset of labor. You can do it yourself or ask your husband for help. Of course, do not be zealous and cause pain. The procedure should be enjoyable. Be sure to use baby cream or massage oil to lubricate your fingers. And then gently knead the nipples in turn for 20 minutes. 3-4 exercises a day will perfectly prepare the breast for feeding and prevent the possibility of developing cracks.
After several days of such activities, half of the mothers who used them are in the hospital. This is due to the production of a large amount of oxytocin, which is responsible for the onset of labor. This hormone is sometimes even specially administered to expectant mothers so that they can give birth faster.
Method number 3 – physical activity
Healthy physical activity also contributes to the early start of fights. Simple exercises will tone the muscles, increase skin elasticity and improve the functioning of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. As an option, you can sign up for classes for expectant mothers, where you will not only be selected for physical exercises, but also taught to behave correctly during childbirth.
But I want to note that you should not go to extremes. Do not move heavy furniture yourself or drain the body by constantly walking up the stairs. To give birth to a child you will need strength and health, so try to observe the measure in everything. In addition, excessive load can provoke premature detachment of the placenta, which will adversely affect the health of the future baby.
Do not completely abandon household chores either. The main thing to observe the necessary precautions. Spend wet cleaning: wash windows, floors, mirrors. But make sure that someone close to you is able to come to your aid in a difficult situation.
Method number 4 – folk remedies
If a woman wants the contractions to begin faster, you can try some folk methods. Here are the most effective of them.
Olive oil
Even if it does not accelerate the birth of the baby, there will be no harm from its use. This product increases the elasticity of tissues, reducing the risk of possible breaks in childbirth. It is necessary to take olive oil 1 teaspoon at least 3 times a day before meals.
Raspberry Leaf Tea
This drink tones all the organs of the small pelvis, thanks to the substances contained in it. Such tea helps the uterus prepare for childbirth. To cook it, you need to put 3 tablespoons of chopped raspberry leaves in a thermos and pour them with a liter of boiling water. The drink should be infused for a couple of hours, after which it can be drunk with honey or sugar.
The woman should drink the received volume in one day and in 4-5 days contractions should come. But it is important to know that raspberries help lower blood pressure, so pregnant women who have an already low drink should not drink this.
Sunflower oil
This product in large quantities contains vitamin E, which has a positive effect on the circulatory system and makes the cervix more elastic. The oil must be natural and must be drunk from 36-38 weeks 3 times a day, 1 teaspoon each. And if you do perineum massage with sunflower oil, then the risk of tearing is reduced by 80%.
Castor oil
This method is more radical. With it, you can give birth in the very near future. Castor has a laxative effect, but as a side effect, it causes severe uterine spasm, and sometimes the discharge of water, if the dose is more than 60 ml Since the oil does not dissolve at all, it must be divided into bubbles, otherwise it can provoke vomiting.
Method number 5 – food and drinks
Alcohol helps to induce labor activity. This method is far from harmless and gynecologists do not recommend using it, so as not to harm yourself and your baby. However, many are advised to drink a small amount of weak alcohol at night, such as red wine. Based on the fact that it helps relieve nervous tension and muscle relaxation. But this theory is not confirmed by anything, and the fact that alcohol harms the health of a child is unequivocally proven.
As for food, there is an opinion that spicy dishes effectively stimulate the onset of labor. Doctors believe that this method can lead to a maximum of gastritis, so you should not abuse it. However, many women went to the hospital just after eating spicy dishes, especially Japanese cuisine.
But if 41 weeks are already running out and you tried all the methods, but you couldn’t give birth faster? What to do? See a doctor immediately, because a postponed pregnancy threatens a number of negative consequences for you and the unborn baby.
What is the danger of a postponed pregnancy?
Such a pregnancy threatens the mother and child with a number of serious complications:
- Deformation of the fetal head. When overstretched, the bones of the baby’s skull harden and lose the ability to overlap each other when passing through the birth canal, which significantly increases the risk of ruptures.
- Intrauterine hypoxia. Being in the stomach, your baby constantly needs oxygen, and the placenta in the late stages of pregnancy is no longer able to satisfy it, which leads to the development of this disease.
- Pathology of the umbilical cord of the placenta. With aging of the placenta, the fetus may lack not only oxygen, but also other nutrients, which very negatively affects its development.
Therefore, if you have not given birth by 42 weeks, you need to urgently do an ultrasound and be sure to consult your gynecologist, who will certainly help make the right decision, albeit sometimes not very pleasant.
Medical methods giving the opportunity to give birth faster
In medical practice, there are many ways to stimulate labor. Usually, in order for a woman to be able to give birth faster, an amniotic bladder is pierced, so that the uterus begins to contract intensely. This procedure is absolutely painless, so do not panic when you see the instrument in the hands of an obstetrician. I want to note that if the doctor decided to carry out this procedure, then the pregnant woman after her should give birth in the next 24 hours, otherwise the child will simply suffocate.
And if this cannot be done naturally, then you should agree to a cesarean section. This procedure is performed in a gynecological chair. In addition, after it, amniotic fluid remains in the body, which allows you to experience less painful contractions.
There is another option for the initiation of labor. A special gel containing prostaglandins is introduced into the cervical canal, which contributes to the “maturation” of the cervix and helps a woman give birth faster.
If a woman wants, she can go to the hospital already at 40 weeks, so that doctors help her to properly prepare for childbirth. In most cases, she simply needs to be monitored, waiting in the wings, but if a postponed pregnancy becomes a diagnosis, doctors proceed to serious measures and medically cause labor.
It should be borne in mind that the stimulation is not shown to all women, and even if a woman in labor wants to undergo this procedure, doctors do not always agree to this.
When is stimulation impossible?
- too active labor;
- high blood pressure;
- chronic fetal hypoxia, as the child will suffer greatly in childbirth;
- the presence of scars on the uterus;
- diseases of the cardiovascular or respiratory system in the expectant mother.
In these cases, obstetrician-gynecologists do not perform stimulation, and if it is impossible to give birth, they try to do a cesarean section.
It is very important to note that some girls have a genetic predisposition to late birth. Therefore, if your mothers and grandmothers gave birth at 42 and 43 weeks, do not make hasty conclusions and try to cause labor activity in any way. Trust nature and your baby will be born when the time comes. The main thing is to constantly be under the supervision of a doctor and monitor his health. And if there are no violations, then do not worry.
Conscious labor stimulation – all the pros and cons
It also happens that a woman herself wants to be stimulated by childbirth. This is especially true for mothers who already have children. She wants to speed up the birth process as much as possible so that the baby is born faster. But is it worth it to the detriment of the child?
In fact, if a woman has no health problems and pregnancy proceeds normally, this procedure will not bring special harm. Not all women have active labor, and for some, stimulation is a real opportunity not to endure labor for the whole day. With its help, a child can be born in several hours. In this case, it is very important to constantly be monitored and inform your doctor about all changes in your condition.
Usually, the process of stimulation during childbirth occurs as follows. Within a few days, the cervix is prepared for childbirth. Then, hormonal substances are administered intravenously to the woman. It can be prostaglandins or oxytocin. These drugs excite the onset of labor, causing contractions. With a certain opening of the cervix, the amniotic fluid is punctured and contractions intensify gradually turning into attempts.
You need to know that stimulation is not always effective and if it is not useful, doctors will raise the issue of cesarean section. Therefore, it is worth thinking 10 times before voluntarily going to stimulation. Childbirth is a natural process for which the body manages to fully prepare for 9 months of pregnancy and if everything proceeds normally, it does not need various kinds of interventions.
Do not be afraid of pain, naively believing that stimulation will help to avoid it. With proper breathing and following the recommendations of doctors, you can give birth to a baby quite easily and quickly. Go to classes for expectant mothers, read special literature, seek the advice of a specialist and you will understand that there is really nothing wrong with childbirth.
Remember that natural childbirth gives a high probability of having a healthy baby. The main thing is to have a positive attitude and to listen to your doctor in everything, and then childbirth will not bring you anything but happiness, and everything else will be forgotten in a week.
