Despite the fact that during pregnancy, doctors set a preliminary date of birth, the baby may be born slightly earlier or later than this date.
Fine developing pregnancy lasts 40 obstetric weeks. There are cases when, after this time, the baby is in no hurry to be born. Post-term pregnancy can provoke the development of various types of complications. As a rule, from 42 weeks, doctors try to induce labor artificially, if before this point the woman does not begin to give birth on her own.
The fear of complications and the desire to meet the baby as soon as possible push the expectant mother to try on her own.
Contractions are regular contractions of the smooth muscles of the uterus, leading to the opening of its cervix. In order to speed up the onset of labor, you can increase physical activity. Physical activity not only provokes the onset of contractions, but also has a beneficial effect on female body.
An excellent way to speed up labor is walking, going up and down stairs, and swimming. However, running, lifting weights and jumping are strictly prohibited. If a pregnant woman has certain health problems, she should approach increased physical activity with caution.
A good way to speed up labor is sexual intercourse. Male sperm contains hormones that soften the cervix and prepare it for dilation. Intimacy is contraindicated after the mucous plug has come out. Placenta previa and some pathologies may also be a contraindication to it.
You can speed up the onset of labor by cleansing the intestines. The use of laxatives and enemas are excellent for these purposes. A mild laxative effect can be achieved by consuming boiled beets or olive oil. Regular consumption of raspberry tea also helps to bring the onset of contractions closer.
All actions aimed at accelerating the onset of labor must first be discussed with a gynecologist. The doctor will tell you what methods can be used if it is really necessary. In some cases, post-term pregnancy is caused by incorrect timing. In order to decide on the need to accelerate the onset of contractions, you need to do a number of studies that will allow you to assess the current condition of the fetus.
The problems that arise during the process of bearing a baby are varied. The majority of women suffer as a result of the threat of miscarriage, but there is a category of expectant mothers who have passed 40 weeks, the due date has passed, but there are no signs of approaching labor. It is natural that a pregnant woman is looking for answers to questions like how to explain the delay in delivery, how to speed up labor?
There are several reasons why labor is delayed. Some women are genetically affected by post-term pregnancy. If you start asking close relatives, it turns out that the mother and grandmother carried the baby longer than usual. Doctors note that childbirth often occurs later than 40 weeks in women with a menstrual cycle of 30 days. Then the delay in delivery should not cause concern, you should calmly wait a couple more days, and the baby will finally appear!
It's another matter if the pregnancy is definitely post-term. In such cases, an ultrasound examination confirms that the placenta is aging, therefore, the fetus does not receive the substances it needs. Experts are turning to artificial stimulation of labor.
If the mother has been carrying the baby for several days already, doctors believe that the fetus is already ripe, we can recommend several proven folk methods to speed up the onset of labor.
The most pleasant and often positive method is unprotected sex. The hormone contained in male sperm (prostaglandin) has a stimulating effect on labor. Sexual intercourse should be calm, giving pleasure to both spouses; intense sex can harm the cervix of a pregnant woman.
Of course, many have heard about the laxative properties of castor oil, but not everyone knows that after increased intestinal motility, uterine contractions occur. Consumed on an empty stomach, 2 tablespoons of castor oil will induce labor within 1 to 2 hours. If you have a persistent aversion to castor oil, you can take the most pleasant-tasting laxative cocktail, which consists of 3/4 cup of apricot or peach juice and 1/4 castor oil. In addition, gentle remedies include ginger, cloves and cinnamon. A decoction of spices can be consumed instead of tea a couple of times daily.
One of the effective stimulants is breathing exercises. In addition, the simplest physical movements can help speed up the onset of labor: long walking, climbing stairs, swimming. Although, intensive household work, for example, general cleaning, also turns out to be effective in stimulating labor.
If experts believe that it is worth accelerating the onset of labor for medical reasons, hormonal stimulation is used. The hormone prostaglandin is available in suppositories or gels to speed up the birth of a child, inserted into the vagina. Moreover, such suppositories and gels are absolutely harmless.
Sometimes there are signs of approaching labor: aching pain in the lower back occurs, the fundus of the uterus descends, the mucous plug comes off, etc., but labor activity is weak. Doctors make a decision to accelerate labor when the cervical dilation rate is less than 1 cm per hour. A special drug, oxytocin, is prescribed in the form of subcutaneous, intramuscular or intravenous injections and tablets to speed up delivery. However, doctors usually use a different method - opening the amniotic sac. As the water breaks, the uterus contracts and labor begins.
For a pregnant woman, it is important to prepare herself for childbirth physically and psychologically from the very beginning of an interesting situation, visiting on time antenatal clinic, specialized courses, keeping your body in good shape. This way, the expectant mother will be able to control the birth process, which means that the baby has a much greater chance of being born healthy.
Women pregnant after 38 weeks begin to think about what to do to avoid harm. They are almost constantly waiting for contractions and relief from the burden. Some are tired of walking around with a huge belly, others are consumed by fear and the desire to see the baby as soon as possible, and others are tormented by swelling, toxicosis and heartburn. The real panic begins after the 40th week: the child, at all times, should strive to see the world, but does not want to even show his mother that he is ready for birth. Women begin to look for ways to stimulate contractions.
Being under the close attention of specialists towards the end of pregnancy, a woman can be calm about her own health and about the baby.
If the 40-week period is over, but contractions have not started, doctors prefer to hospitalize the mother. By monitoring the well-being of the pregnant woman and fetus, conducting blood and urine tests, they will determine what caused the delay in labor. There are many of them, and some of them include dangerous conditions, so you should not refuse medical help.
If 42 weeks have passed, and an error in calculating the PDR is excluded, obstetricians insist on inducing contractions, trying to avoid:
The threat of missed deadlines forces many mothers to look in advance for ways to speed up labor (more details in the article:). Given the negative perception of hospitalization and the need to spend more than 10 days in the hospital, they are turning to methods that can be used at home. You shouldn’t risk two lives at once just because a woman is tired of being pregnant or she wants (this happens) to mislead her loved ones about the date of conception.
Each organism is unique. It is believed that the shorter the menstrual cycle, the shorter the gestational age. A cycle of 30 days or more suggests delivery at 42 weeks, or even later. Often contractions begin 3-4 weeks later due to the unpreparedness of the birth canal, endocrine problems or the baby’s weak immune system. There is no need to rush things if the overall condition is satisfactory, the waist size and weight do not decrease, the baby moves, making it clear that he feels good in the womb.
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Women giving birth for the first time are haunted for 9 months by the thought of the pain that a large fetus will cause. This forces unreasonable expectant mothers to take advice on how to give birth faster, thinking that the smaller the baby, the easier it will be born. This assumption is not only erroneous, but also extremely harmful. A premature baby, not ready for birth, will be weaker than his peers, more at risk of infection, the development of chronic diseases, and the likelihood of various pathologies increases.
You should not resort to inducing contractions if:
- doctors planned C-section, because mom’s hips are too narrow;
- woman suffers from hypertension, illness nervous system, endocrine diseases;
- pregnancy was difficult, there is a risk of developing cardiovascular, renal failure, bleeding due to low blood clotting;
- there are scars on the uterus;
- the pregnant woman has inflammation and infections of the genitourinary system;
- there is a danger of incorrect position of the fetus, its entanglement with the umbilical cord.
You should never make a decision without consulting the gynecologists observing the pregnancy. In case of real danger, they will always be able to order an ultrasound, conduct a study to evaluate it and begin stimulation or perform an emergency operation to help give birth.
Home remedies to induce contractions and speed up labor
Thousands of years of human existence have allowed us to accumulate experience in the sequence of actions to induce contractions and give birth to a child. What to eat, drink and do to make the baby born faster? Previously, midwives, and then gynecologists and obstetricians, gave advice to pregnant women, warning them about the danger of complications. You should not resort to even safe methods if there is even a small amount of risk, especially when carrying out procedures at home, without the supervision of people with medical education, especially in complete solitude.
Methods of physical influence
Bringing contractions closer using physical pressure does not mean squeezing the baby out or tightening your stomach, forcing the body to start pushing the baby out of itself. These barbaric methods can kill a child or make him disabled. If doctors believe that the time has already come and it is safe to induce contractions, you can try traditional methods.
Method What do we have to do Time of onset of contractions Activity Walking, moving, and doing exercises are recommended throughout pregnancy. In recent days, even small house cleaning, mopping the floor, doing laundry, or doing gymnastic exercises can trigger the onset of labor. Contractions begin within 3–5 hours if we are talking about normal contractions and not placental abruption or other complications. Pain, discomfort, dizziness indicate that urgent medical attention is needed. Sex In recent weeks, doctors recommend avoiding sexual intercourse, but before childbirth, when the anticipation of contractions is clearly prolonged, sex can stimulate labor, especially if the woman has had an orgasm. It is worth using special lubricants to make sex enjoyable. After 2–4 hours, your water may break (see also:). This method is recommended even by gynecologists, as it softens the birth canal and causes the vagina to contract. The choice of position for sex is very important: pressure on the stomach and squeezing of the chest are excluded. Breast massage When massaging the nipples, a woman’s body produces oxytocin, which doctors administer to trigger contractions. Having lubricated the nipples with softening oils or cream, the woman can knead them herself with soft circular movements or ask her husband. Such gentle and stimulating pleasant caresses for 20–30 minutes up to 4 times daily also prepare the breasts for feeding. Massage is useful during the last days before childbirth; the effect can occur within 1–7 days (see also:). Bath Pregnant women are advised to take a very warm bath; you can use aromatic oils to help you relax. But this remedy is one of the last; you should resort to it when there is someone close to you who controls the situation. You can lie in a warm bath for no longer than 15 minutes; stop the procedure immediately if you feel dizzy or have high blood pressure. Often contractions begin in the bath or after 20–30 minutes. after her.
Medicinal herbs
What other ways are there to help labor begin as quickly as possible? Medicinal herbs will help make them go away easily and quickly. Decoctions of raspberry leaves, as well as parsley, primrose and a number of others contain substances that promote the production of female sex hormones.
Phytoestrogens have the most beneficial effect on the pelvic muscles, cause contraction and accelerate the approach of labor. Decoctions are good for mom; they can be brewed instead of tea.
Will the products help?
The method of taking laxative drugs or products that many women have tried can be dangerous. Castor, olive oil, beet juice, spicy foods can cause uterine contractions. They will help empty the intestines. However, the connection between childbirth and the intake of these products has not been proven by scientists.
It is believed that drinking a glass of red wine brings contractions closer. Doctors do not approve of this method, but it helps many people relax and calm down.
Wait or speed up?
Expecting a baby is an exciting time, filled with worries and thoughts about how to give birth quickly and easily, what to eat and drink, and how to eat healthy. This becomes especially important in the last days before the end of pregnancy, when it is time to give birth, but there are still no contractions.
Only doctors will be able to tell if there is cause for alarm, they will advise what to drink, what to eat so that contractions come faster, and whether to rush. Any method can cause harm to the baby and mother; you must agree to hospitalization and spend the time before giving birth in the hospital under the supervision of doctors who are ready at any moment to begin drug stimulation or perform a caesarean section.
Approximately 40% of pregnant women deliver a viable, mature fetus before the 40th week of pregnancy.
The rest of the expectant mothers, by this time, as a rule, having already enjoyed the “interesting” situation, quietly envy them and dream of meeting their belly as soon as possible.
And especially impatient parents even try to outwit nature and help themselves give birth as quickly as possible, trying out for themselves the methods offered by the advisers of the World Wide Web.
In fact, a fetus at the age of 39 weeks is, so to speak, in the period of intrauterine “survival” until birth. That is, the baby is full term and is quite ready to meet the outside world. It has the reflexes necessary to maintain extrauterine life, namely: breathing, sucking, swallowing and other innate reactions that are normally characteristic of newborns.
The baby’s digestive tract is already ready to accept and digest the first portions of colostrum, and then breast milk or an age-appropriate mixture. Thanks to its taste buds, the child is able to distinguish bitter, salty and sour from sweet, giving preference to the latter.
The baby hears perfectly and future parents probably have repeatedly had the opportunity to physically feel how the baby reacts to loud sounds. A fetus born at 39 weeks of gestation has good vision at a distance of about 30 cm and distinguishes colors.
The fetus at the 39th week weighs approximately 3000 - 3500 grams, and its height is about 50 cm. By this time, the baby, as a rule, already takes a “prenatal” position: the presenting part rushes towards the exit of the uterus, the legs are bent in knees, pressed tightly to the tummy.
Mommy usually feels this - her tummy drops about the palm of her hand and it becomes easier to breathe.
However, before the baby is born, some more time passes, necessary for the completion of all processes in the body of the mother and fetus associated with preparing them for childbirth.
Labor should not begin “at the behest of a pike or your desire.”
By the end of pregnancy, a woman’s body, as a rule, is dominated by a certain hormonal background, the formation of a “generic dominant” occurs, under the influence of which the birth process starts.
It is believed that the key role in preparing a woman’s body for childbirth is last weeks gestation, the fetoplacental complex plays a role.
Ideally, delivery begins spontaneously, as the fetus and placenta mature, and the mother’s birth canal becomes ready for the process of expulsion of the fetus from the womb.
However, for many reasons, it may happen that there are no signs of imminent delivery even at the 39th week and the doctor gives a conclusion about an immature cervix. In this case, after additional studies of the condition of the fetus, its position, and its position, the obstetrician can give recommendations on the use of methods of non-drug stimulation of labor.
For example, at the 39th week it’s time to think about induction of labor for those mothers who have hereditary symptoms. Those women whose menstrual cycle is irregular or lasts more than 30 days are also at risk. As a rule, the doctor clarifies such points with the patient when registering for pregnancy.
Without the approval of the supervising doctor, taking action to stimulate the onset of labor, even using “home” methods, is at least unreasonable.
The expectant mother should remember that if further pregnancy is truly undesirable and poses a threat to the health of her or the fetus, then stimulation of delivery for medical reasons is carried out in a hospital with the help of special medications.
In the prenatal period, close attention is paid to the readiness of the birth canal for childbirth. Normally, the cervix, by the end of the gestation period, should be sufficiently loose and shortened, “mature”, so that the fertilized egg has the opportunity to freely leave the mother’s womb. The maturity of the cervix is an important condition for the successful course and completion of the labor process.
Labor that begins with an immature cervix is several times more likely to be accompanied by anomalies, and difficulties arise in postpartum period for mother and newborn. The course of such labor is often completed. Therefore, stimulation of labor induction when the cervix is not sufficiently prepared to expel the fetus is extremely dangerous.
The following remedies are designed to help prepare the cervix for childbirth and, at the same time, bring the baby’s birth date closer:
The cervix undergoes the necessary prenatal changes under the influence of hormones and biologically active substances (prostaglandins E2 and F2α) produced by the fetoplacental complex. Male sperm is also rich in prostaglandins. In addition, intimate caresses and orgasm stimulate the release of oxytocin, which increases the contractile activity of the uterus.
This method has contraindications: some diseases in the partner, for example, STDs, etc.
If the doctor at the next appointment with a pregnant patient at 39 weeks stated that the condition of the cervix corresponds to the gestational age, then future mom may try to rush the birth, for example, in this way:
Heavy physical activity is, of course, prohibited. It will be enough not to neglect household chores, long walks, swimming, etc.
This promotes the synthesis of oxytocin, a hormone that can cause uterine contractions.
Exercise promotes the production of oxytocin and also relaxes the pelvic floor muscles. In addition, such exercises, as well as massage of the labia and vagina, have a beneficial effect on the elasticity of the muscle tissue of the perineum.
It is now recognized that specialists in acupressure and acupuncture, using their professional techniques, are able to stimulate labor and influence the course of the birth process.
On the Internet, you can find many other tips for speeding up labor induction. Recipes for “potions” with alcohol, castor oil and various herbal decoctions, which are designed to provide a contractile reaction of the uterus, are very popular.
The consequences of using such stimulants can be completely unpredictable and extremely dangerous for both the mother and the fetus.
Methods that should not be used at home to speed up labor:
This drinking causes a powerful urge to defecate, and then it’s not far from labor, as advisers say.
Indeed, castor oil has a laxative effect, and alcohol is designed to ensure better “absorption” of the ingredients into the blood. However, the effect of this drug to induce labor has not been confirmed, and the risk of severe vomiting and subsequent dehydration is very likely. Bad bonus: poisoning of the body (maternal and fetal) with alcohol.
The contractile activity of the intestine, expelling the contents, apparently should entail the contractile activity of the uterus, expelling the fetus.
The danger is that the progress of the cleaning process is difficult to control. Labor can be rapid, and the consequences of defecation will be dehydration and impotence of the mother.
The popularity of the product is not inferior to those described in the previous paragraphs. The dangerous consequences are similar.
The use of castor oil for induction of labor in maternity hospitals was abandoned as an ineffective remedy that nevertheless had an undesirable effect. It’s especially not worth using it at home.
The most popular are decoctions and infusions based on black cohosh and raspberry leaves).
However, there is no medical confirmation of the effectiveness of these drugs. And black cohosh, as a poisonous plant containing alkaloids, is generally prohibited for use during pregnancy and lactation. That is, taking any herbal medicines during pregnancy must be agreed upon with the supervising doctor.
In general, if the pregnancy develops normally, then active actions on the part of the woman are not required for a speedy delivery. If, during gestation, deviations confirmed by medical research arise that require completion of the pregnancy for the benefit of the mother and/or baby, then this is certainly a reason for intervention, which, nevertheless, must be initiated by medical specialists.
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