22 Natural Induction Methods From MyDoulaHeidi For Your Best Birth Story

Welcome to the Natural Induction Methods episode! This installment of Birth Story Podcast highlights some of Heidi’s most tested, tried, and true methods of inducing labor naturally. Don’t forget to download your free accompanying natural induction guide at www.birthstory.com! Heidi also wants you to know about: Mama Natural, Surge of the Sea, the Miles Circuit, and Evidence Based Birth

Looking for a Virtual Doula to create a custom birthing experience and guide you through your journey to parenthood in the United States? Contact Heidi at www.mydoulaheidi.com

For additional free birth education resources and to purchase Heidi’s book, Birth Story: Pregnancy Guidebook + Journal, visit www.birthstory.com.

Want to share your thoughts on the episode? Leave a review and send a message directly to Heidi on Instagram.

TRANSCRIPTION

What does a contraction feel like? How do I know if I'm in labor and what does the day of labor look like? Wait, is this normal? Hey, I'm Heidi, a certified birth doula host of this podcast, birth story and owner of my doula, Heidi. I have supported hundreds of women through their labor and deliveries. And I believe that every one of them and you deserves a microphone and a stage.

So here we are. Listen, each week you get answers to these tough questions and more birth story where we talk about pregnancy labor deliveries, where we tell our stories, share our feelings, and of course, chat about our favorite baby products and motherhood. And because I'm passionate about birth outcomes will hear from some of the top experts in labor and delivery, whether you are pregnant, trying desperately to get pregnant, I hope you will stick around and be part of this tribe.

Today, I'm doing something a little bit different. I have add so many inquiries on how to naturally induce labor, not only from like Instagram and my Facebook and my doula accounts, but pretty much with all of my dual clients. And as they come through the rotation of getting to about 36, 37, 38 weeks.

Everyone starts getting antsy to meet their baby is another thing that's happening is that if they haven't had a baby by about 39 weeks, it seems that a lot of people are starting to have a conversation. So early on about induction providers may say something like, well, if you haven't had the baby by.

Blank. Then we are going to go ahead and schedule your induction. So today I wanted to walk you through how to naturally induce labor when like air quotes, you are past your guests. Okay. So this one is a little bit, usually it just free top. Some of this is scripted because they wanted to know to make sure that he didn't forget to tell you anything really important.

And so if it seems like I'm talking a little bit less naturally, then that's why you wake up and you're 38 weeks pregnant and you think you are mirroring your due date, but this is really better known as your guests date. You know, your baby could actually come at any time. I don't want to downplay this at all.

My last couple of clients delivered at 33 weeks, 35 weeks, 37 weeks. And then the last two at over 41 weeks. Yes, it is a big range. It's a big guest. Your baby could actually come today. But if you are counting down the days to your baby's arrival, because they are so excited to meet him or her and you just.

Can't be pregnant any longer, just keep listening. So the average gestation for a first time, mom, healthy without interventions is a 41 weeks. And one day your due date of 40 weeks is a week in a day early. And it's also arbitrarily based on the day of your last period. If you even know that at all, and it is a one size fits all model.

So some of us, obviously on day six, some of us, obviously on day 21, sometimes the sperm and the egg meet quickly. Sometimes the sperm is waiting around for days for our sweet little egg. You really can't guess based on when you had sex, even when my clients do IVF, this one astounds me, fertility astounds me like, you know, your transfer date.

They still go off the date of your last period. So if you hit the 39 week Mark. You go in and your healthcare provider starts whispering to you about induction, maybe even 38 weeks. Just take a deep breath. And remember that the first unnatural thing about your pregnancy is that you are given a due date.

It's a guess it's a moving target. Your baby will come. When here she is ready. And in fact, only 5% of babies are born on their due date. Despite the fact that I am about to offer up a whole guide to natural induction methods. I want you to be patient before anything else. I also want to let you know that everything I'm in a review on this podcast today is going to be available for free for download.

On my website, birth story.com. I definitely want you to sign up for this guide, put your pen and paper down. If you're driving, don't worry about it. You can later go to birth story.com and you can sign up to download this free guide. It is so important to me that you have this guide because it seems to be the number one thing that people are asking about right now.

So just be patient, feel those kicks sit down and enjoy these last moments of being with your baby. It is about to be over and I promise you, you will actually be a little bit sad when. Your pregnancy ends and that cord is cut. I know it's really hard to believe that right now, as you're like rubbing your aching back and you're propping your swollen feet up and you are, you're done, you are done being pregnant.

I get it. If you have been listening to this podcast, then you have heard that. I just stated until 43 weeks, I know exactly what it's like to be done, being pregnant as your virtual doula. I want you to relax, but if they're planning your induction and it's the best thing for you and your baby and your healthcare providers have discussed it, then.

You know, I don't really see a reason to not try a lot of these natural induction methods or if it just seems like things just aren't getting going, I'm not going to offer anything that has not been proven to be safe for you and your baby. Many of these things are just, uh, traditions and old midwives tales that we pass down.

Some of them have clinical research behind them. Some of them are anecdotal. Please bear in mind. I am not a doctor. I am not a midwife. I am not a healthcare provider. I have been a doula at the time of this recording for 15 years and I'm going off of my experience and my research and my training. So I have personally done every single method than I am recommending.

So the number one thing that I learned is start early in the morning because no one wants to jump start LIBOR at night. Your natural LIBOR is likely going to kick in at night. So we want to do somethings to Brime it. During the day. When you have energy, put your pins down. This is going to be a download free guide on bursary.com.

Number one, make labor oil. So what is LIBOR oil? It's a half a bottle of almond oil, a half a bottle of castor oil and 10 to 20 drops of Clary Sage 10 to 20 drops of lavender essential oil. So you're going to shake that up and then you'll just kind of put a few drops over your belly and rub it. Into your belly.

You'll wrap your belly with saran wrap, and then you can add a heating pad on low heat for about 15 minutes. Now this recipe is compliments of my doula mentor, Molly Patterson in Eugene, Oregon. I could just say, raise your hand if you used the labor oil effectively and hundreds of hands are going to go up.

So the labor oil is, it feels good. It's very relaxing. It smells. Delicious. And I believe it works. Number two, nipple stimulations. You want to hook your breast pump or. Get intimate with your partner. So about 15 minutes at a time, several times a day. Also, this is key. If you want to use the labor oil at the same time.

So you can do that setup with rubbing the labor oil on wrapping your belly and saran wrap, putting that low heating pad on, and then either hooking up the breast pump for a nipple stimulation. And of course put the bottles in because if you have any claustrum or milk that comes in, you want to catch it, put it in your fridge, save it for your baby.

So the next thing that I did and I recommend is black and blue cohosh helped me. I bought them on Amazon, but you could buy them at your local, local, natural food store. I know that they have them at whole foods and some of our local markets take them as directed. The ones that I ordered, it was three to five pellets, every few hours under the tongue.

It is going to depend on what you buy from. Your store or Amazon. So read the directions, do it that way. But black and blue cohosh are often used together throughout labor. So blue cohosh is a plant. This is where this podcast gets really funny because I'm not an herbalist, but Carla phylum that Alyssa Charlie eighties.

I mean, I just hope everyone's laughing. I have no idea, but blue cohosh as a plant black cohosh is equally painful to try to pronounce, but black cohosh is also a plant. Historically these herbs were used by native Americans as a uterine tonic. And for various kind of logical support, like reducing hot flashes and night sweats, but in labor, these herbs can be a powerful uterine stimulant.

They come and, um, homeopathy take tablets. You can also get them as tinctures or capsules. The next thing I highly recommend to all of my clients is to have sex with orgasm and ejaculation. Because I'm specifically talking about semen. Don't worry. I work with Polenti of mamas that are both single and that are in same sex marriages.

And so number four on my guide is going to talk about two parts. We'll talk about orgasm, which applies to everyone, but the ejaculation piece, I'm specifically talking about the effects of Siemens. So. The semen will soften the cervix and ripen the cervix, because we do know that there are prostoglandins in semen.

We do know that we use prostaglandins like Cytotec or Cervidil to induce labor. So semen seems to have the ability to soften and rape in the cervix when you have sex with ejaculation. So this is really important. So like that the semen is a very critical part. I hope there's not a lot of. Little ears listening, because I definitely make this podcast explicit.

But if you are uncomfortable and sexist, super uncomfortable, I sometimes say if they could finish, you know, you could do something else, but then finish because what you're looking for is the touch and then the semen too. So also. Orgasm will release loads of natural oxytocin, which can stimulate those uterine contractions.

If you're single or your partner is out of town or whatever, masturbation. Is a great way to achieve orgasm for that release of natural oxytocin. When you are just snuggling and holding and touching your partner, you're also releasing that natural oxytocin. So everything about like sex touch. Orgasm and ejaculation have some benefits for helping to soften and ripen that cervix.

One of the things I want to remind you about that, I ended up having conversations with all of my doula clients is that your cervix is hyper irritable and there's a lots of cats  and so penetration can irritate your cervix and also burst open those capillaries. So. It is possible that you may spot after you have sex.

It's very important to notice is the difference between like spotting and bleeding. If you were just spotting a little bit after sex, it's likely that your cervix is just a little hyper irritable. It also may be because it's softening and opening and those capillaries are bursting open. I do not recommend having sex after your membranes or your amniotic SAC has ruptured because of the risk of infection.

Specifically talking about this topic. If you are interested in more evidence based. Research. I am a huge fan of evidence based birth. You can go to evidence based birth and I'll link to it in the show notes. Now we're going to take a short break to just share a few things with you and we'll be right back.

Hey everybody. Thanks for listening. I've got a really cool opportunity for you to hear your name on the birth story podcast, and that is by writing a review. So I was hoping that you might push pause right now. Scroll down on your podcast app, hit a five star and then click the rate or review just a few sentences can mean everything.

So let's listen to a couple of them. The first review comes from Chelsea zero one zero. Okay. I am 17 years old and I really love this podcast being black American and often feels like there are certain things that we just aren't going to have. And one of those things are an easy birth. Making an episode about it was something I would have never expected.

And I loved it so much. I'm not looking to have a baby anytime soon, but I love children. This podcast is very informative and it helps take away any fears and misconceptions that a curious teen may have about birth. It is good to be informed, and this is a great way to feel a part of the conversation.

Instead of just reading random articles online. Chelsea, thank you so much. I also got one from Anna Sheree. Thank you so much, Heidi, for taking the time and effort to interview these sweet women and discuss so many different topics and the birth community. I am a young student midwife. And I've really enjoyed learning through your passion to equip women with knowledge about the way God made their bodies.

It has made me so excited to be part of supporting women because of the care you take in fleshing out all the kinds of fears and misunderstandings around the joy of birth and motherhood. That is awesome. Anna Sheree, thank you so much. And I also wanted to shout out to RCF H M M she covers a variety of topics pertaining to birth and is entertaining.

I always learn something new. Well, RCF, H M M I always learn something from these women, sharing their stories to thank you for leaving a review. And on next week's episode, you might hear your own name. If you take Jessica a quick minute to write me a review, Hey guys, if you're enjoying this podcast, then I need your help to spread the word.

If you know anyone who is pregnant is trying to become pregnant or just loves a good birth story. If you could send them to iTunes or Stitcher. Or Spotify or SoundCloud wherever they listen to their podcasts and ask them to subscribe to the birth story podcast. Um, so number five, getting a prenatal massage.

All of my clients are sent for an induction massage at the end of their pregnancies. I want to spoil them. The oxytocin from that touch can really jumpstart uterine contractions. It's just much needed relaxation and softening of the muscle tension. Number six is chiropractic adjustment. Do it, I believe in it.

This is a critical factor in achieving your best birthing experience. It opens up your pelvis. It helps. Let's make sure everything's in alignment and it promotes an easier and faster LIBOR. Your chiropractor really helps balance the pelvis. It just really, there's a lot of unnecessary tension in your ligaments and muscles when you're pregnant, even just from sleeping in weird positions.

And it just kind of like lends that helping and to get the baby in a proper birthing position. So when your baby is in a better position in your body is in a better alignment and position. Yes. Your ability to give birth naturally.

Number seven on my list is acupuncture. The data shows that there's no adverse effects to mom or baby acupuncture is amazing. And I went religious to this image, amazing woman named Kristin acupuncture is part of Eastern medicine. It really just target certain points on the body that will naturally prepare it for labor.

Including prostoglandins which again, we talked about soften that cervix and oxytocin that trigger that construction. So when you have the natural release of these hormones, labor can gradually onset and can typically lead to a smoother, less painful delivery. I'll just give you a quick overview of what it looks like.

I mean, you go in and there's like Zen music and like waterfall and twinkly lights. Um, but it's these very thin needles that penetrate the skin. And in Chinese medicine, this acupuncture is linked to the belief that the disruption of labor or even diseases, things are caused when the flow of energy in the body.

Is disturbed. So acupuncture will stimulate those points on or under the skin called acupuncture points are acupressure points to try to release this key. When I was experiencing acupuncture to try to induce labor, I felt like. I was getting a massage, even though no one was touching me after the needles were in the baby became very, very active.

It was really, really cool. And I just remember that she like was taking my pulse on my left and my right. And I just remember her saying like near her, body's not ready and it wasn't. So. Number eight on my list is walking and specifically the miles circuit. And so have you ever heard of it? So the mile circuit was developed by two doulas to help position your baby in the ideal L O a position which has left occiput anterior.

And that is like basically where your baby is head down, kind of facing down on the left side. This is the ideal laboring and birthing position. It is a labor set that is exceptionally powerful to help regulate or speed up and erratic or slow labor. You can go to mile circuit.com to learn how to use the mile circuit during your birthing.

Just a quick reminder. Again, this entire guide is free [email protected]. Number nine on my list is inserting evening Primrose vaginally. You can even start doing this around. Like most of my clients probably start around 36 weeks weeks. You might be able to were your arm around your belly and shove it up there yourself.

If you're single, you can get creative. But yeah, if you are partnered, then I would have your partner, right. Insert the evening, Primrose for you as close to your cervix as possible, uh, with freshly washed hands. So, um, do this Ray before you go to bed, just so it doesn't leak out right away. When you get up to go to the bathroom.

I know you're going in the bathroom like 10 times in the middle of the night. So when you get up to go to the bathroom, you are going to see little drops and the toilet that look like oil. This is the evening Primrose oil. It has nothing to do with bodily fluids. Like no bodily fluids it's coming out of you for labor and delivery.

Look like olive oil and the toilet. Right? So evening Primrose oil, if you've never seen it. And it looks like. You know, you put olive oil in the toilet, primers oil EPO is another term for it. It's a rich source of essential fatty acids, especially GLA, and that functions as a precursor for prostoglandin synthesis.

So again, we talked about the effectiveness of prostoglandins re-pinning and softening the cervix. Number 10. I'm sure you've heard it. All food eat spicy foods, dates, eggplant, cantaloupe. These are all like, you know, again, traditionally old midwives tales that we talk about, like stimulating the GI tract.

Getting everything going vibrations in the colon that could lead to vibrations. And the huge there is also helped kind of clean you out before you have a baby. So eat some spicy foods, dates, eggplant, cantaloupe. Some people will talk about pineapple to power and food though. Number 11 C a reflex ologist.

And so this is very similar to acupuncture. We talked about there's acupuncture and acupressure points. Acupressure to me is a little bit more painful than the peaceful acupuncture, but it is effective. FairWarning it's, it's not like you go in for acupressure. And it doesn't, it doesn't hurt. I went to an acupressurist and Oh, he had a tool.

He didn't speak English, just Chinese. And he had a tool and he just kept saying, it hurt, it hurt it hurt. And I was like, Oh, it does hurt. But it. Produced very strong uterine contractions, I will say within about 30 minutes. So it involves physically applying pressure to points running along your body's Meridian system.

Many people believe that acupressure can induce labor because many pressure points increase the blood flow to the uterus, and then they stimulate the contractions and then they can influence your hormones. Number 12 is red raspberry leaf tea. And it's nickname is a uterine tonic. So again, it's found to be safe for mom and baby to drink and pregnancy.

It's the leaf from the red raspberry Bush. And it can be, you can serve it hot or ice. You can steep it for one to four hours. Um, when I was using red raspberry leaf tea, I would put it in Mason jars at night with like two to four bags, and then I would let it steep overnight and I would drink it as a cold brew.

Most of the moms that I work with, start it around 36 weeks, if not sooner with maybe just like one drink, but I mean, it's kind of a joke in our little. Birding group, because most of the moms are drinking. It kind of like all day long at the end, but at least like three to four times a day. But again, studies have shown no negative effects from mom and baby.

And then traditionally, this is thought to we do this because it's thought to prime that uterus. Okay. We are on the very last recommended technique. And that is castor oil. Last resort, last resort. FairWarning so castor oil. Oh gosh. How does it work? It stimulates the  receptors that are found in your uterus and those caused the smooth muscle fibers to contract.

So again, The overriding theme with all of these things are position of your baby uterine contractions, softening and re-pinning of the cervix. So this is one castor oil that's thought to cause those uterine contractions castor oil is you like this is used at the very end. It's not recommended before 40 weeks.

This is when like you and your provider either you're out of patients. Or your providers like, you know, I really I'm thinking that an induction might be the best thing and there's a lot of different. Every, let me say this. Every single provider seems to have a different set of rules and regulations for induction, the arrive trial points to inductions at 39 weeks.

For first time healthy moms, you can Google that arrive trial. The American college of gynecology and obstetrics doesn't really have a lot of pure indications, like as an example of macrosomia, which is big baby it's, it's not really an, it's not an indication for an induction, but just because it's not like indicated doesn't mean it's.

It might still be recommended if that makes sense. So at the end of your pregnancy, you get to 40 weeks, we're going to do some non-stress tests where they just monitor to see if you're having any contractions and then your baby's moving movements and heart rate. And if everything looks good, usually your provider will allow you to keep being pregnant for up to 42 weeks.

I've had many clients that have had such beautiful deliveries at 41 41 and a half 42 weeks gestation. So anyway, last resort. Cast Orwell. Got it. I'm doing a lot of talking on purpose because I want you to understand that this is okay. End of the road. And this is why flipping not right. You're about to go in for your induction.

It's scheduled it's 48 hours from now. You aren't in labor yet. Maybe your cervix is right. Like they told you you're 50 or 60 or 70% of faced and maybe you're one or two centimeters dilated, but you're just. Not in labor yet and let's face it. You're done being pregnant. So if this is the case, the data shows that people have taken one fourth cup, which is about 60 MLS of castor oil.

And you can take it in like a milkshake or a smoothie, yogurt, orange juice. Um, it really doesn't have a great taste. So definitely mix it with something delicious and then get it down as quickly as possible. Please only do this one time. I did it two times. That was an I D I think I did it two times so I could teach all of you.

It was a mistake. So just do it one time. Most likely you will not have any GI upset, but it can cause has some pretty good diarrhea. You should consistently contract. Even if you don't go into labor important things about castor oil, uh, it is not recommended before 40 weeks. And it's not recommended if you've had a previous uterine surgery, like a  of you're going for like then ignore this, this one.

And if you've had like fibroids or, you know, any kind of uterine surgery where they're scarring. Then a racist from your mind, this castor oil is a first time healthy mom or a third time healthy mom, whatever it is, multiparous mom that has not had a previous yes. Uterine surgery. Got it. Mix it with something.

And even though it was studied at a, for the cup and 60 MLS, I. I still like, think that's kind of a lot, um, maybe start with an eighth of a cup and see how your body tolerates it. And then you can, you know, do the other eighth of a cup. The other things that I really believe in and that I, which my clients on at the end to have patients and relaxation are drinking.

A glass of wine and buy a glass of wine. I mean like four ounces. So just something to relax, you getting into the bathtub and relaxing at night, uh, with hip, no anesthesia from hypnobirthing. My favorite is Melissa spill stead surge of the sea. And when I was hypnobirthing my babies, she just covered me in hip.

No anesthesia, very easily. If you are scheduled for an induction, it is. Okay. I am the first one to tell you that I elected, like raise my hand for an induction, whether my second baby and I achieved a wonderful, all natural childbirth with just a little bit of Pitocin. I have been with many moms that I've had such beautiful birds with an induction.

Don't. Be afraid of it, if it is happening. Right. And the safest thing for you and your baby is an induction. Then I want to give you all of the peace and power that it is. And can be a, still a beautiful experience. So thank you guys for joining me today from this variation from birth stories to talk about natural induction methods and everything that I discussed today is available for you.

I made it for you. I put it together for you because I want to help you and empower you. I want you to be at peace and I want you to have. Tools that are safe for you and your baby that are natural. I have this higher guide to natural induction methods for you for free. I can't wait to put it in your hands.

I hope you have a beautiful, full and wonderful birth. And when you do write into [email protected] so that we might be able to share it on the podcast.

Thank you for listening to birth story. My goal is you'll walk away from each episode with a clear picture of how labor and delivery might go, and that you will feel empowered by the end of your pregnancy to speak up plan and prepare for the birth you want. No matter what that looks like.