Positive Health Online. Raspberry leaf tea in pregnancy. Information for mums-to-be. Effectiveness and safety of herbal medicines for induction of labour: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ open, 8 10 , e Show references Hide references. Enter your due date or child's birthday dd 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 mm Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec yyyy Trying to conceive?
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See all in Community. See all in Getting Pregnant. See all in Pregnancy. See all in Preschooler. See all in Life as a Parent. See all in Video. You might also like You might also like. Do I have to be induced if my baby's overdue? Parents' tips: what to do if your mum wants to be at your baby's birth. What to expect from an induction: photos. Is it true that a bumpy car ride can help bring on labour? The increase in oxytocin from nipple stimulation can cause contractions that may kick start labor if the pregnant person's body is prepared to give birth.
Medical induction of labor is usually done when there is a need for it but can be done electively in certain situations. This may include:. Inductions for these purposes are performed by healthcare professionals and usually involve medication or medical procedures.
In some cases, such as a pregnancy that is past its due date but is not yet post-term, trying nonmedical ways to induce labor such as nipple stimulation may be recommended by the healthcare provider before doing a medical induction.
There isn't a definitive answer as to whether nipple stimulation is effective for inducing labor. There aren't a lot of studies on the subject, and the ones that do exist have low sample sizes, are not extensive, and are out of date.
It is also difficult to measure the effectiveness of natural induction methods because they are performed when a person is full-term and they may have given birth whether or not they had tried to start labor using these methods. A study found that nipple stimulation appeared to shorten the length of labor and decrease the instances of cesarean sections. The study involved pregnant participants and divided the participants into three groups:. Despite inconclusive evidence, many healthcare providers recommend it as an option for their clients who are full-term.
Ninety-two percent of the respondents named labor augmentation as their reason for suggesting nipple stimulation. Most healthcare providers agree that nipple stimulation only has the potential to be effective if the pregnant person's body is ready to give birth. Indications of this include:. During a healthy, uncomplicated pregnancy, nipple stimulation is unlikely to cause premature labor or miscarriage. In fact, many people choose to breastfeed another child while pregnant.
While oxytocin is released with breast stimulation, in an uncomplicated pregnancy, the uterus only becomes sensitive to it when close to labor. Breast or nipple stimulation is not advised during pregnancy if:.
Using nipple stimulation to try to induce labor in a full-term, healthy pregnancy is generally considered safe. There is, however, a possible risk of uterine hyperstimulation when contractions come too close together , which could cause fetal distress. This risk is low with nipple stimulation and seen more often in medical inductions, but because of the potential for fetal distress, many experts recommend doing nipple stimulation under the supervision of a healthcare provider who can monitor the baby and parent.
Before trying nipple stimulation to induce labor, make sure:. No studies have been performed on the safety or efficacy of nipple stimulation to induce labor in people with high-risk pregnancies. Always check with a healthcare provider before trying any method of labor induction. Call your healthcare provider or go to the hospital if you experience any of the following either before, during, or after trying natural induction methods:.
There are a few different ways to do nipple stimulation with the intent of labor induction. The goal is to mimic a nursing baby.
This technique is similar to hand-expressing breast milk when breastfeeding. Similar to manual nipple stimulation, a breast pump mimics a nursing baby and can help with the release of oxytocin. Pumping may extract colostrum from the breast—this is not a concern. There is no universally agreed-upon pattern for nipple stimulation, but one pattern that is recommended for either manual stimulation or pumping is:.
While it doesn't mimic a suckling baby, erotic nipple play licking, sucking, fondling, etc. It's also a nice way to connect with your partner. Instead of mimicking a nursing baby, you can try really breastfeeding. This is usually done by parents who are already nursing another child. The jury is still out on whether nipple stimulation is an effective way to induce labor.
While some suggest there may be some benefits to nipple stimulation, the studies are sparse and include small sample sizes, outdated information, and other issues that make it difficult to make concrete conclusions. In short, nipple stimulation may or may not help, but it probably won't hurt in low-risk, full-term pregnancies. Before trying nipple stimulation—or any form of natural or at-home labor induction methods—consult with a healthcare professional.
Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Demirel G, Guler H. The effect of uterine and nipple stimulation on induction with oxytocin and the labor process: uterine and nipple stimulation. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing. Hormone Health Network.
Be sure to communicate any questions to your doctor, especially if you are past your expected due date. Your physician should be aware that you are using your breast pump to induce labor, or if you are trying any other methods of labor induction at home, because he or she may recommend that you wait a little longer or may want you to be induced at the hospital.
When oxytocin is released from the brain, it often encourages uterine contractions. In fact, nipple and breast stimulation has even been shown to make these contractions longer and more powerful. A study encompassing six randomized control trials concluded that nipple stimulation increases the likelihood of labor.
While the study was being conducted, pregnant women at term were randomly directed to stimulate their nipples for several hours, or not. The results revealed that Some may go into labor right away or others might not experience consistent contractions for a few days.
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