When I got the call that I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, my visions of a completely natural, midwife-assisted childbirth with limited medical intervention felt shattered. Fortunately, a meeting with my (favorite) midwife set my mind at ease in that regard.

However, while I’ll know more after my sonogram determines fetal weight, there is a good chance that my midwife (and, more accurately, the doctors that have now been forced into the equation) won’t let this baby go a full 40 weeks gestation.

I won’t get into the side effects that I’ve read about and discussed with my childbirth instructor regarding Pitocin; there’s enough material there for a separate post. Suffice it to say, I am trying to avoid that route, although it will be preferable to a c-section if more natural remedies don’t work to induce labor.

I should add that a pregnant woman should not try natural induction methods without the advice of her physician or mid-wife. Here is a link to an article detailing why it’s not wise to try to induce labor simply because you are ‘tired of being pregnant.’

However, if you’ve passed Week 40, or have medical and physical reasons for an induction, these tips may result in an easier labor than Pitocin induction, with less medical intervention. Check with your doctor or midwife before trying any of these induction methods in earnest.

Evening Primrose Oil – A regime of 1,500 to 2,000 mg of Primrose oil by mouth (spread out 2 – 3 times daily) ripens the cervix for labor, although by itself, probably won’t start contractions. My midwife recommended I begin this at Week 35. You can also insert one gelcap vaginally at night to help ripen the cervix further. Some women who have tried this method have reported that labor began quickly afterwards. So far, I’ve experienced strong Braxton-Hicks contractions, a sign that the uterus is preparing for labor, shortly after taking the gel caps with meals.

Sex – This is probably the most-frequently recommended ‘homeopathic’ method to induce labor. And why not? You won’t have much time after the baby’s born.

How does it work? Prostaglandins in semen, help the cervix to ripen, soften and open, preparing the body for childbirth. Additionally, female orgasms releases Oxytocin, the hormone that causes contractions.

Nipple Stimulation – One midwife told me this should only be done under the supervision of medical personnel, as it can create strong contractions and the baby should be monitored throughout. Other midwives and my childbirth instructor recommended it as a safe ‘at-home’ method to try. It will only work to start contractions if the cervix is already ripe for childbirth, and can also be used for augmentation of labor. It can be done manually, with a breast pump, or orally.

Castor oil and black and blue cohash are often recommended for labor induction, but most of the research I’ve read warns mothers to stay away from these methods. Blue cohosh reaches the placenta, where it can have side effects on the baby, and may also result in elevated blood sugar and blood pressure levels for the mother-to-be.

Along with stimulating contractions, Castor Oil stimulates diarrhea in the mother-to-be, which can lead to dehydration. Castor Oil will only work, however, when the cervix is ripe, and many women report that it was effective in inducing labor. Since labor can begin at any time when the cervix is ripe, this could be coincidence, as few clinical studies have been done on natural induction methods. There are reports of higher incidents of meconium in the amniotic fluid, a danger to the fetus, after the mother-to-be takes castor oil to induce pregnancy.

From breaking waters to reflexology and massage, there are many ways pregnant woman can try to induce labor, with emphasis on the word try. Some are old wives’ tales, while others have basis in medical fact. The truth is, short of a c-section, the baby will come when he or she is ready to enter the world. But these techniques can help the mother-to-be feel ‘in control’ during a very scary time in her life, and, if the stars align properly, they might just work to induce labor.

I’ve had my water break two different ways: once by a doctor and once naturally. Since I was induced when my daughter was due, the doctor made my water break. With my second baby, my water breaking was my first big clue that I was in labor. Both instances felt very different, and if you’re wondering what it feels like I’m happy to share my own experiences.

When I was induced with my first baby the doctor hoped that my water would break on its own, but since it didn’t she did it with some sort of hook contraption. I don’t know much about the medical terms for the experience, but from what I understand she poked the amniotic sack and that broke my water. It didn’t hurt at all and the most notable thing about the whole experience was the gush of liquid that came out.

I was scheduled to be induced with my son, but the night before the appointment I was in bed when all of a sudden I felt a huge shift in my belly, as though he was giving me a bigger kick than he had ever given me. I swear I heard a little “pop!” and the next thing I knew it was as if I had peed in the pajamas. The next thing I knew, my contractions came full force and I was in labor. The water breaking didn’t hurt at all, but it was a little perplexing until I figured out what had actually happened.

My advice is to not fear your water breaking, whether your doctor does it or if your body does it naturally. I will admit that I was really glad my water didn’t break when I was standing in line at the bank or something, and that for the most part it happened in privacy.

My first labor was induced because I was overdue and my blood pressure was steadily climbing. My doctor was getting nervous and wanted to avoid an emergency c-section, and to be honest with you I was pretty darn ready to get that baby out of me. I was huge, I had spent a couple weeks on bed rest, and it seemed to me the quicker we got the ball rolling the better.

My doctor asked me to stop by the hospital the night before I was scheduled for induction because she wanted to try something on me that might help things move along a little faster. Here is what she did: She inserted what looked like a deflated balloon into my cervix and then filled that ghastly thing up with liquid. Apparently the Foley Bulb (or as I like to call it, “balloon torture,”) would expand my cervix and kick-start me into labor. Did I mention the Foley Bulb comes complete with a long tube that the doctor tapes to the inside of your leg? Fun, fun, fun.

So there I was, as pregnant as could be, doing my best to waddle back to the car with a balloon in my cervix and a tube running down my leg. There was an immense amount of pressure, and within a couple of hours I started having full-blown contractions. It was as if I went from zero to labor in a really short amount of time.

My doctor told me the Foley Bulb would either stay intact or fall out on its own when my cervix got stretched out enough, but after an hour of contractions I figured it was time to help things along. I got a real taste of labor that night when I literally pushed that thing out. Congratulations, it’s a Foley Ball!

For all that effort, the Foley Ball didn’t really do anything for me. Maybe if I had left it inside instead of working hard to push it out it may have opened up my cervix like it was supposed to, but if your doctor asks you if you want a Foley Ball consider yourself warned…it’s not fun.