Kick Start Labor
Ideally, labor should begin on its own. But some people want to nudge their body into labor with gentle, natural options. In other situations, there may be a more significant reason to kick start labor. This link will explain things anyone can do for a gentle nudge, and also the more aggressive steps that can be taken only by those with a very serious need to start labor.
We want to emphasize 2 very important points:
Your body is not broken. Your baby will communicate with you that they are ready to be born. Rushing the process without a very good reason is counterproductive: mentally and physically
We have learned from some clients that they regretted the hard push for labor. Even clients who were at risk of transferring care to the hospital because they were up against the 42-week, or whose water had broken sometimes regretted spending their last day of pregnancy fighting for labor. A few have told us they wished they had spent the day enjoying their family and trusting their body instead.
When & Why:
42-WEEKS: By law, midwives can only provide care up until 42-weeks of pregnancy. Unfortunately, many first-time moms (and some more experienced moms) run out the clock. If you are “up against the calendar” we may discuss the option of using herbs and oils to kick start labor.
WATER BREAKS: About 90% of the time, your water will break when you are well into labor. If you are one of the 10% whose water breaks before the first contraction, we may need to nudge your body into labor. To be safe, you need to have your baby within 24-hours of when your water first breaks. If you are not in very convincing labor within 12-18 hours, we will seriously consider transferring care to the hospital setting. For that reason, we may discuss how to get labor started to try to preserve your plans to birth in the community setting.
Risks & Caution:
Trust Birth: We always say to “trust birth” or “trust your body.” But, then, when we are up against a circumstance we don’t like, we are tempted to push back. Be very very thoughtful as you weigh this paradox. Should we trust the process “even if it’s ‘no’” or only if it’s going our way?
Risk to the Baby: Castor oil works by irritating your bowels. Your bowels are pressed up against your uterus. As your intestines get stimulated to move, peristalsis (wave-like movements) stimulate the uterus to also contract. Anything that a medication does to a mom it may also do to the baby — because the mom and baby are connected. There may be a risk that castor oil will stimulate a bowel movement in the unborn baby. If the baby has a bowel movement before birth, s/he may inhale amniotic fluid that is filled with meconium (baby poop). If the baby’s lungs get stained with meconium there’s the risk of infection or meconium aspiration syndrome, which can be life threatening.
Risk to the Mom: Castor oil works by stimulating bowel movements. Sometimes it also causes vomiting. Diarrhea and vomiting can both contribute to dehydration which can make the uterus less effective, and contribute to exhaustion. Also, diarrhea can introduce bacteria into the vagina. If bacteria gets into the uterus it can increase the risk of infection to the baby.
The Plan
If we need to nudge you into labor, you will need to purchase:
Shopping Lists & Links
1 bottle of Red Raspberry Tea Capsules
Homeopathic Cimicifuga , Caulyphyllum, a ($35 from Frisco Birth Center)
Start Up Tincture or B&B Labor Tincture
Clary Sage Essential Oil
Raw Almonds
If we need to push labor, you will start with the Castor Oil.
7 AM - Fry 2 or 3 eggs in 2 oz of Castor OIl. Sop up the remaining oil with toast or bread.
PWaR: Pump, Walk, Rest +
7 AM After breakfast, begin this PW(a)R + Start Up Herbs + EO strategy for 3 hours
·Take 1/2 tsp of Start Up Tincture, and apply Clary Sage Essential Oil on the inside of your lower leg, 3-fingers above your ankle, at the start of each of these 3 activities:
Pump (use a breast pump) 20mins while sitting on a labor ball
Walk briskly for 20 mins: curb walking, stairs, sideway steps, or fast walk.
Eat 7-10 raw Almonds while you walk
Rest, listen to guided imagery, slip into “the fog” for 20mins
Complete ^ the PWaR routine 3 times between 7 am - 10 am.
10 AM Beginning at 10 a.m. alternate 3 pellets of cimicifuga under your tongue, wait 15 min, take 3 pellets of caulyphyllum under your tongue.
Continue taking these 2 alternately for 2 hours. till 12 pm.
12 PM If labor has not started, or is not strong, by 1 pm, eat a healthy lunch. Let your food digest. Rest for 1 hour, then . . .
1 PM - Incorporate 2 oz of castor oil into one of the smoothie recipes below, and drink it within 10 min.
Begin the PW(a)R strategy again,
Using the Start Up Herbs at the start of each of the activities.
Also apply Clary Sage Essential Oil 3-fingers above your ankle bones on the inside of your lower leg, your belly, and your low back.
Pump (use a breast pump) 20mins while sitting on a ball.
Walk 20mins
Rest for 20mins while focusing on relaxation, hypnobirthing, or welcoming your baby.
Repeat the ^ routine 3 times between 1 pm - 4 pm
If labor has not begun after doing all of the above, take the rest of the evening off. Go on a date. Clear your mind. Your midwife will discuss your next steps.
Recipes:
“Midwife Mimosa”
2 oz castor oil
1/2 can Kernes Apricot nectar
1/2 cup Champaign
Blend apricot nectar and castor oil thoroughly. Add Champaign.
Pour over ice.
Drink within 10 min
Rootbeer Float
2 oz castor oil
1/2 cup vanilla bean ice cream
root beer or cream soda
Blend ice cream and castor oil until completely incorporated.
Add to a cup of root bear or orange cream soda for a “castor oil float”
Drink within 10 min
Homeopathic Labor Boost
Homeopathy is a form of complementary and alternative medicine that uses extremely small amounts of natural substances to tune into the condition that you are trying to treat. In this case, we use the homeopathic versions of blue cohosh and black cohosh because the herbs themselves can have some negative side effects. The amount in homeopathic remedies is so small it is safer.
To kickstart labor or speed up labor
· Take 3 pellets of caliphyllum
· 15 min later take 3 pellets of cimicifuga
· repeat / alternate for 2 hours
Other Start Up Tricks
On the day of your “start up protocol”, In between the 2 doses of castor oil, do as many of the other strategies as possible. Think of “labor” as your full-time job during the day. You can do them at the same time, for example – take herbs, & pump, walk & apply oils, etc. The goal is to get it going hard and fast
Red Raspberry Leaf Tea Capsules: The night before your castor oil start-up, take 10 Red Raspberry Leaf Tea Capsules at bedtime. Then, take 5 Red Raspberry Leaf Tea Capsules with each meal and at bedtime.
Spinning Babies: Ask your doula how to strategically use curb walking, 3 Sisters of Balance and Miles Circuit. (Or search those strategies on YouTube if you don’t have a doula).
Labor Ball: Sit on a labor ball and make big circles and figure 8 hip circles. If you need a labor ball, you can borrow one from us.
Fast Walk: Go for vigorous walks, long, stomping strides. Continue walking even through contractions.
Make Out / Make Love: (Only if your water is not broken). Men make prostaglandin hormones that can help soften the cervix. And, intimacy makes oxytocin which is our labor hormone.
CAUTION
Informed Decision Making and Informed Consent involves understanding the actual risks involved in both “post dates” pregnancy and “starting labor with the aid of herbs”.
You will need a detailed ultrasound called a biophysical profile at 41 weeks and 2 days and another one at 41 weeks and 5 days if you are still pregnant.
Drinking castor oil does not directly cause the baby to have a bowel movement. However, being “post dates” can cause the baby to have a bowel movement before birth. Also, fetal stress in labor can cause the baby to have a BM before birth.
After 41-weeks, the risks of the baby having a bowel movement in the womb go up. If the baby inhales the amniotic fluid with fecal matter (meconium) in it, it can cause pneumonia.
Most of the time, the placenta continues to function throughout pregnancy. However, sometimes it becomes less effective after 41-weeks. Continue doing fetal kick counts daily after 41-weeks. If your baby’s fetal movements become less frequent than usual, that may be a sign the placenta is not adequately nourishing your baby. Call your midwife if the fetal movements change.
By law, we are only allowed to provide care for you until 42 weeks. If you are not in labor by 41weeks + 6 days we will discuss options for transferring care.
Here’s a link to Evidence Based Birth article on induction. The bottom half of the article focuses on post-dates (41-42 week) pregnancy & induction.
