4 Ways to Induce or Kickstart Your Labor at Home

trish: [00:00:00] My name is Trish Ware and I am obsessed with all things pregnancy and birth and helping you to navigate with the practical and the magical seasons of this journey called motherhood. I'm an all day coffee sipping mama of seven. I've had the amazing privilege of delivering many babies in my 15 plus year career as a labor and delivery nurse and as a mama of seven. 


I'm here to help you take the guesswork out of childbirth, so you can make the choices that are right for you and your baby. Quick note, this podcast is for educational purposes only and does not replace your medical advice. Check out our full disclaimer at the bottom of the show notes. 


Hello. We're going to be talking about four of my. favorite tips for the moms [00:01:00] inside of my birth classes and inside of my membership when they are ready to try to get their labor going. So I thought I would hop on here and talk to you guys about inducing your own labor. Let me pull up my notes. So we're going to talk about four ways to get your labor started. 


So for self induction methods that do work. Now, the thing that I want you guys to keep in mind is that if your body's not ready, And pretty much nothing will work. It takes a lot to get your body in labor if your body's not ready. So it's really important that you don't jump the gun and start trying to induce labor at 36, 37 weeks. 


Now the closer you get to 40 weeks, the more likely these things are going to work. The more they're going to be favorable if your cervix is already doing something, if your body's already doing something, then this [00:02:00] is Hey, let's get it going better. So we're going to talk about four different things. 


We're going to talk about the mile circuit. If you haven't heard about that, we're going to talk about nipple stimulation. We're going to talk about stripping your membranes and the midwife's brew. Now, I like a combination of all four of them. Obviously, stripping your membranes is not something that you can do. 


This is something your provider has to do. Now, that one is a catch 22 because if you know anything about me, if you're one of my students or you're a part of my fearless birth experience, then you know I'm not a huge fan of cervical exams while you're pregnant. There's a couple ways you can handle a membrane sweep without letting it get into your head too much, but I really don't recommend that you do any of these things until you're 40 weeks. 


So what does that mean for those of you [00:03:00] whose, providers are pressuring you to be induced before 40 weeks? What that means is you don't necessarily have to be induced unless you want to be induced or there's a medical Reason to be induced. So keep that in mind. So we're talking to mommas who are waiting for spontaneous labor, or if you're being induced for a medical reason, some of these things are beneficial to help your induction be more successful. 


Because the more favorable your body is for the induction, The more likely you are to have an uneventful vaginal delivery, which is really what we want, right? We want an uneventful vaginal delivery. So let's start by talking about the mile circuit. If you don't know what the mile circuit is, the mile circuit is a series of movements that can help trigger your labor to start naturally. 


And I've got some notes here so that I don't go off track because y'all [00:04:00] know I will. So it's a series of movements that can help you dilate, can help your cervix soften, and can help the baby get into proper positioning. Now a lot of people don't realize it, but the baby being in an optimal position means everything for your labor to progress properly. 


Because if the baby's in a wonky position, you're going to have a wonky labor pattern. So the miles the miles circuit is fantastic. for all of those things, for softening your cervix, dilating your cervix, and getting the baby into a proper position. Because when the baby gets down into the pelvis, the baby puts its head onto the cervix, and that pressure on the cervix tells your posterior pituitary gland to release Oxytocin. 


Oxytocin is the hormone that is responsible for the whole kit and caboodle, right? For your labor to go and to progress. Okay. What we're going to talk about is the benefits of the Miles [00:05:00] Circuit. I'm not necessarily going to tell you how to do it. You can find that at the blog. So if you go to labor nurse mama. 


com, I think it's miles circuit. You can find the article. or you can go just circle labor nurse mama mile circuit. So what it does is it number one helps improve blood flow to the pelvis to the pelvic region. And this blood flow can help soften your cervix, which makes it easier for the baby to pass through. 


And it helps for the cervix to dilate. And by doing these exercises regularly. So when you start doing the mile circuit is around 37 weeks pregnant. You're going to want to build up to doing them. 30 minutes per position. And it's three positioning, three positions. And honestly, one of them is like giving you permission to rest. 


So that's good too. And you don't start this until 37 weeks. Now, when you do these, you can start out by doing it five minutes, five minutes, five minutes, and build up to 30 [00:06:00] minutes. Or you can start at 10 minutes, 10 minutes, 10 minutes. But I think most of you guys are going to be able to handle doing 30, 30, 30. 


The next benefit of the Myles circuit is that it encourages your baby to move into that optimal positioning for birth, which I told you is critical because the baby's head being vertex and being down into the pelvis, puts pressure onto the cervix and if the pressure is happening on the cervix, then the whole cycle that is beautiful for your labor hormones and for your labor to progress because it's telling your brain to produce more oxytocin. 


Oxytocin causes the uterus to contract and the uterus pushes the baby down farther. So it's a beautiful cycle. And when that keeps going, that's stimulating those muscles of the pelvis and abdomen. So the mile circuit can really help prepare those muscles for the work that's needed during labor. 


So it is literally like a win situation. It can help [00:07:00] increase relaxation during that relaxing phase that I told you. It can help reduce labor pain. So you can do the mile circuit even during labor. So keep that in mind. You can do it during labor as well. The rhythmic movements of the mild circuit is so soothing and calming and it gives you something to focus on and it gives you something to like to be purposeful in and that is power when you're in labor. 


Rhythm is everything in labor. It can help decrease your anxiety and your stress because you have something to focus on. And when those muscles of the pelvis are relaxed, it helps ease pain and increases circulation. We talked about that in my free class on Monday. That when you are less anxious, your uterus gets more blood flow, which decreases your sensation of pain. 


Okay mild circuit. Gentle, natural, easy way to encourage labor to begin. And it also is a great thing to do during labor to encourage labor to progress. All right, so the next one that we're going to talk [00:08:00] about is nipple stimulation. So nipple stimulation is the one home self induction method that has science backing it. 


Although these other ones, evidence has shown works, they don't have science backing them, if that makes sense. Nipple stimulation can be either your hands, Can be your partner if you get my drift, can be a breast pump but whatever it is, you're stimulating your nipples to produce oxytocin. Again, oxytocin tells your uterus to contract. 


Your uterus contracts, it presses the baby down and the whole cycle gets going. The oxytocin is what triggers your contraction and contribute, triggers your labor, which causes cervical dilation. Because when the uterus contracts, the baby presses down, opens the cervix. This technique is mostly recommended once you hit 40 weeks, okay? 


Unless you're being induced before 40 weeks, but I want you to talk to your provider. All of this you want to talk to your provider. This is not medical advice [00:09:00] y'all, even though I'm a labor and delivery nurse. So you can use nipple stimulation during labor if your labor slows down and it's not progressing. 


I've done this so many times, especially with VBAC moms. It's a beautiful way to get your labor going if you're a VBAC mom. It is a fantastic self induction to help it. In most cases, nipple stimulation is safe, but the one downfall to nipple stimulation is it can do what we call hypersimulation, which means it can cause way too many strong contractions. 


Hypersimulation is not a great thing. So we want to make sure if you're having too many contractions or they're too strong, you cut it out. You stop. So if they're too strong or too frequent, because those things, every time you have a contraction, the baby has to use its oxygen reserve. So the more contractions you have, if you're having them too frequently and too long, the baby's not able to catch a break and it might have some fetal distress. 


And if there's any reason why you shouldn't have a faster labor, [00:10:00] think that too. The key to nipple stimulation, again, after 40 weeks, or if you're being induced, and you want to make sure that your environment is really important for any of these things. Your environment can make or break your labor progression and your self induction methods. 


So some things I want you to think about is that when the lights are dim or it's evening, your melatonin goes up. If your melatonin goes up, your oxytocin goes up. So dim lights. Think dim lights or evening. You want the room where you're doing it to be calm. You don't want stress. You don't want to be in an argument with your partner. 


You don't want to be fighting with your children. You don't want your mother in law bothering you. You want it to be calm and stress free. Calm environment. Think about the way it smells. Think about all of your senses. Maybe a diffuser. Maybe have a really relaxing playlist playing while you're doing your nipple stimulation. 


Maybe you and your partner are talking and laughing and getting that oxytocin flowing. Think of things that will [00:11:00] help your oxytocin flow. You can do it two different ways. Like I was saying, you can use the rub and roll with your fingers, rub and roll, or you can use a breast pump on its lowest setting, and that will stimulate your nipples as well. 


But make sure you start slowly and gradually increase the pressure. With the breast pump, always keep it on the lowest setting. That just will keep you from having sore nipples when the baby comes. You can begin with one side, so let's say you start with your right side, do it for 15 minutes on the right, then 15 minutes on the left, and then take a break for 15 minutes. 


So 15 minutes, 15 minutes break, and do that for up to 3 hours, unless you start having more than, if you're having more than 4 contractions per 10 minutes or something to that effect, You want to slow down. So just listen to your instinct as well. If your contractions start, if they get too strong or they're too frequent, I want you to stop. 


Again, after 40 weeks. Okay, so let's talk a little bit about stripping your membrane. So when we're talking [00:12:00] about stripping your membrane, I want you to remember that this is something your provider obviously has to do, and you have to be open. So your cervix has to be open. So you can't count on this one. 


So sometimes, doing some of the other things first, then requesting a membrane sweep might be the best way so that you've given your, your cervix an opportunity to be open. So it has to be open at least a little bit for your provider to get in there. So what's going to happen is your provider is going to go into your cervix just like they would for a cervical exam. 


or a vaginal exam, and they're going to have you lay back. I always recommend you put your feet together, relax your knees out, put two fists under your bottom or roll a towel under your backside. And that will help tilt your cervix up, which will make it easier for them to reach. And what they're going to do is they're going to go in and they're going to separate the cervix from the wall of the membrane. 


And I recommend [00:13:00] you wear a pad. Just in case, because you might have some increased vaginal discharge, you might have some bleeding and they use a lubricant, so you're going to have lubricant coming out as well. You might experience cramping you might have some like quick Braxton Hicks that get a little stronger, hopefully some contractions, for sure some discharge and light bleeding. 


Now will it induce your labor? What we have found is it usually takes a couple membrane sweeps before things happen, unless your body's like on the brink anyway. You probably won't go into labor. It really just depends on your body how soon labor will start, but your cervix has to be favorable. Number one. 


So how do you know it's working? Labor signs. Are you starting to have regular contractions that are getting stronger closer together? and longer. So stronger, longer, closer together. Or if your water breaks, that is definitely a telltale sign. So what we recommend is you probably will need two or three. 


And then the last one we're going to talk about, and then I'm going to [00:14:00] talk about how to combine these. So the last one we're going to talk about is the midwives brew. The midwives brew gets a bad rap, okay? Because it has good old castor oil in it. There actually have been no studies done to prove that castor oil causes a bowel movement, a baby to have a bowel movement inside of mama. 


A lot of women use casserole after 40 weeks. After 40 weeks is known to cause babies to have a bowel movement. So they really can't prove that it is the midwife's brew, but you do want to talk to your provider to make sure it's okay. And then you decide if you're a low risk, healthy pregnancy, you should be fine. 


Okay. So the midwives brew, what really works is the castor oil. The reason I like the midwives brew. And again, you can go to the blog to get the recipe. And if you go to labor nurse, mama. com forward slash midwives, hyphen brew hyphen recipe. You can get the full recipe and all my [00:15:00] tips. So what it does is it works on making your intestines contract, which also makes your uterus contract. 


And just so you know, you are going to have some diarrhea more than likely. It's not fun. Now, the reason I like the midwives brew is because it really minimize those digestive symptoms that you have from the casserole. Cause if you do casserole straight, like this girl did. It's hell. So don't do that. The almond butter binds with the castor oil and helps it be a little smoother. 


Does it really work? The studies have shown that the Midway's Brew has an 85 percent success rate. Now that depends if you're being smart. You need to wait until you're close to 40 weeks and you're favorable for labor at 37 weeks saying and work. It might get your service a little more favorable, but it's not going to put you in labor. 


So don't jump the gun and go and try it. You have to be ready for labor. The closer you are to your due date or past your due date.[00:16:00] Now here's a really important tip when you think that you're going to do it. So around 36 weeks, if you think you're going to do the midwives brew, go to my Amazon shop and order the stuff because the lemon verbena tea and the apricot juice can be very hard to get. 


It takes a while. It's very hard to find in person. So go ahead and order it. Have it on hand. We have it all put together for you on my Amazon shop, which it's in my Lincoln bio. Now, what you're going to do is you're going to want to drink this room temperature. It tastes like garbage. Garbage. You can add ice, but it works better at room temperature. 


And let's just face it. You're not doing it for the taste. You're doing it for the result. So you want to do it on an empty stomach, room temperature. It actually makes me nauseous thinking about it because I've done it and it does work. I've also done casserole straight, which is. Absolutely horrific. 


Usually it will hit you within three to four [00:17:00] hours if it's going to work and it can be intense. I had my son within five hours the first time. It leaves some memories, ladies, just so you know. I've got some stories, midwife Bruce stories on the blog if you want to read them. Anyway, so we've talked about four different ways to stimulate your labor. 


We've talked about nippy nipple stimulation, the mile circuit. The midwife's brew and a membrane sweep. So how do we put these all together for the big bang? Okay, here's how we recommend to our students. One of the things about joining one of my birth classes is that you get virtual support from me and my doula. 


And we help put together plans for our students because we know their situation. They get what we call a labor bat signal. Once they hit 37 weeks, they have a direct line to me and my doula. And we have a group chat going, we give them recommendations for positioning, labor induction, whatever, how to handle providers. 


How we put this together is around [00:18:00] 40 weeks, you want to combine all of it for the big spank. So you want to schedule your membrane suite. So let's say you schedule a membrane sweep in the morning, then you come home in the evening, you do the midwife's brew, and then you do the nipple stimulation. 


Now at 37 weeks, you're already doing the mile circuit. So that should be on the go, already doing it daily. 90 minutes, 30, 30, 30. Remember, you're going to go to the blog to check that out. So you're already doing the mile circuit around 40 weeks. You're going to schedule your first membrane sweep. I would not do any of the other things until you have two membrane sweeps because hell, if one works. 


You don't need to do all the other things. So do your one membrane sweep. Two days later, schedule another one. And then that night when the lights are dim, so the melatonin will go up, do the nipple stimulation and the midwives brew and boom, you should have a baby. Does that work for you guys? Hopefully that helped. 


Hopefully you enjoyed this little TED [00:19:00] Talk with Labor Nurse Mama, all about inducing your labor. 


Hey Mama, I hope you enjoyed this live that I did all about my four Favorite ways to kickstart your labor at home. Now remember, your body has to be ready. Be sure to hit subscribe and make sure that you write a review. We love to hear what you think. See you again next Friday. Bye for now.