In obstetrics, the fortieth week of pregnancy is considered the ideal period of birth. But, as you know, a baby can be born both at the 38th and at the 42nd week. And if the first option in most cases pleases a woman, then transplantation is always so undesirable for a pregnant woman. This is not surprising, the last weeks are the hardest and the woman wants to pick up her crumbs as soon as possible and leave behind the difficult 9 months of her life.
When to give birth?
The DA or, in other words, the “expected date of birth” is announced by the doctor at the first screening, and the woman from the very beginning has an idea of the dates in which she should give birth. True, subsequently, the date of the PDD may vary depending on ultrasound studies and other factors, but in general pregnancy should last 40 weeks.
Naturally, this is only in books everything is perfect and on time, but in reality childbirth can begin at the most unpredictable moment. If preterm birth terrifies and worries a woman because of unpreparedness, then a prolonged pregnancy can also cause panic in the expectant mother, who begins to look for a way to end this.
Only if all the deadlines are long gone, and the baby is not going to show up, you can safely take appropriate measures. There are many ways to speed up the process and push the baby to finally leave his cozy little world and be born. But before you provoke childbirth, you need to be mentally prepared for the future and be sure that all the deadlines are long gone, and it is even better to consult your doctor.
Do I need to accelerate the event
It’s not worth it to take any measures on your own to give birth as soon as possible just to give birth as soon as possible. If the pregnancy proceeds normally, and the baby feels well in all respects, it will be correct not to interfere with nature and wait for a natural delivery. It is possible that the deadlines were set incorrectly and the child has a couple more weeks left.
It is a completely different matter when there is direct evidence for this. For example, a baby may experience oxygen starvation due to the fact that the placenta is aging and can not fully perform its functions. In addition, as you know, after 40 weeks, the cranial bones of the child begin to harden, therefore, it will be more difficult for the baby to move along the birth canal. But even in these cases, before provoking childbirth, you must definitely discuss everything with a gynecologist. An experienced doctor will be able to decide on further actions.
Can I give birth while at home?
Many gynecologists require the pregnant woman to come to the maternity hospital after 40 weeks, regardless of whether the birth began or not. And already in a hospital, the course of pregnancy is examined. How to cause and accelerate childbirth, in the future, the doctor decides.
But there are exceptions when a woman is allowed to stay at home and wait for the onset of labor. An exhausted and tired woman begins to wonder if it is possible to cause childbirth at home. The answer is of course possible.
But before provoking childbirth, it would be nice to prepare in advance for the upcoming outcome. For example, prepare a bag with all the necessary things in the hospital and documents. Tune in for a positive outcome, get enough sleep and remember that all the following methods do not guarantee that childbirth will begin immediately. It is possible that none of them will work, but it's still worth a try.
How to cause childbirth at home
So, all the dates allotted to you by the doctor have passed, and you understand that it’s time to get born already. Before giving in to doctors and taking any medications, a pregnant woman may try the following:
- Sex. Even if he was forbidden to you all these 9 months, now you can safely make love, because you are already ready for childbirth. The fact is that prostaglandins located in spermatozoa soften the cervix. This method is one of the most effective, especially when there is a female orgasm. Strong contractions of the uterus can provoke contractions. As with all other methods, caution should still be exercised.
- Hiking Physical activity and fresh air is necessary for a pregnant woman at any time, but if you are thinking about how to cause childbirth in a natural way, you will have to walk a little longer than usual.
- Wash the windows. According to statistics, in most women, labor began immediately after active physical activity. For example, it can be repair, spring cleaning or washing. The only thing you need to remember is that in any case, you can not lift heavy objects and climb high.
- Chest massage. Intense touching the breasts provokes the release of the hormone oxytocin, which starts the birth process.
Folk methods
There are other, more effective ways. But before you provoke childbirth on your own using folk methods, it would be nice to consult your doctor. It is likely that these methods in a particular case will be contraindicated. What does traditional medicine advise to accelerate labor:
- Castor oil. The fact is that this tool acts on the body as a laxative, increasing intestinal motility. Thus, you can both cause contractions at home, and avoid problems with stool during childbirth.
- Tea made from raspberry leaves. In no case should you take this tea until 40 weeks, as it can provoke a miscarriage or premature birth. Raspberry leaves contain a high concentration of estrogen, due to which there is a softening and smoothing of uterine tissues.
- Flaxseed oil, flax seeds. The effect on the body is similar to raspberry leaves. Seeds can be ground and consumed by adding to yoghurts or cereals, and flaxseed oil is used to season salads.
- Aromatherapy Some odors are thought to cause contractions in pregnant women. So why not give it a try? A light massage using aromatic oils or a pleasant shower with the smells of roses and jasmine, if they do not cause contractions, will help to relax.
- Acupuncture. With the help of barely noticeable piercing with the finest needles to the corresponding points on the body, you can both provoke childbirth and accidentally harm your health. Therefore, only a master of his craft should deal with acupuncture!
The rest will be done in the hospital
If none of the above methods helped, and you don’t already know how to call a birth on your own, then it's time to pack your things and go to the hospital. Once again, we recall that the doctor will prescribe the stimulation of labor by medication only if it is really necessary. Here are some reasons:
- fetal hypoxia;
- aging or detachment of the placenta;
- premature discharge of water;
- late toxicosis;
- certain diseases of pregnant women;
- weak labor activity.
Of course, you have the right to study all the methods of stimulation available today in maternity hospitals and require you to do a specific procedure, or completely refuse any stimulation. But sometimes it’s better to trust a specialist and let the doctors do their job.
Oxytocin
Contractions, cervical dilatation and all labor activity depend on the hormone oxytocin. In cases where it is urgent to start the process, doctors administer to the pregnant woman with a dropper a drug with this hormone. It should be noted that this method is very effective and always leads to childbirth, but judging by the reviews, contractions are much more painful, so you have to inject painkillers with oxytocin.
As we wrote above, the body itself is able to produce oxytocin in sufficient quantities. Therefore, if you want to avoid stimulation with droppers, begin to massage the nipples from 36-37 weeks.
Amniotomy
Ideally, the amniotic fluid should burst during intense contractions. If for some reason this did not happen, the doctor can conduct the procedure on his own. For this, obstetricians use a special hook with which they hook the edge of the bladder and pierce it.
No need to be afraid, the procedure is completely painless, since the bubble has no nerve endings. After a puncture and outflow of water, contractions become stronger, and the opening of the neck is accelerated.
Foley's catheter
In simple terms - the Foley catheter is a small can with a tube. The can is inserted into the cervical canal and filled with saline.
As it fills, it expands, which provokes the detachment of the bubble. The tone and motility of the uterus increases, as a result, the production of substances responsible for labor is started.
Laminaria and other methods
If the pregnant woman and the doctors are faced with the task of accelerating childbirth and giving birth faster without resorting to chemicals, other methods of stimulation can be used in medicine. For example, special sticks - kelp. They are made from seaweed and inserted into the cervical canal. The action of the algae is simple - absorbing moisture, the sticks swell, thereby contributing to the expansion of the pharynx.
Another way to help the baby to be born is to exfoliate the amniotic membranes mechanically. A pregnant woman lays on her usual gynecological chair, then the doctor inserts a finger into the vagina and separates the membrane from the fetal bladder. It is worth noting that such a manipulation is very ineffective.
Recommendations of specialists
It is clear that for a long 9 months a pregnant woman is very tired both physically and mentally. I would like to quickly discard this burden and hug the most dear man. Therefore, many exhausted women indulge in all their seriousness in order to accelerate childbirth, even when this is absolutely unnecessary.
There are a number of contraindications in which the launch of labor in an unnatural way is strictly prohibited:
- If the previous childbirth of the woman ended with a caesarean section or in the presence of any scars on the abdomen, stimulation can provoke a discrepancy of the old suture.
- A pregnant woman is prone to hypertension. Some drugs can cause an increase in pressure.
- If cardiovascular disease is present in a woman.
- In cases when uterine bleeding has begun.
- A narrow pelvis or a mismatch in the size of the head of the child and the pelvis of the woman in childbirth.
- A history of diabetes mellitus, infectious diseases of the uterus.
Gynecologists around the world unanimously argue that there is no need to stimulate childbirth if there is no direct evidence for this, and even more so to do it yourself. Bear with it quite a bit, and no matter how well the baby feels, he will sooner or later be born to his mother.