Natural ways to induce labour

I should probably begin by admitting the title to this post is somewhat misleading. I don’t believe there is an infallible means of bringing on labour other than actual medical induction – baby will come when they’re good and ready, thank you very much.

That said, as someone who was convinced her baby would come early but in fact ended up feeling fat and frustrated for EIGHT LONG DAYS past her due date and was one Braxton Hicks away from taking a knife to her birthing ball, I’m oh so familiar with the need to feel like you’re doing something that may in some way – however microscopic – move things along a little. Or at the very least, that will help get your body ready for the impending birth… whenever that might be.

Swapping 'the pump' for a bump – prenatal fitness tips

My life before motherhood was an active one. Morning yoga, gym five days a week, a run or bike ride at the weekend… I was – am – one of those irritating people who actually enjoys working out.

But when I discovered I was pregnant, I rashly called time on my fitness habit, fearful that my baby might somehow drop out if I moved too vigourously.

An unnecessary – and brief – hiatus, it turned out.

Getting pregnant with PCOS

This time last year I was hopeful. Hopeful that we would soon have a baby. Hopeful that the 18 months of fertility acupuncture and seven months of actively trying to fall pregnant would pay off – and the prospect of more invasive treatment wouldn’t need to materialise.

I was lucky. I did conceive without intervention – just two weeks into 2017, in fact. And it was the most wonderful revelation. Who knew peeing on a stick could be so thrilling!

Getting to that positive pregnancy test had been emotional at times, as I imagine it is for many couples, complications or otherwise. We hadn’t told anyone of our efforts, so trying and failing to get pregnant as the months rolled by was a silent struggle. I think I’d even managed to convince people – my parents included – that I didn’t want children, favouring the stoic over the sob story. Cue excitable (shocked?) wails upon sharing our happy news.

Hypnobirthing – why it worked for me

It’s a message passed on to us from a young age – pregnancy is arduous, childbirth is painful, breastfeeding is toe-curlingly uncomfortable and those first weeks of parenthood known colloquially as ‘The Fourth Trimester’ are the toughest you’ll face. The message becomes the opinion, even before we’ve experienced it for ourselves, and the result is trepidation or worse, total abstinence. Fear feeds pain, meaning those hand-me-down tales of woe have the power to shape our own experiences – which is a little unfair, don’t you think? 

Stop. Rewind. Flip the script.

Wouldn’t it be better to approach the journey to motherhood with optimism – or at least an open mind? This is, after all, a milestone in your adult life. Your body is capable of growing new life and delivering it safely to the world. You’re about to meet a tiny human who will teach you a whole new meaning of what it is to love and be loved. And the experience, though challenging, will be your greatest achievement yet.

Let me tell a brighter story. 

I loved being pregnant and had a wonderful birth. My little boy arrived just seven weeks ago, so I can’t even float the idea that time has erased any trauma – there really wasn’t any! I was lucky that I didn’t face any complications – let’s not ignore that some births can be tricky – but I entered my labour day armed with the tools I felt would help me whichever direction it took.

I hope that my story will close your ears to the negatives and help you find your way to the birth you wish for.