How To Induce Labor Naturally At 38 Weeks

From the moment you found out about your pregnancy, chances are you started counting the days until your baby's arrival. So what happens when you get to the finish line only to find that your baby seems completely happy to stay put? It's no surprise that plenty of women want to know how to introduce labor naturally at 38 weeks. By that point, you're probably more than ready to evict your tiny tenet.

Inducing labor naturally can be a somewhat tricky topic with varying rates of success, but as long as your methods of choice don't present any potential harm to your pending baby, then they probably can't hurt. Three common suggestions include exercise, sex, and spicy foods.

First, can exercise help you go into labor? Possibly, but not for the reasons you might expect. As noted in Baby Med, it's possible that dehydration from exercise can trigger the release of hormones that trigger symptoms similar to labor. At the very least, making endless laps around the neighborhood may help take your mind off the waiting process. That said, it's a good idea to run any exercise plans by your doctor just to be on the safe side.

Next, many women are advised to try sex as a way to induce labor. Sure, it provides a nice bookend to the whole pregnancy experience, but does it really help? Possibly. According to Baby Centre, sex could potentially trigger the release of the hormone oxytocin, which may help contractions. And as further noted by Baby Centre, the prostaglandins in semen may even help ripen your cervix. Who knew it was such a multi-tasker?

Lastly, what about the idea that spicy food could help induce labor? Depending on your palate, the idea of chowing down on a hot plate of curry at this point could be delightful — or revolting. According to WebMD, there is no proven correlation between eating spicy foods and stimulating labor. That said, if you want to pass the time by noshing on hot peppers, chances are no one will dare to tell you no.

Whatever methods you decide to try (or skip), hopefully your baby will debut sooner rather than later.