HOW TO START LABOR NATURALLY

How to Start Labor Naturally

welcome

This is a simple page to share simple protocols

Note to mamas-

Your labor should be natural and beautiful. You should feel powerful and your baby should be the center of the experience.

I know the stress around due dates is a hard experience for many women and the impact of medicalized induction on women and babies is significant, so I thought I’d share here some tips for starting labor that have worked well for me as a midwife. If I can help any of you get into labor naturally and feel more empowered in your body’s power, and protect any of your little ones from cascades of interventions, them I will be a happy midwife.

Note to midwives-

It was hard for me to find natural protocols... so I hope this helps you! Guide early and hopefully you can avoid long inductions! A gentle start will always be safer for baby to tolerate labor.

xoxo Midwife Crystal

This is my protocol that I’ve shared with other midwives and my clients have passed around. My goal is to always achieve a natural labor pattern with waves that have nice breaks between them... therefore we need to nudge the body for days before resorting to more extreme induction techniques. -Midwife Crystal

The Gentle Nudge Protocol

using low-dose castor oil

GOAL: To get labor started in the next few days

Intro

Read the steps below. This protocol is based on a body being “pretty ready” and allowing time for it to respond . It’s been very effective for women over 40, 41weeks

Tip: we work with the nighttime to start labor because the higher cortisol level in the daytime blocks labor processes

Afternoon:

On an empty stomach, take 1 Tsp (up to 1 Tbsp) of castor oil straight on a spoon or spread on toast. Follow with orange juice or a spoon of nut butter to clear taste as desired.

Dinner:

Eat normal

At dusk:

Walk outside so your body registers the sun going down. Add some curb walking. Talk to the baby

Before bed:

Take Melatonin 1mg; option for Skullcap tincture, Centered mama, Chamomile tea, etc

Do any circuits recommended- sidelying release, hip circles on ball, lunges, cat cow, and primal flow movement

Have a grounding time- listen to affirmation tracks, practice diaphragmatic breathing, prayer, sensual body massage, sex, etc

Sleep!

If your body is ready to labor, it will wake you from sleep

Side effect notes:

Castor oil effects on this dosage usually range from nothing to cramping with mild loose stools.

Days needed:

This protocol usually works for “due” clients within 1-3 days.

If you are on a more urgent timeline, consider additional stimulation below, or progessing to the “Midwife Brew”

Additional steps for extra stimulation:

Add- Cottonroot tincture 4 dropperfull every 30min up to 6 dosages

Add- Breast pumping on ball, 20m on/off x 6

Add- a repeat dose of 1 Tbsp castor oil 4hr after first

Other natural things that help start labor:

Eat anything shaped like a uterus because nature does know best, and includes things in these fruits & veg that do seem to help initiate labor

Pineapple, eggplant, dates

Increase nitrous oxide in your body; decrease cortisol

Garlic, wine
Laughing, Relaxation, Sex
Faith, time with supportive people, turning off phone so people can’t bug you

Turn up the “churning” in your belly

Spicy food, jalapeno’s, mac & cheese + A1 sauce (old remedy)
Champagne is used in the Midwife Brew because it opens the gut

Increase Omega 6's because they are needed to make prostaglandins

Take evening primrose oil 500mg 1x a day by mouth; after 41w use vaginally
Stop Omega 3's like fish oil at 37wks

Darkness & nighttime

Cover windows to block out light, wear eyemask

Turn off your brain and shift into a primal body-based mode.

Breathing, meditation, relaxation tracts, sound frequency (432mhz, sound bowls)
Embodiment practice, guided body drop-ins, hands-knees position with head hanging, impromptu movement

Herbals: some drop progesterone and increase estrogen; some stimulate oxytocin

Birth prep daily remedies starting at 36w: 5W, Gentle Birth, Birth prep
Stimulation tinctures: Black cohash, cottonroot, blue cohosh (may increase blood pressure)- use trusted brands for dosaging, like Wishgarden

Homeopathic remedies: Gelsemium, Cimicifuga, Caulophylum

Help from professionals- chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, reflexologists, etc. They help the body to connect itself and functional “normally” which can start labor. Relaxation of their therapies is helpful too.

The Midwive’s Brew Protocol

Sometimes today needs to be the day.

Maybe your water is broken.

Maybe you have an induction scheduled for tomorrow.

Maybe you’ve been in early labor and you’re not getting sleep.

My professional opinion is that women should be advised by their midwife or OB prior to taking 2oz of castor oil

*used any time of day, with or without food

The 2oz Castor Oil Cocktail

Cocktail 1- Apricot nectar & champagne

2oz Castor oil + 4 Tbsp almond butter + small can Apricot nectar. Blend until smooth. Add in 1 cup champagne (or drink before). Drink within 30 min.

Cocktail 2- Pineapple juice

6oz of pineapple juice + add a pinch of baking soda. When it begins to bubble add 2oz castor oil, stir well, and drink.

Cocktail 3- Root beer & ice cream

6oz of root beer + 1 cup vanilla ice-cream + 2oz of castor oil. Blend & drink.

Scrambled eggs option

Scramble 3 eggs with 2 oz of castor oil. Add hotsauce for extra gut stimulation!

Side effect notes:

Castor oil at this 2oz dosage almost always causes diarrhea. It increases risk for dehydration. It can make hemorrhoids worse. It can make the labor pattern have a very crampy, close contraction pattern at the start. If the body was “ready” then that can mean the actual labor is composed of close, strong contractions. This is less safe for a baby in labor than when they are 3+ minutes apart as it will increase risk of fetal distress. This concerns me for cases of IUGR, oligohydramnios, history of cesarean, to name a few. If you have time, please try the lower dosage from 1 tsp to 2 Tbsp to see how your body responds, and ideally give it a night.

Repeating dosages:

It’s a common protocol to repeat the 2 oz cocktail after 4 hours. This is usually for cases where there was not a response. However, at 4 hr she may just be starting to respond, and then layering more on there is risky. There’s cases where the benefit of pushing things is worth it, as in the cases of the clicking tock for ruptured membranes. I feel like the magic of time and nighttime probably would have worked just as well as a repeat dosage, so I prefer to layer on the short acting stimulation options like herbals, breast pump... or maybe pitocin, since that is a very low-dose med that can bring a woman into her natural labor pattern (meaning if you are mama with a hospital induction planned tomorrow, don’t take more than one dosage today... give time... and opt for the low dose pitocin, IMO.

FAQs about castor oil

Does castor oil cause a baby to have meconium?

IMO, no. I think usually women that use castor oil are already postdates and meconium just happens postdates because baby has a developed GI system. No studies have found any direct risks or dangers for the fetus in using castor oil. An aggressive labor pattern, which may result from the Midwife Brew, may increase risk of baby passing meconium though.

What kind of castor oil?

Organic, if possible. It should be translucent yellow, thick, with no smell. I have used the Now brand and Heritage brand effectively for many clients. Although your local pharmacy will have some form of castor oil, you probably won’t find organic unless you go to a health food store. Either works. Don’t get some kind of hair potion though that may have other stuff.

Mechanical Cervical Dilation

Even though your provider has to offer these to you, they are producing natural labor processes from your body

Foley bulb or Cook’s cathether- the balloon is inflated inside the cervix. The discomfort wears away quickly but the cramps start. It works well. I like to send clients home with it to sleep. In the hospital they may pair it with pitocin.
Membrane sweeping- the provider’s finger sweeps inside the cervix and stirs up the mucous and hormones between the cervix and the bag. Cramping starts in the next few hours. It only works if the body is actually kind of ready so I feel it’s intrusive and not effective without these signs.
Laminaria- these seaweed sticks swell in the cervix. It’s not practiced much in the US so may not be available.

These can be used with above protocols.

end of the info

Blessings on you and your baby’s birth journey!

This information is meant to be educational and clarify natural labor induction protocols that have a long history of effective and safe use. It does not replace advice from healthcare providers. Risks and benefits of inducing labor without monitoring, in the home setting, should be based on shared decision making of the parents and the providers.

I advocate for the use of the Gentle Nudge protocol as a way to reduce risks associated with either the Midwife Brew induction or hospital induction.