Most women who reach 37 weeks of pregnancy begin to think of ways they can naturally kick start labour.

Most women will actually start to ponder this a lot earlier in pregnancy as they get huge, tired and frustrated but just remember that the longer baby stays inside the better prepared it will be to face the outside world.

So what are some natural ways to induce labour? The below are all commonly known ways to induce labour. Some work and some don’t but it is impossible which to predict will work for you so try the ones that appeal to you most.

Sex: Unfortunately sex can be cumbersome and tiresome at such a late stage of pregnancy and for most women the increased libido of earlier pregnancy is well and truly gone. Sex can help to induce labour however.

The reason is twofold. Firstly semen has a high concentration of prostaglandin which is also used to induce pregnancy in a gel or pessary form and is naturally produced by a membrane sweep by your midwife. The second is that nipple stimulation helps to naturally release oxytocin which is also artificially created in the induction drug Syntocinon.

Food: Spicy food, pineapple and liquorice are all said to stimulate labour.Tea: Raspberry leaf tea is a highly recommended inducer. So much so that there are medical warnings against having it before 36 weeks or in high concentrations. It can be bought loose or in tea bag form and is said to condition your uterus in preparation for labour which can in turn encourage labour and make contractions more effective.

Castor oil: Castor oil has been used for decades to stimulate labour however there are concerns that it may cause your baby to pass meconium (baby’s first poo) whilst still in the womb which can cause problems for your baby so if considering using castor oil talk to your midwife or doctor first.

Accupressure: The acupressure points to press and hold for about 30 seconds at a time and are said to stimulate labour are the webbed part between your thumb and forefinger and the point on the inside of your ankle which is about 4 fingers above your ankle bone.

Exercise: Walking, gentle floor exercises, rolling your pelvis in an upright position and bouncing on an exercise ball can encourage baby downwards and help to start labour.Lastly relax! The more relaxed you are the sooner labour is likely to happen and the calmer and stronger you will be for the birth.