Transcript
Karsen: From the Parent’s Club, I’m Karsen Kolnicki.
Vincent: And I’m Vincent Phamvan. This is our member’s questions episode. In each Q&A episode, learn about the most important things you need to know as a parent and what the research shows will help your family learn, grow, and thrive.
Claire: Hi, this is Claire from Cleveland, Ohio. I’m a new Parent’s Club member, and it’s been great listening to the book summaries while I’m out on walks every day. I’m 35 weeks into my pregnancy and I’ve heard about different ways to help the baby come… like exercise, sex, or eating dates. Which of these actually help? And which are just urban legends? Thanks so much.
Karsen: Thank you so much Claire for being a member and asking this question! This is something a lot of expecting mothers wonder about since there are so many myths and legends out there. Thankfully there has is a scientific insight to help navigate through what’s fact and what’s fiction. Walking and doing yoga are the most popular approaches women take to self-induce labor — at least that’s according to one of the most recent studies on the topic, published in 2011. The idea is that walking might “encourage gravity to bring the baby lower into the pelvis,” explained Dr. Jonathan Schaffir, M.D., an OBGYN at the Ohio State University and a co-author on the study.
Sex: not proven to be effective- In a 2006 study, Dr. Schaffir asked 93 pregnant women who were 37 weeks along to report how frequently they had sex from that point on until they delivered. His findings suggested that women who had any sex at all went into labor later than those who didn’t. Then, in 2007, researchers in Malaysia conducted a clinical trial in which they told 108 pregnant women, all 37 weeks along, to have sex “as frequently as possible;” they did not give sex-related advice to the second group of 102 pregnant women. Although the women in the first group did have more sex than those in the second, they did not go into labor any earlier.
Acupuncture: No trials have found that acupuncture or acupressure initiates labor faster; in fact, a handful of trials have found that women who receive acupressure or acupuncture late in their third trimesters do not give birth any sooner than women who don’t. Two studies do suggest that acupuncture can soften the cervix, but “these studies don’t provide enough information to make a strong claim.
FOODS
Dates: There’s some evidence that shows eating dates may help shorten labor, but it won’t necessarily kick-start it.
One study of more than 200 pregnant women in 2013 showed that eating dates can help with the softening of the cervix or cervical ripening for labor.
Another study showed that pregnant women who ate 6 dates a day for 4 weeks before their due date had a shorter first stage of labor and their cervix was softer before delivery. Eating dates in late pregnancy has also been shown to lessen the need for oxytocin, the medication used to start or speed up labor.
Red raspberry leaf tea is also popular among expecting mothers. Start drinking tea early third trimester, gradually increasing the number of bags from 1-5. At 35 weeks you should be at 2-3 bags.
In a 1998 study of 108 expecting mothers, half-consumed raspberry leaf products while the other half was the control group. The findings suggest that the raspberry leaf herb can be consumed by women during their pregnancy for the purpose for which it is taken, that is, to shorten labor with no identified side effects for the women or their babies.
When it comes to inducing labor at home, there is a lack of research studies to give definitive answers. Either there’s no evidence to support them or they might work, but carry risks. If you plan to try any of them, consult your doctor or healthcare professional first.
I know this is a lot of information to take in, but don’t worry I will be posting a summary of this information in the discussion area, along with the studies mentioned if you’d like to read more.
Question: Hi, this is Claire from Cleveland, Ohio. I’m a new Parent’s Club member, and it’s been great listening to the book summaries while I’m out on walks every day. I’m 35 weeks into my pregnancy and I’ve heard about different ways to help the baby come… like exercise, sex, or eating dates. Which of these actually help? And which are just urban legends? Thanks so much.
Answer: Thank you so much Claire for being a member and asking this question! This is something a lot of expecting mothers wonder about since there are so many myths and legends out there. Thankfully there has is a scientific insight to help navigate through what’s fact and what’s fiction. Walking and doing yoga are the most popular approaches women take to self-induce labor — at least that’s according to one of the most recent studies on the topic, published in 2011. The idea is that walking might “encourage gravity to bring the baby lower into the pelvis,” explained Dr. Jonathan Schaffir, M.D., an OBGYN at the Ohio State University and a co-author on the study.
Sex is not proven to be effective. In a 2006 study, Dr. Schaffir asked 93 pregnant women who were 37 weeks along to report how frequently they had sex from that point on until they delivered. His findings suggested that women who had any sex at all went into labor later than those who didn’t. Then, in 2007, researchers in Malaysia conducted a clinical trial in which they told 108 pregnant women, all 37 weeks along, to have sex “as frequently as possible;” they did not give sex-related advice to the second group of 102 pregnant women. Although the women in the first group did have more sex than those in the second, they did not go into labor any earlier.
Another myth we’ve heard about is acupuncture. No trials have found that acupuncture or acupressure initiates labor faster; in fact, a handful of trials have found that women who receive acupressure or acupuncture late in their third trimesters do not give birth any sooner than women who don’t. Two studies do suggest that acupuncture can soften the cervix, but “these studies don’t provide enough information to make a strong claim.
Lastly, let’s address food. There’s some evidence that shows eating dates may help shorten labor, but it won’t necessarily kick-start it. One study of more than 200 pregnant women in 2013 showed that eating dates can help with the softening of the cervix or cervical ripening for labor.
Another study showed that pregnant women who ate 6 dates a day for 4 weeks before their due date had a shorter first stage of labor and their cervix was softer before delivery. Eating dates in late pregnancy has also been shown to lessen the need for oxytocin, the medication used to start or speed up labor.
Red raspberry leaf tea is also popular among expecting mothers. Start drinking tea early third trimester, gradually increasing the number of bags from 1-5. At 35 weeks you should be at 2-3 bags.
In a 1998 study of 108 expecting mothers, half-consumed raspberry leaf products while the other half was the control group. The findings suggest that the raspberry leaf herb can be consumed by women during their pregnancy for the purpose for which it is taken, that is, to shorten labor with no identified side effects for the women or their babies.
When it comes to inducing labor at home, there is a lack of research studies to give definitive answers. Either there’s no evidence to support them or they might work, but carry risks. If you plan to try any of them, consult your doctor or healthcare professional first.
I know this is a lot of information to take in, but don’t worry I will be posting a summary of this information in the discussion area, along with the studies mentioned if you’d like to read more.
Sources
Bovbjerg, Marit L et al. “What started your labor? Responses from mothers in the third pregnancy, infection, and nutrition study.” The Journal of perinatal education vol. 23,3 (2014): 155-64. doi:10.1891/1058-1243.23.3.155
Parsons, M et al. “Raspberry leaf and its effect on labour: safety and efficacy.” Australian College of Midwives Incorporated journal vol. 12,3 (1999): 20-5. doi:10.1016/s1031-170x(99)80008-7
Schaffir, Jonathan. “Sexual intercourse at term and onset of labor.” Obstetrics and gynecology vol. 107,6 (2006): 1310-4. doi:10.1097/01.AOG.0000220507.91904.4a
Smith, Caroline A et al. “Acupuncture or acupressure for induction of labour.” The Cochrane database of systematic reviews vol. 10,10 CD002962. 17 Oct. 2017, doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002962.pub4
Tan, Peng Chiong et al. “Effect of coital activity on onset of labor in women scheduled for labor induction: a randomized controlled trial.” Obstetrics and gynecology vol. 110,4 (2007): 820-6. doi:10.1097/01.AOG.0000267201.70965.ec
