How to Induce Labor: What Works, What Doesn’t and What Is Safe to Try

How to induce labor safely starts with a call to your doctor or midwife: no at-home method reliably starts labor, a few have limited evidence, and medical induction is done by your care team.

Few things feel longer than the last weeks of pregnancy, so it makes sense to wonder how to induce labor and get things moving. Everyone seems to have a tip, from spicy curry to castor oil.

This guide goes method by method with what the evidence actually shows, using Cochrane reviews, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and the CDC, so you know what is worth asking your provider about and what to skip.

How to Induce Labor: The Honest Answer First

If you are searching for how to induce labor, you are probably uncomfortable, tired and ready to meet your baby. Below is a straight answer on each popular method: what the research found and the safety concerns.

Why Timing Matters: 37, 39 and 40+ Weeks

• Natural methods: Cleveland Clinic’s experts say you should be at least 37 weeks pregnant and have approval, and ideally monitoring, from your prenatal provider before trying any natural method.
• Elective (non-medical) induction: Mayo Clinic says a provider confirms your baby is at least 39 weeks before an elective induction, and that people with low-risk pregnancies may choose induction at 39 to 40 weeks after talking it through with their care team.
• Past your due date: Mayo Clinic lists labor not starting one to two weeks past the due date as a reason for induction, and describes a pregnancy at 42 weeks as postterm.

The ARRIVE trial. In a 2018 New England Journal of Medicine study of 6,106 healthy first-time mothers at 41 U.S. hospitals, scheduled induction at 39 weeks led to fewer cesarean births than waiting (18.6% vs 22.2%) and did not significantly change the rate of serious problems for babies (Grobman and colleagues). It studied hospital induction in a specific low-risk group and says nothing about at-home methods.

For a week-by-week look at what is happening now, see 39 weeks pregnant, 40 weeks pregnant and 41 weeks pregnant.

Natural Ways to Induce Labor: What the Evidence Shows

Every method in this guide, at a glance:

Methods With Some Evidence: Nipple Stimulation and Membrane Sweeping

Nipple (breast) stimulation. It may cause the uterus to contract, possibly by raising oxytocin, the hormone that drives contractions. The 2005 Cochrane review by Kavanagh and colleagues pooled 6 trials with 719 women. Compared with no intervention, fewer women were still not in labor 72 hours later (62.7% vs 93.6%), and postpartum bleeding was lower. But the effect was not significant in women whose cervix was not yet ready for labor. A few baby deaths occurred in the stimulation groups; the numbers were too small for firm conclusions. The authors recommended against using it in high-risk pregnancies until safety is better studied.

Cleveland Clinic’s experts call nipple stimulation the only natural method with hard data behind it, and say it should only be done under the supervision of a provider who can monitor your baby. So ask your provider whether, how and when, rather than trying it on your own.

Membrane sweeping (stripping). This is a provider procedure, not something you do yourself. Mayo Clinic describes using a gloved finger to separate the amniotic sac from the cervix and lower uterus. The 2020 Cochrane review by Finucane and colleagues (44 trials, 6,940 women) found a sweep may make it more likely that labor starts on its own and may reduce the need for formal induction, but it did not change the rate of unassisted vaginal birth or cesarean birth, and the evidence was low certainty. It may be uncomfortable.

Cleveland Clinic notes that sweeps are offered from 39 weeks once your cervix has started to open, that you need to be Group B strep negative, and that risks include infection and your water breaking. Learn how providers measure readiness in our cervix dilation guide.

Walking, Sex and Staying Active

Walking. Cleveland Clinic says no study has found it effective, and that there is no evidence for curb walking either. If your provider has cleared you to be active, gentle walks can still help you feel better and pass the time; just keep expectations realistic.

Sex. The idea, as Cleveland Clinic explains it, is that sex can stimulate oxytocin and that semen contains prostaglandins, which can soften the cervix. But Cleveland Clinic reports that a few studies found no difference in the timing of labor for women who had sex late in pregnancy. Cleveland Clinic says sex is not safe with placenta previa, bleeding or other pregnancy complications. If your water may have broken, call your provider before doing anything else.

Foods People Try: Dates, Pineapple and Spicy Food

Dates. Cleveland Clinic cites a study in which women who ate date fruit every day for the four weeks before their due date were less likely to need a formal induction. That is one study, and Cleveland Clinic says more research is needed. If you have gestational diabetes or another blood sugar concern, ask your provider or dietitian before adding dates to your day.

Pineapple. Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme. The theory is that irritating the intestines next to the uterus prompts contractions. Cleveland Clinic says this has not been well researched, and its ob-gyn says pineapple is probably not going to do anything.

Spicy food. Cleveland Clinic’s ob-gyn says spicy food stimulates the intestines but will not put you into labor. It can cause diarrhea, dehydration and reflux.

Herbs and Oils: Castor Oil, Raspberry Leaf Tea and Evening Primrose Oil

We do not recommend any herbal product or oil to induce labor.

Castor oil. Castor oil is a laxative. The 2013 Cochrane review by Kelly and colleagues found only 3 small trials with 233 women, rated them poor quality, and could not show that castor oil works as an induction method. In those trials, all women who took castor oil felt nauseous. Cleveland Clinic warns the resulting diarrhea can cause dehydration that may reduce blood flow to the placenta. Do not take it to start labor.

Red raspberry leaf tea. Cleveland Clinic says there is not enough evidence to say whether raspberry leaf tea has a positive effect on labor. If you want to drink it, ask your provider first.

Evening primrose oil and other herbs. Cleveland Clinic says there is no evidence that herbal options like evening primrose oil and black cohosh have any effect on labor, and that these remedies may be dangerous for both you and your baby. Bring any supplement to your provider before you take it.

How Your Provider Induces Labor

Medical induction is done by your care team. Mayo Clinic lists medical reasons such as diabetes, high blood pressure, water breaking without labor, poor fetal growth, low amniotic fluid and going one to two weeks past the due date.

The main tools, per Mayo Clinic, are:

• Cervical ripening: prostaglandin medicines placed in the vagina or taken by mouth, or a balloon catheter filled with saline that rests against the inside of the cervix.
• Membrane sweeping: as described above.
• Amniotomy: a small opening made in the amniotic sac to break your water, done only if the cervix is partly open and the baby’s head is low in the pelvis.
• Oxytocin (Pitocin): given through an IV to cause contractions or speed up labor that has started.

Mayo Clinic says labor may begin within minutes or take several hours, depending on how ready your cervix is, the method and how your body responds, and that most inductions lead to a vaginal birth. Risks it lists include a failed induction that leads to a cesarean, changes in the baby’s heart rate, infection, uterine rupture (rare) and heavier bleeding after birth. We cover the full process in our induced labor guide.

Who Should Not Try to Induce Labor at Home

Some situations make home methods a clear no. Do not try anything without your provider’s explicit approval if any of these apply:

• You are under 37 weeks pregnant (Cleveland Clinic).
• You have placenta previa, vaginal bleeding or another pregnancy complication (Cleveland Clinic).
• Your pregnancy is considered high risk; the Cochrane review on breast stimulation advises against that method in high-risk pregnancies until its safety is better studied.
• You think your water may have broken or you are leaking fluid. Call your provider instead (CDC lists fluid leaking during pregnancy as an urgent warning sign).
• Your baby is breech or sideways, or you have had a previous cesarean or major uterine surgery. Mayo Clinic notes induction may not be suitable in some of these cases.

How to Induce Labor Safely: What to Do While You Wait

The safest answer to how to induce labor is often to let your provider guide the timing, and use the waiting time well. A few things that help:

• Rest when you can: so you have energy when labor does start.
• Pack your bag: use our hospital bag checklist so you can leave quickly.
• Learn the signs: read signs that labor is 24 to 48 hours away, what contractions feel like and early labor vs active labor.
• Know what your water breaking looks like: see water breaking, and know your provider’s instructions for when to call.
• Write down your questions: such as: When would you suggest a membrane sweep? At what week would you recommend induction for me?
• Keep track of your baby’s movements: and call right away if they slow down or stop (CDC).

Related Betteroo Guides

• Induced Labor
• Prodromal Labor
• Cervical Effacement
• Losing Your Mucus Plug
• Signs of Leaking Amniotic Fluid
• What Is a Doula?

When to Call Your Doctor or Midwife

Call your provider or go to labor and delivery right away if you notice any of these. The CDC lists them as urgent maternal warning signs that can signal a life-threatening condition:

• Vaginal bleeding or fluid leaking: including a gush or trickle that may mean your water has broken.
• Your baby’s movements slow down or stop: do not wait until the next day.
• A headache that will not go away or gets worse, or changes in your vision.
• A fever of 100.4 F or higher.
• Severe belly pain that does not go away: dizziness or fainting, extreme swelling of your hands or face, trouble breathing, or chest pain or a fast-beating heart.

Call 911 if you have heavy bleeding, chest pain, trouble breathing or you faint, or if you cannot reach your provider quickly with an urgent sign.

Call the office or labor line when your contractions reach the pattern your provider gave you, if you feel unwell after trying any method, or if you are unsure about anything. This article is general education, not medical advice.

Frequently Asked Questions