Expectant mothers wishing to hurry nature along often resort to old wives’ tales, taking advice from family and friends on how to induce labor in unprescribed ways, according to a new study in the journal Birth.
Taking long walks, eating spicy foods, having sex and stimulating the nipples are four of the most common ways the 201 study participants reported trying to jump start their contractions.
Researchers at Ohio State University surveyed the women about the unprescribed methods they had used, and also queried the women about where they had received the advice and if they had spoken to a physician about what they were trying.
Almost half of the women – 99 in total – did not try any methods to induce labor. The remaining 102 women had tried at least one method to speed things along: 87 tried walking, 46 had sexual intercourse, 22 ate spicy food and 15 tried nipple stimulation. A few tried other methods as well.
Most of the advice came from family and friends, with less than half of the women talking to their physician about what they were trying to do.
According to lead author Jonathan Schaffir, most of the methods aren’t proven to actually work, and when they do, the contractions can be hard to control.
While these methods aren’t likely to cause any harm to mother or baby, he believes doctors should know what their patients are trying, and offer reassurances that nature will take its course.