If you search Google for ways to naturally induce labor, you will find a myriad of options, one of which may or may not appeal to you – sex! Maybe you have heard the phrase ‘what gets baby in, gets baby out.’ Let me just preface by saying that this won’t make you go into labor if baby is not ready, as long as your medical provider has not told you that sex is off the table. So why is sex known to be one of the most effective ways to get things moving?
Orgasm
Oxytocin is known as the love hormone and causes uterine contractions. You get a boost of oxytocin any time you do something that makes you feel good, such as being close to your lover. When you have sex and experience an orgasm, your uterus contracts. While not as intense as those you will feel during active labor, it can get things kicked into gear.
Nipple Stimulation
As with sex, nipple stimulation can give you a good dose of oxytocin too. Nipple stimulation can be done alone, with a breast pump, or even more effectively with your partner during sex.
Semen
Semen contains prostaglandins, which help to soften the cervix. So when you and your partner have sex, you are getting the most natural form of prostaglandin possible and again, a big dose of oxytocin.
Some women have an increased sex-drive during pregnancy and some want nothing to do with sex. Everyone is different. But if you and your partner are up for it and your estimated due date is fast approaching, set the mood, drop those drawers, and get busy! And, no, don’t worry, no matter how well endowed your man is, he is not going to hit baby in the head.