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Medical Video: Pregnancy and Sexual Health : How to Induce Labor Early
If your pregnancy has passed due date, or the pregnancy has exceeded 42 weeks, or your baby's safety is at high risk, the doctor may decide to trigger a labor contraction by induction. Induction of labor is certainly risky, so it is understandable that many pregnant women may choose alternative methods to start labor. One strategy that is believed to be able to trigger contractions is the same way you start pregnancy: making love.
Why is there an assumption that sex can trigger labor contractions?
There are a number of plausible reasons behind sex reasons as a method of triggering contractions when your baby is born. First, semen is a natural source of prostaglandins, chemical compounds that relax the tissues and help ripening the cervix to prepare the birth pathway of the baby. Second, sex with or without orgasm is reported to increase uterine activity. Having sex can also trigger the release of oxytocin, a natural hormone in the mother's body that helps start contractions.
On the other hand, scientific evidence to support sex as a method of induction of labor is far from enough. Actually, once the pregnancy reaches the age of 40 weeks, you will be very likely to enter the stage of spontaneous labor at any time, with or without sex. So it's very easy to think of sex as the cause, even though in reality maybe your orgasm is not the one that triggers contractions. Experts suspect that labor induction is related to hormones produced by mother and baby. That is why, trying to trigger contractions themselves is not a reliable method.
Sex as a method of triggering contractions is also a difficult thing to measure, because sexual activity and experience are not easy to define uniformly. Breast stimulation, for example, even though it is thought to stimulate uterine contractions, but not all sexual activity involves foreplay this. And, the role of prostaglandin from semen will also depend on condom use, ejaculation volume, and prostaglandin concentration in semen.
So this is why sex for labor induction is more likely to be a theory (if not a myth), rather than a medical fact. "There is no proven non-medical way to induce labor naturally," Elizabeth Stein, CNM, a midwife from New York, quoted from WebMD. The only safe and reliable method for triggering labor contractions is with drugs given in the hospital. "But, it won't hurt to try sex to induce labor!" Stein said.
Safe tips for having sex at the end of pregnancy
It's okay to have sex with your partner near the end of pregnancy - as long as your amniotic fluid has not broken, and when the doctor or midwife has given the green light. Once the membranes rupture, vaginal penetration can increase the risk of infection. Sex will also be safer if you do not have a low placenta (placenta previa) or have never experienced vaginal bleeding.
In the final stages of pregnancy, sex is indeed easier said than done. You can try spooning, lying sideways with your partner coming in from behind. Or, you can lie on your back on the edge of the bed, with both feet touching the floor and knees bent. Your partner can then kneel or stand in front of you to penetrate.
It is important for men to ejaculate in the vagina if you really want to trigger a contraction, even though there is no guarantee this will work. If you are not passionate about making love (and naturally), you can ask your partner to do it foreplay by stimulating the nipples.
If your pregnancy has not reached full age (under 39-40 weeks), sex in general will not cause preterm labor. However, if you have been diagnosed with a high risk of preterm labor, you should talk to your doctor about security in sexual intercourse; he might recommend preventive measures or limit sex to a certain point.
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- What Your Husband Can Do to Help a Wife During Childbirth
- What Happens to Your Body After Childbirth?
