Life
5 Myths About Inducing Labor That Are Total BS
There's a good chance that a pregnant woman nearing her due date wants to get the baby out. Many find the last weeks of pregnancy uncomfortable, and moms-to-be tend to get really excited about meeting their new human. Besides hearing a bunch of outdated baby advice as the due date nears, you'll also hear one too many old wives' tales about ways to "naturally" induce labor. Some are plausible, although there is mostly insufficient scientific evidence to back them up. Then there are the myths about inducing labor that are total bull. That's right, complete and utter, nonsensical silliness.
It's important to note that whether you try a "natural," DIY induction method that has some possibility of working or you try one that is utterly ridiculous (no offense), you need to be careful. According to Web MD some of the so-called natural induction methods might be harmful to a mother and her unborn baby. The site used physical activity as an example, noting that vigorous forms of exercise (in a usually sedentary woman) can lead to premature births and pregnancy-induced hypertension. Basically, it's not a good idea to go running up and down stairs if you haven't taken a walk in months.
No matter what science says there will be plenty of women who try everything from the plausible to the impossible to coax their baby out. Here are six myths about inducing labor that are completely false.
Myth #1: Riding In A Bumpy Car Will Make Your Baby Come
If that's true I should've gone into labor a thousand times. Pot hole hell had taken over city roads while I was pregnant with my daughter. According to the Baby Center, there is no evidence that labor will start in a pregnant mom who takes a ride on a gravel road or hits some speed bumps. The site noted that a bumpy ride won't hurt a baby either. Babies in the womb are protected by the uterus and all that fluid.
Myth #2: Talking Will Make Your Baby Arrive
I know this is one of the more meditative, state-of-mind methods — if you think about your baby, talk to your baby, envision your baby being born, it will come out. But there is absolutely no scientific evidence, nor any anecdotal evidence even, that would support talking to your baby as a natural induction method. It's still good to talk to your baby even if it doesn't kick start labor. Baby Center explained that babies in the womb start developing their hearing around 23 weeks and talking or signing to your baby in utero will help them get used to your voice. . . even if they can't understand a word you're saying.
Myth #3: Getting A Brazilian Wax Will Get Your Baby Out
I made my husband wax me down when it got close to my due date. Getting a Brazilian wax did not induce labor for me, and it's not proven to work for other women either. It is however, completely safe for pregnant women to get waxes while pregnant. According to the Baby Center the actual wax is fine, but it's possible that pregnant women will find it to be more painful than usual because of the extra blood flowing, especially to the pubic area.
Myth #4: Doing The 'Thriller' Dance Will Get Your Baby Out
A viral video will be born, but probably not a baby. I'm not sure what it is about Michael Jackson's song "Thriller" specifically that makes people think it could induce labor, but it's just a fun song to dance to. It's clearly a full body workout and it's a pretty freaky video so maybe it will scare the baby out of you.
Joking aside, The Bump explained that any type of physical activity which involves bouncing could coax the baby out. The site warned that high impact exercise is not recommended, but low impact with a little bounce could help activate labor. Maybe a little groovin' will get baby movin', but sorry, no science backing the King of Pop's hit as a labor kick starter.
Myth #5: A Full Moon Will Bring Your Baby Into This World
The gravitational pull is literally pulling your baby out. At least, that's what a mountain of anecdotal evidence suggests. According to How Stuff Works Health, the theory goes like this - the lunar effect on births is based off the fact that the moon's gravitational pull causes high tides. The human body is made up of 80 percent water and the pull is believed to speed up the birthing process.
When it comes down to actual scientific studies (yes, people studied this), the same site explained that it's been proven over and over again that there is no correlation with full moons and labor rates.
