FYI – birthing women in North America have one of the highest chances of encountering medications and additional medical procedures during labor. They are the most likely to receive medications for induction of labor and it’s estimated that 1/3 Canadian births come in the form of a cesarian section surgery. These life-saving interventions are often necessary (and thank goodness we have access to them), but each of these inventions also carries a higher risk of unintended consequences to both mother and baby. Each additional medical procedure added to the birth process increases rates of hemorrhage, organ damage, infection, blood clots and adverse reactions in the baby.

While birth comes with a certain amount of ‘surrendering to the universe’ there are still things you can do to try and avoid unnecessary medical procedures. A meta-analysis of all the available research on herbal medicine + labor showed that users of herbal medicine for induction of labor were significantly more likely to give birth within 24 hours than non-users, thereby decreasing the number of medical interventions included in the birth process. There is some good science (not to mention thousands of years of traditional use, research is cool but it’s still important to learn from the experience of millions of birthing women, midwives & traditional healers) on a few herbal remedies for pregnancy patients hoping to induce quick + safe labor. Adding these safe and natural remedies can help give you that little bit of extra assurance that you’re doing everything possible to help your body get ready for birth;

As little as 3 – 6 dates daily eaten during the 4 weeks prior to expected birth date has been shown to improve cervical dilation and leads to an easier labor. In one study, date eaters were significantly more likely to go into labor without medication induction and had a decreased the total time of labor by 50%. Another small but well designed study found that eating dates in the later stages of pregnancy led to less bleeding immediately after birth.

Three scientific studies have shown that red dates are associated with:

• Increased cervical “ripening”
• Less need for labor induction
• Less need for Pitocin to stimulate labor and greater likelihood of induction working if medication was still needed.

• Mother’s cordial: this traditional formula supports healthy uterine function during the final weeks of pregnancy. It includes the following herbs, generally in equal parts; Mitchella repens (partridge berry), Caulophyllum thalictroides (blue cohosh), Viburnum opulus (cramp bark), and Chamaelirium luteum (false unicorn).
• Cimicifuga racemosa (black cohosh); used for irregular contractions of labour, this herb can help make contractions more regular and reduces pain. It’s typically dosed after the head is birthed to ensure optimal contractions during the final stages of labor.

References:

• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30337313/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21280989/
• https://www.elsevier.com/books/botanical-medicine-for-womens-health/romm/978-0-7020-6193-6
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21280989/