At 38 weeks, your pregnancy is classified as “early term,” and most medical organizations recommend against inducing labor before 39 weeks unless there’s a medical reason. That said, many of the methods people try at home are low-risk enough to discuss with your provider, and some have real evidence behind them. Here’s what the research actually shows about each approach.
Why 38 Weeks Is Earlier Than You Think
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is clear on this: non-medically indicated delivery, including induction and cervical ripening, should not occur before 39 weeks. This isn’t an arbitrary cutoff. A large study from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development found that babies born between 37 and 38 weeks had higher rates of complications compared to those born at 39 weeks or later. At 38 weeks, about 5.2% of newborns experienced respiratory or other complications, compared to 2.5% at 39 to 40 weeks.
The difference goes beyond breathing problems. Multiple studies have found that early-term babies score lower on cognitive and educational measures later in childhood compared to full-term peers. Even when fetal lung maturity tests come back normal, ACOG notes that lung development alone doesn’t mean every other organ system is ready. The brain, liver, and other organs are still maturing during those final weeks.
If you have a medical condition like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes with complications, or your water has broken without contractions starting, your provider may recommend induction before 39 weeks. Otherwise, the evidence strongly favors waiting.
Nipple Stimulation Has the Strongest Evidence
Of all the natural methods, nipple stimulation has the most scientific support. It works by triggering your pituitary gland to release oxytocin, the same hormone hospitals use synthetically to induce labor. The key difference is that nipple stimulation produces oxytocin in pulses, which more closely mimics how natural labor contractions work compared to a continuous IV drip.
Clinical protocols typically involve stimulating one breast at a time until contractions begin occurring at least every three minutes. If 30 minutes of single-breast stimulation doesn’t produce that pattern, both breasts are stimulated simultaneously. A minimum of two hours is generally needed for a valid attempt. You can use a breast pump or manual stimulation, adjusting intensity based on comfort. If contractions become too frequent (more than five in ten minutes), you stop or reduce stimulation until the pattern settles.
This method is not without risk. Overstimulation can cause excessively strong or frequent contractions, which can stress the baby. For this reason, it’s best attempted only after discussing it with your provider, particularly if you have any pregnancy complications.
Sexual Intercourse: Plausible but Unproven
Semen contains one of the highest natural concentrations of prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that soften and thin the cervix (the same effect that medical cervical ripening agents aim for). Orgasm also triggers a small release of oxytocin, and the physical contact may stimulate the lower part of the uterus. A Cochrane review noted all three mechanisms are plausible but couldn’t confirm that intercourse reliably starts labor. It’s generally considered safe in uncomplicated pregnancies where your water hasn’t broken, so there’s little downside to trying.
Eating Dates in the Final Weeks
Eating six dates per day during the last four weeks of pregnancy has been studied in several small trials. In one study of 60 women who followed this routine, 60% went into spontaneous labor. The evidence is modest, and dates won’t force labor to start on a specific day. But they’re nutritious, inexpensive, and carry no known risks. If nothing else, they’re a reasonable addition to your diet in the home stretch.
Castor Oil: It Works, but at a Cost
Castor oil is one of the older folk remedies, and research suggests it can increase the likelihood of labor starting. The dose used in studies is typically around 60 milliliters, which is a lot of very unpleasant oil to swallow. The most common side effect is significant nausea and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration at exactly the time you don’t want to be dehydrated. Some studies have raised concerns about meconium-stained amniotic fluid (when the baby passes stool before birth), though other studies found no difference between castor oil groups and control groups on this measure.
The conflicting safety data, combined with guaranteed gastrointestinal misery, makes castor oil a hard sell. If you’re considering it, talk to your provider first. Going into labor while severely nauseated and dehydrated is not the experience most people are hoping for.
Evening Primrose Oil and Cervical Readiness
Evening primrose oil is used orally or vaginally with the goal of ripening the cervix rather than directly triggering contractions. A meta-analysis found that it significantly improved Bishop scores, which is the clinical measure of how ready your cervix is for labor. Studies have used doses ranging from 500 mg to 1,500 mg daily, starting anywhere from 37 to 40 weeks, with both oral and vaginal routes showing effects.
A riper cervix doesn’t guarantee labor will start on its own, but it does mean that when labor does begin (naturally or through induction), things tend to progress more smoothly. Evening primrose oil appears to be a cervical preparation tool more than a labor starter.
Red Raspberry Leaf Tea Likely Doesn’t Help
Red raspberry leaf tea is one of the most commonly recommended natural labor aids, but the research is discouraging. A detailed review of the evidence concluded that raspberry extracts “do not present a contractile effect on the uterine muscle,” and even when a slight effect was observed in animal studies, it was described as negligible and insignificant. One small, retrospective study suggested it might reduce the cesarean rate, but the researchers themselves cautioned against reading too much into those results given the tiny sample size.
The tea is safe to drink and contains antioxidants like ellagic acid, but expecting it to start labor is not supported by current evidence.
Acupressure Points for Labor
Pressing on specific points on the body, particularly the SP6 point on the inner leg (about four finger-widths above the ankle bone), has been studied for its effect on labor. Research suggests that stimulating this point may encourage oxytocin release. In one clinical trial, women who received SP6 acupressure had a significantly shorter first stage of labor (225 minutes versus 320 minutes) and shorter second stage (15 minutes versus 20 minutes) compared to a control group. Other points sometimes targeted include spots on the outer foot, shoulder, and hand.
Most of this research was conducted on women already in labor rather than women trying to start it. Whether acupressure can initiate labor from scratch is less clear, but the technique carries minimal risk.
Walking and Exercise Won’t Start Labor
Walking, climbing stairs, bouncing on a birth ball, and other exercises are among the most popular recommendations you’ll find online. The Mayo Clinic states plainly that there’s no evidence exercising induces labor. Staying active in late pregnancy has plenty of other benefits, including improved mood, better sleep, and easier recovery postpartum. But if you’re logging miles specifically to trigger contractions, the evidence doesn’t back it up.
When Natural Methods Are Unsafe
Certain pregnancy conditions make any attempt to induce labor, whether natural or medical, genuinely dangerous. These include placenta previa or vasa previa (where the placenta or blood vessels cover the cervix), a prior uterine rupture or classical cesarean incision, active genital herpes, a baby in transverse or breech position, and severe fetal heart rate abnormalities. If you’ve had a prior cesarean with a vertical uterine incision, the risk of uterine rupture during contractions is too high for any form of induction.
Herbal supplements marketed for labor induction deserve particular caution. Many have not been tested for safety in pregnancy, and some can harm the baby. Stick to methods with at least some clinical data behind them, and always let your provider know what you’re trying.