(2001) reported that physical exertion is related to preterm birth. Castor oil may work, although it has potential serious side effects such as meconium-stained amniotic fluid and maternal nausea ( Azhari, Pirdadeh, Lotfalizadeh, & Shakeri, 2006 Boel et al., 2009 Davis, 1984 Garry, Figueroa, Guillaume, & Cucco, 2000 Harris & Nye, 1994 Holmes, 1934 Kelly, Kavanagh, & Thomas, 2001). A Cochrane review concluded that breast stimulation appears to be somewhat effective and safe for low-risk women at term ( Kavanagh et al., 2005). The role of acupuncture is also uncertain, with two studies reporting success ( Dunn, Rogers, & Halford, 1989 Rabl, Ahner, Bitschnau, Zeisler, & Husslein, 2001) and one reporting no effect ( Smith, Crowther, Collins, & Coyle, 2008). Vaginal intercourse may help ripen the cervix because semen contains prostaglandins, but studies of association with onset of labor have reported mixed results ( Kavanagh, Kelly, & Thomas, 2005 Petridou et al., 2001 Summers, 1997 Tan, Yow, & Omar, 2007 Tan, Yow, & Omar, 2009). Indeed, in recent years, numerous articles have been published evaluating some of these traditional induction alternatives. Rumors of “conventional” ways of inducing labor abound in the popular literature and include nipple stimulation, acupuncture, acupressure, massage, sexual intercourse, raspberry leaf tea, spicy food, balsamic vinegar, walking, castor or cod liver oil, enema, black or blue cohosh, heavy exertion, dehydration, starvation, stress, fear, and mechanical agitation such as riding in a car along a bumpy road. If any of these methods are truly effective, then perhaps some medical inductions could be avoided.
Rumors of “conventional” ways of inducing labor abound in the popular literature and include nipple stimulation, acupuncture, acupressure, massage, sexual intercourse, raspberry leaf tea, spicy food, balsamic vinegar, walking, castor or cod liver oil, enema, black or blue cohosh, heavy exertion, dehydration, starvation, stress, fear, and mechanical agitation such as riding in a car along a bumpy road ( Curtis & Schuler, 2008 Douglas & Sussman, 2004 Evans & Aronson, 2005 Gaskin, 2002, 2003 Goer, 1999 Iovine, 2007 Kimes & Tisherman, 2004 Murkoff & Mazel, 2008 “Ways to Bring on Labor,” n.d.). The proportion of labors that are induced has been rising ( Curtin & Park, 1999 Declercq, Sakala, Corry, & Applebaum, 2006 Mealing et al., 2009 Simpson, 2010) and now stands at 23% ( Martin et al., 2012)-not a trivial number given the potential drawbacks.
Medical induction of labor, although a vital tool in the management of some pregnancies, nonetheless carries risks, including uterine hyperstimulation, placental abruption, uterine infection, iatrogenic preterm birth, fetal distress, operative vaginal birth, and cesarean surgery ( American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 1999 Engle, 2006 Mealing, Roberts, Ford, Simpson, & Morris, 2009 Moleti, 2009 Simpson, 2010 Simpson & Knox, 2009 Simpson & Thorman, 2005).
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