Does nipple stimulation aid labour?

Several tips and tricks exist for stimulating labor, from eating spicy food to taking exhausting walks to having sex. There is however a technique for bringing on labor that has some scientific backing: nipple stimulation. It truly can take some time to work, but as long as your doctor says it's fine for you to try, it might be worth the effort. Here's why nipple stimulation can help induce labor and ways to do it.

Oxytocin

According to Childbirth and Postpartum Educator, Dr Robin Weiss, manipulating the nipples triggers the release of a hormone called oxytocin. This hormone has several effects in the body: it plays a role in sexual arousal and because it's released when a mother nurses her baby, it serves to help them to bond—one reason it sometimes is referred to as the love hormone.

Oxytocin also plays a role in uterine contractions throughout labor and delivery and beyond by setting off the initial contractions and keeping them going. After delivery, oxytocin is still in play, stimulating the continued contractions that are necessary for the uterus to return to its normal size and shape. In fact, a synthetic form of oxytocin called pitocin is what is used to induce labor.

Research shows that oxytocin, a hormone that's involved in uterine contractions throughout labor and delivery, is released when the nipples are manually stimulated.

How to stimulate nipples

If you're pregnant, a few days past your due date, and anxious to meet your baby, nipple stimulation may be worth a try if, and only if, you check with your obstetrician first. The practice appears to be perfectly safe for normal, low-risk, full-term pregnancies, but only a medical professional who's been following your nine-month journey can say for sure that you fall into that category.

Once you get the green light, you have several options. You and/or your partner can manually stimulate your nipples, your partner can orally stimulate your nipples, if you have an older baby whom you're still nursing, you can put him to your breast, or you can use a breast pump.

If you or someone else is manually stimulating your nipples, gently roll them between your fingers. Focus not just on the tips of your nipples but on the areola (the ring of darker skin surrounding the nipple) as well.