It can be a very anxious time, waiting until you go into labor and delivery. However, once you are "past due" the wait can be unbearable. If you are past due and are tired of waiting for your little one to arrive, you are probably seeking ways to start labor naturally. Yet, no matter how impatient or excited you may be, it is important not to just rush out and try anything. Sometimes, well meaning people may give false advice and a woman may wind up trying something that is actually harmful when all she wanted to do was start labor naturally.

A great example of this is natural herbs, rather in tablet or a tincture form. Using herbs is a common way to start labor, but if you don't understand the risks, you may be putting yourself and child in harms way. In fact, just because a medicine or remedy is "all natural" doesn't mean that it is without harm, risk, or side effects. Great care and caution should be used whenever anyone attempts to start labor naturally.

Black and Blue Cohosh are two widely used herbs used to start labor naturally. However, what you may not be aware of is that Black Cohosh is commonly associated with bleeding. Excessive bleeding during labor has resulted in many blood transfusions. By using Black Cohosh as a natural labor inducer, many women experienced too much bleeding during labor. This can be dangerous when caesarean section becomes necessary and is not a wise idea for women who are struggling with anemia or low iron counts. Therefore, it is recommended that if anyone wants to use herbs such as Blue or Black Cohosh that they only do so under the advice and guidance of a health care professional.

Nipple stimulation is another example of a natural method to induce labor. A natural labor inducer, oxytocin, is produced by the body during nipple stimulation. This is usually effective, but could cause very sore nipples and sometimes over-stimulate the uterus and lead into very painful labor contractions.

Instead, if you are looking for natural remedies to start labor, you should make sure that they have very little or no side effects. A perfect example is walking. Brisk walking has helped many women who are past their due date to bring on labor naturally. Walking puts pressure on the cervix; the more you walk the more pressure is exhibited. As you continue walking, your cervix will begin to efface and that is the first step of labor. The longer you walk, the more you'll begin to dilate. Labor will soon start and before you know it, your baby will be in your arms.

There is one more method that has been proven to be very safe and effective at stimulating labor and inducing childbirth naturally, and that is maternity acupressure. Not only has acupressure been studied, and shown effective, it is also relaxing. This makes acupressure one of the best and most effective methods available for starting labor naturally.