Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Physical stimulation
• Method 2 of 4: Foods that can break your water
• Method 3 of 4: Strip the amniotic membranes
• Method 4 of 4: Getting an amniotomy
• Warnings
• Necessities

From time to time, doctors and midwives will encourage a woman to have her membranes ruptured prematurely to expedite labor. The safest way to do this is with professional medical help, but there are also natural ways you can try at home to break your water. In this article you will find everything you need to know.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Physical stimulation

1. Walk regularly at a comfortable pace. Walking is one of the safest ways to induce labor and cause your waters to break.
   • As you approach your due date, you can try walking for half an hour every few hours - unless your doctor has instructed you otherwise. Make sure to rest in between walks to avoid overloading yourself. This will prevent you from accidentally harming the baby or yourself.
   • When walking, gravity and movements will encourage the baby to descend into the birth canal. Often the contractions start here, and your membranes break more quickly than would otherwise be the case.
2. Try nipple stimulation. The principle behind this technique is to mimic the physical stimuli that a nursing child causes. This stimulation ensures that the hormones flow through your body, so that the entire delivery process can be accelerated.
   • Roll the nipple and areola back and forth between your thumb and forefinger.
3. Have sex. Sexual stimulation is often sufficient to trigger the contractions in the womb, causing the delivery to be rushed and the membranes to rupture more quickly.
   • Sex should not be dangerous for the unborn baby to rupture the membranes unless there is some other underlying medical condition that makes it risky.
   • If your membranes are broken, you should not have sex anymore. If you do, bacteria can make their way to the uterus.

Method 2 of 4: Foods that can break your water

1. Eat spicy foods. Consuming spicy food is at the top of the list of nutritional tricks to break the membranes and induce labor.
   • At the moment there is no medical evidence to support this theory. In principle, it is a kind of baker's talk.
   • Theoretically, however, spicy foods can mess up the intestines and digestion. The vibrations that cause your upset bowels may be enough to induce contractions in the womb.
   • The downside is that eating spicy foods can make the final stages of pregnancy less comfortable - they can cause heartburn and diarrhea. Capsaicin also thwarts the analgesic properties of endorphins, making labor itself more painful.
2. Try pineapple. Some people argue that it is better to avoid pineapple during pregnancy unless a woman is trying to induce labor.
   • There is currently no scientific evidence to support this claim.
   • Supporters of this theory argue that pineapple ripens the cervix and makes the body produce prostaglandins more quickly - prostaglandins are essential in inducing labor.
3. Use evening primrose oil. Substances in this supplemental herb turn into prostaglandins, which can induce labor and break the membranes.
   • Note that this is not a medical recommendation, although preliminary research suggests there may be some truth to this claim.
   • From the 36th week of pregnancy, take one 500mg capsule twice a day.
   • From week 38 you can increase the amount to three or four capsules per day.
4. Buy or bake "birth-inducing" cookies. These cookies are, in fact, very spiced gingerbread. You may be able to find them in specialized stores or online, but you can also easily make them yourself at home.
   • In a bowl, mix 2½ cups (625ml) flour, 1½ teaspoons (7.5ml) baking soda, ¾ teaspoon (3.75ml) cinnamon, 1 teaspoon (5ml) ground ginger, ½ teaspoon (2.5ml) ground cloves, ½ teaspoon ( 2.5ml) salt and ½ teaspoon (2.5ml) cayenne pepper.
   • In a separate bowl, combine 8 tablespoons (120ml) butter, ½ cup (125ml) granulated sugar, and 1 cup (250ml) brown sugar. Add ⅓ cup (80ml) of molasses and ¼ cup (60ml) of egg white here. Mix everything together well.
   • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well until moist.
   • Drip some spoons of dough onto a sheet of baking paper and bake for about eight to ten minutes in a preheated oven at 180º Celsius.
   • Eat as many cookies as you can, but wait a while for them to cool.

Method 3 of 4: Strip the amniotic membranes

1. Visit a medical professional. A doctor or midwife will have to perform this treatment. Do not attempt this procedure on your own or without professional medical assistance.
   • This treatment will not cause your water to break immediately, but it will likely cause the water to break in a few hours or days. As a result, you should only try it when the due date is approached or passed.
2. Lie down and keep your legs apart. Once you are in the hospital or clinic, you may be asked to hang your legs in braces so that your doctor or midwife can clearly see the amniotic membranes.
   • However, some medical professionals will only require you to keep your legs apart.
   • You may be asked to lie on your back with your lower back as close to the edge of the bed as possible. The doctor may also choose to remove the bottom part of the bed if that option is available on the bed you are using.
3. Allow the amniotic membranes to detach from the uterine wall. The doctor or midwife will use his / her fingers to enter the cervix. Within it, he / she will gently scrape the membrane from the wall of the uterus.
   • The amniotic membranes should only be scraped off; they shouldn't break.
4. Wait. After the treatment, it can take several hours to days for your membranes to break.
   • You can speed up the process by applying the physical stimulation and / or nutrition tips.
   • After the procedure, the uterus will become irritated. As a result, contractions will begin - shortly after, your waters will break.

Method 4 of 4: Getting an amniotomy

1. Know when to request an amniotomy. In general, you may want to consider having your membranes ruptured if labor slows down while the active stage has already arrived. In this case, an amniotomy can cause labor to speed up - it can even take an hour shorter than usual.
   • However, be aware that labor will usually not be shorter if you allow the membranes to rupture in the early stages of labor.
   • An amniotomy is a treatment in which a doctor or midwife manually pierces the protective membranes around your baby. This releases the amniotic fluid and "breaks your membranes".
   • Only have your water broken by a medical professional. This is because there is a high risk of infection with this procedure if done incorrectly. So do not have that done by someone who is not trained for this.
2. Lie down and keep your legs apart. Once you are in the hospital or clinic, you may be asked to hang your legs in braces so that your doctor or midwife has a good view of your vagina.
   • However, some medical professionals will only require you to keep your legs apart.
   • Depending on the type of bed you are lying on, the bottom section can be removed or you will be asked to move closer to the edge of the bed.
3. Allow the doctor or midwife to break the protective membrane. The medical professional will use a sharp instrument to scrape along the protective fleece. He / she will do this until the membrane breaks and the amniotic fluid is released.
   • The doctor will use a membrane breaker or an amnicot for this. The membrane breaker is most commonly used and is a long, thin needle with a sharp point. An amnicot is a finger condom with a small sharp pin or hook at the end.
4. Let the amniotic fluid flow out. If the membranes are broken, the doctor or midwife will take measures to prevent an infection from settling.
   • A bucket can be placed under your bed to collect the liquid.
5. Have the baby's heart rate measured. Depending on how much effort the doctor or midwife had to do to break the membranes, there is a chance that the baby has become distressed. Make sure your baby's heart rate is measured immediately after the procedure
   • Know that contractions can intensify once the membranes have ruptured.

Warnings

• If your membranes are broken, you should not have sex anymore. You should also avoid other activities where bacteria can settle in the uterus.
• Consult your doctor or midwife before attempting to break your membranes or induce labor.
• Know the risk factors that can cause your water to break prematurely. These risk factors include:
  • A history of preterm birth
  • Genital tract infection
  • Vaginal bleeding during several trimesters
  • Smoking during pregnancy
• Do not break the membranes unless recommended by the doctor or midwife. If your water breaks prematurely, both you and your baby can be at risk. Common risk factors associated with premature rupture of the membranes include:
  • Infection.
  • Placental detachment, in which the placenta detaches from the uterus before delivery.
  • Prolapse of the umbilical cord, where the umbilical cord reaches the vagina earlier than the baby does.

Necessities

• Spicy food
• Pineapple
• Supplements evening primrose oil
• Childbirth inducing cookies
• A water breaker or amnicot