Looking for natural ways to induce labor…that don’t involve a hospital induction? Look no further!! The Midwives’ Brew is for you!
Are you a few days past your due date? Maybe you’ve read my entire post on home labor induction methods…tried everything and no luck??
Guys, I found this crazy method to induce labor this week…Yes, it IS a little crazy!
Which is why I’m about to give you a big ol’ disclaimer before I tell you about this method…
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU…
- DO NOT DO THE MIDWIVE’S BREW UNTIL YOU ARE PAST YOUR DUE DATE!
- TALK TO YOUR PROVIDER BEFORE ATTEMPTING!
Okay, glad we got that cleared up! 🙂 Now on to this crazy and highly effective induction method!
Follow @mommy.labornurse on Instagram to join our community of over 610k for education, tips, and solidarity on all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum!
The Midwives Brew
I’m currently in a group on Facebook that’s full of thousands of labor and delivery nurses around the world. A fellow L&D nurse posted this for discussion, and I couldn’t help but be intrigued by the whole thing!
Apparently, it’s also known as the “German Labor Cocktail” because it’s very popular with midwives in Europe!
As you might know, I had my son 4 days past my due date…but not after I tried every induction method in the book! (You can see that post on what I did, here!)
I was DESPERATE – as many of you probably are who’ve stumbled across this article!
Being overdue SUCKS! You’ve got a 6-10 pound human just chillin’ inside of you…not letting you know when he/she is going to make an appearance.
YOU JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND WONDER!
Well, what if I told you I found a natural method of induction that has a…wait for it…
85% SUCCESS RATE!
Okay, so I’m not a statistics major, nor do I have an evidenced-based article to back up that percentage.
BUT…I did research the heck out of this method after I heard about it.
I read a lot of birth stories, and it looked like about 8-9 out of 10 women who tried this method (correctly) were successful in going into labor within 24 hours. (For many it happened much sooner than that!)
But fair warning, while this method is VERY effective, it’s also VERY…
GROSS.
In my research, I also found that many women VOMITED shortly after consuming this concoction…(or weren’t able to finish it, altogether!)
So, that’s your fair warning!
But now, let’s get to the recipe!!
***Once again, make sure you do not attempt this until AFTER your due date…and discuss with your provider before attempting***
The Midwives Brew recipe
Ingredients:
- 10 oz of Apricot Juice
- 8 oz of Pure Lemon Verbena Tea
- 2 Tbsp of Castor Oil
- 2 Tbsp of Almond Butter
Directions:
- Boil some water and brew the tea. Make sure you brew it pretty strong (let the tea bag sit for at least 10 minutes)
- Put all the ingredients into a blender, and blend until smooth
- Pour into a glass and drink the full concoction on AN EMPTY STOMACH!
*It’s more effective at room temperature/slightly warm…but it’s totally fine to drink it over ice if you can’t stomach it warm!
Bottoms up!
Is The Midwives Brew safe?
Maybe…but probably yes.
Unfortunately, castor oil sometimes gets a bad rap as a natural labor induction method.
Castor oil can cause you to have some EXTREME nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea so much to the point that you might get dehydrated.
Oh, and by the way, guess what happens when pregnant women become dehydrated…they CONTRACT!
In fact, dehydration is the NUMBER ONE cause of painful, irritable contractions…(the contractions that aren’t real LABOR contractions).
So, the thought behind castor oil is…
It works because it causes GI distress (it rumbles up your tummy which is located right next to your uterus) and, it might make you a bit dehydrated, which causes your uterus to contract.
Generally, I don’t personally recommend castor oil as a labor induction technique. Many times it just leaves women miserable, vomiting like crazy, and poopin’ for days…
Related Reading How to Induce Labor Naturally
Here’s the reason why I recommend The Midwives’ Brew
The almond butter!
Almond butter is really sticky! So sticky that it helps the castor oil STICK to your intestines…instead of just running right through you like it usually does by itself.
Pretty cool, right?!
And while we’re on the topic of labor…
Whether you decide to go for it or not, I’m willing to bet you’re at the VERY end of your pregnancy.
Have you prepared with a birth course yet?
IT’S NOT TOO LATE! My online birth classes can be binged over a weekend and has helped TENS OF THOUSANDS of mamas just like you.
And before you go, check out these other resources that can help pass the time while you wait for baby to make their debut:
Happy Inducing!!
