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What Is Nipple Stimulation?
How Does It Work?
It also plays a role in:
Oxytocin stimulates the uterus to contract and begin labor.
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Oxytocin also increases the production of hormones calledprostaglandins, which further increases contractions.
Why Induce Labor?
Is Nipple Stimulation Effective For Inducing Labor?
There isn’t a definitive answer as to whether nipple stimulation is effective for inducing labor.
What Do the Studies Say?
Ninety-two percent of the respondents named labor augmentation as their reason for suggesting nipple stimulation.
Indications of this include:
Is Nipple Stimulation Safe?
In fact, many people choose to breastfeed another child while pregnant.
Always check with a healthcare provider before trying any method of labor induction.
The goal is to mimic a nursing baby.
Manually
This technique is similar to hand-expressing breast milk when breastfeeding.
Pumping may extractcolostrumfrom the breastthis is not a concern.
How Much Stimulation Is Recommended?
can also stimulate the release of oxytocin.
It’s also a nice way to connect with your partner.
Breastfeeding
Instead of mimicking a nursing baby, you could try really breastfeeding.
This is usually done by parents who are already nursing another child.
Before trying nipple stimulationor any form of natural or at-home labor induction methodsconsult with a healthcare professional.
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