How Kate can end the great baby wait

Pineapples. Housework. Cuddles with Wills. As she goes five days overdue . . .

SO, THE Great Kate Wait continues. As the crowds of wellwishers s well outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital i n London’s Paddington, anyone holding their breath for the arri val of r oyal baby number two must be going rather blue in the face.

The Duchess of Cambridge is believed to have been due to give birth last Thursday — making her a full five days late. The baby’s older brother, Prince George, also failed to arrive on time — he was born three days after his due date.

So what can Kate do to rustle up a royal birth sooner rather than later? Here, we round up some top tips on inducing labour from Britain’s leading obstetricians and midwives. . .

GET FRUITY

Expectant mothers are often concerned about eating pineapple during pregnancy as there is some evidence that bromelain, the enzyme contained in its juice and stem, can cause contractions in the uterus. If eaten in sufficient quantities, it’s said to open the cervix (which needs to be dilated before a baby can be born) and induce labour — but experts say the equivalent of seven large, fresh pineapples would have to be consumed for the effects to be felt.

Kate is already said to be a fan, favouring a blend of orange, pineapple and banana juice for her breakfast.

‘Eating certain foods is one of the most popular natural methods of bringing on labour,’ says Elaine Bellamy, midwifery sister at the private Portland Hospital in London, where celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Jemima Khan have given birth.

‘I’ve heard of pineapple and ginger being used.’

Dates, too, can work, stimulating the production of oxytocin, the natural hormone which brings on contractions. A 2011 study found that eating the dried f r uit brought on spontaneous labour for 96 per cent of women.

BUMP THE BUMP

IT SOUNDS bizarre but some experts would recommend taking a stroll around the grounds of Kensington Palace, with i ts cobbled pathways and uneven steps, to jumpstart Kate’s labour. Alternatively, she could go for a bike ride or a quick walk because, say experts, exercise is the key.

‘Generally, exercise will stimulate the uterus to contract,’ explains Professor Stuart Campbell, obstetrician at the Create Fertility Centre in London. ‘The uterus is a “smooth” muscle, and you can’t make it contract voluntarily like you can some others — it has to do it by itself.

‘Typically, in the third trimester of pregnancy, women will start to feel painless contractions called Braxton Hicks, which occur when the muscles of the uterus practise for the rhythm of labour.

‘Braxton Hicks can be stimulated by exercise — so something like walking on cobbles could help the uterus prepare for the big moment.’

INTIMATE MOMENTS

Many mums swear by starting labour in the same way their pregnancy started: with sexual intercourse. Though there is little science behind this, midwives say it is the subject they are most frequently asked about by overdue mothers — and there is much anecdotal evidence that it works. It isn’t actually the sex itself that can get labour started, but hormones called prostaglandins, which occur naturally in semen and are transferred to the woman’s body when this is deposited in the cervix (the neck of the womb). Prostaglandins help the cervix soften and dilate — and experts recommend lying down after sex to let the prostaglandins be against the cervix for as long as possible.

Having sex may also trigger the release of the hormone oxytocin, which is associated with feelings of pleasure and affection, and i s used synthetically to induce labour if a baby is long overdue.

But this isn’t foolproof, and many women may find sex too uncomfortable in the final stages of pregnancy. ‘you’d have to have an awful lot of intercourse to bring on labour this way, as the concentrations of the hormones are very small,’ adds Professor Campbell.

SPICE OF LIFE

EATING an Indian takeaway is the classic labourinducer, with many women claiming that consuming hot, spicy food before going into hospital led them to give birth quickly.

Spice in general is thought to stimulate the bowel muscles, thereby prompting muscles in the nearby uterus to contract.

And turmeric, a rich yellow spice which adds colour rather than flavour to a dish, is a uterine stimulant. ‘Curry is said to make a woman’s contractions come on — there is something in the powder that the body responds to,’ explains midwife Elaine.

Very hot curries, such as vindaloo, should be avoided, though.

‘They’re more likely to upset a woman’s bowel and make her feel significant discomfort,’ warns Roshni Patel, a consultant obstetrician at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London.

Better to stick to something mild and soothing, such as dishes containing cinnamon, which is said to have a warming, nurturing effect to relax the body ahead of labour.

GET SCRUBBING

IT May sound like a male conspiracy, but housework — or any exercise that involves a pregnant woman getting down on her hands and knees — can work wonders in getting her body ready.

While it doesn’t actually induce labour, getting into this position can help start the process by opening up the pelvis, which needs to open slightly to allow the baby through during labour.

So Kate could find a quick wash of the kitchen floor might be just the thing — though she’d probably have to wrestle the mop off the Kensington Palace cleaner.

Roshni Patel says: ‘ Getting down on all fours can help rotate the baby if it’s in an antero-posterior position [back to front] in the womb.

‘This needs to happen before labour can start. But it doesn’t have to be housework: you could do the gardening or some other simple everyday task instead.’

BLOW UP BALLOONS

ONE of the more obscure ways to speed labour, blowing up balloons i s said to i ncrease muscle contraction in the abdomen. It’s thought that activity in this area of the body might trigger a similar reaction in the uterus.

It’s scientifically unfounded — but one to bear i n mind i f the baby hasn’t come by tomorrow — William and Kate’s fourth wedding anniversary

PUMP IT UP

Oxytocin can also be produced by a woman gently rubbing her nipples, which become incredibly tender and sensitive to touch during pregnancy, because it releases oxytocin which brings on labour. ‘This can be very effective,’ says midwife Elaine.

Experts recommend rubbing or tweaking them while i n the shower, stimulating the entire areola — the brown area around the nipple — or, alternatively, use a breast pump to mimic the effect of a suckling baby, which will further increase the levels of oxytocin released.

TEA AND SYMPATHY

THE pale green foliage produced by the raspberry plant has long been a staple ingredient in

alternative remedies because of its rich content of vitamins, minerals and tannins.

It can be taken in tablet form or as raspberry leaf tea, a herbal liquid that tastes much like regular tea.

The concoction — not to be confused with raspberry tea, an artificial blend made from the fruit, not leaves — is said to open the cervix and speed up labour.

‘It only makes a difference if you start early and drink a reasonable amount,’ says obstetrician Roshni Patel. ‘A woman would need to start drinking two cups a day at 34 or 35 weeks.’

Raspberry leaf tea is also thought to enrich breast milk and is given to women after birth to reduce bruising and inflammation.

IT TAKES ALLSORTS

LIQUORICE is t hought to stimulate digestion, which causes a chain reaction that makes the nearby uterus move and thereby triggers contractions, so expectant mothers may dive in to a bag of Liquorice Allsorts.

Castor oil — a vegetable oil produced by pressing the seeds of the Mediterranean castor plant — has a similar effect. It works as a mild laxative, and some women have found that a 60ml dose can impact on the bowel and the uterus, causing labour to kick- start. The danger, doctors warn, is that both can have a dehydrating effect, as well as causing diarrhoea and nausea, all of which can be damaging.

JUST THE TONIC

Alcohol is a proven labour-suppresser, says obstetrician Professor Campbell: ‘If labour is coming on too early, the best thing to do is have a little drink.’

But reaching for a glass of tonic water wouldn’t hurt — quinine, the bitter, natural substance it contains — is thought to aid the release of oxytocin. Studies have f ound drinking moderate amounts can prompt contractions to begin.

Kate might want to enjoy a glass in the bath — a warm, relaxing soak has been shown to induce labour, too. But it’s not the hot water that matters; it’s the relaxed state it lulls you into. Labour won’t happen when a woman is stressed.