Sex positions to bring on labour
Juliet Blank
Associate EditorThis page contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small amount of money if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our articles and reviews are written independently by the Netmums editorial team.
If you're pregnant and full term, and desperately trying to bring on labour, having sex could do the trick. It may be the last thing on your mind but many mums swear that having sex induces labour.
Positions to bring on labour
Having sex helps to release oxytocin – a lovely little hormone that not only helps us feel great but might also stimulate the uterus and get your body geared up for labour.
Semen also contains prostaglandins which could help to soften the cervix in preparation for birth and help induce labour.
FREE NEWBORN NAPPIES
According to the NHS, there's not much evidence that having sex will actually help to kickstart your labour (and there's certainly no evidence that one position is better than another).
However, a lot of parents in the Netmums forum swear it worked for them, and there's no harm in giving it a go (as long as your waters haven't broken).
Here are some of the most comfortable sex positions for the third trimester, that may well be worth a try if you want to encourage labour to start.
***Warning – the following contains sexually explicit illustrations***
1. The fan
The woman stands with her back to her partner. She bends her knees and rests her hands on the edge of a chair or stool to support herself.
Her partner enters her from behind and controls the movement, caressing her clitoris and breasts with his hands. Penetration will be deep, stimulating the front walls of the vagina and G-spot.
2. From behind
This sex position is easier if the woman has a wall to lean up against!
The man stands upright and – as the name suggests – enters his partner from behind. He can hold onto her bum or thighs to control the thrusts.
3. The hound
A variation on traditional doggy style sex – she's still on all fours but lowers herself onto her forearms and he penetrates her from behind but reaches around to caress her breasts.
This is a great one for deep penetration, which will stimulate the front walls of the vagina and agitate the cervix.
4. The ship
All aboard!
With the man lying on his back, the woman simply sits down on him with both legs to one side so she's sitting across him. She's in control of any movement and the depth of penetration. Hold on to the headboard or other furniture if you're having trouble keeping your balance!
Feel the motion of the ocean!
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5. The clip
While the man lies on his back with legs closed, the woman sits down on him.
Once he's safely inside her, she bends backwards and supports herself with her hands.
Once in the clip sex position, the woman can then make rhythmic movements while he stimulates her clitoris – and enjoys the view!
And why not invest in a hand-held massaging tool and take turns using it on each other? It will relax you both even more. Try the Lovely Wand – see more details here at Amazon.
6. The reverse cowgirl
An oldie but a goodie.
The man lies on his back, with the woman kneeling astride him, facing his feet. She controls the movements by pushing up and down.
Both partners' hands are free to touch and stroke each other. This is another great one for really deep penetration.
7. Doggy style
Doggy style is an absolute classic and, like it or loathe it, it's a great option for the third trimester, when your bump can get in the way.
She's on all fours. In order to hold her balance, the woman can shift her weight off her hands back towards her partner and – bump allowing – use a rocking motion to get the rhythm she wants.
The man kneels directly behind her and holds her hips firmly to control the thrusts.
8. The hinge
This might take a bit of negotiation when heavily pregnant, but if you can manage it the hinge sex position is a good one, as it allows depth control.
The man kneels up, leaning backwards and using one arm to support himself. The woman is also on her knees facing away from him in the doggy style position.
She straddles him, leaning forwards onto her elbows and thrusting herself backwards onto him. He can use his spare hand to caress and tease.
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9. The spider
The man sits with his legs out in front of him, leaning back on his hands, which are stretched out behind him.
The woman sits astride him, facing him, and rocks her pelvis, taking her weight on her arms and legs.
10. The rider
In the rider sex position, the woman kneels astride her partner but with her back to him – a bit like reverse cowgirl, but she leans forward to balance herself on his knees.
He holds her waist and thrusts upwards, while she slides up and down on top of him like a 'bucking bronco'.
The woman's hands are free to play with her partner's scrotum, while his are perfectly placed to caress her bottom. Ooh la la!
What real parents say: the pros
Wondering what works for real parents? We've scoured the Netmums forum to bring you these real-life stories from parents who believe that sex did help to kickstart labour:
'It definitely worked for me! I was 1 day overdue and we decided to give it a go, it was very uncomfy but I told OH to just 'go for it but be quick' lol. I went into labour the following morning and Jack was born the night after that'
- Cla27ppk
'we dtd Friday night and started contracting couple of hours later i had contractions from 1 am to 7 am which were bearable and regular and then out of nowhere disappeared! so I made hubby do it again at lunch and after an hour I was in full blown labour!! So if it doesn't work straight away try again lol'
- Samiyah K
'It worked with my 1st but didn't work with 2nd or 3rd. No harm in trying it thats for sure.'
- Jul38wdr
'We did it the only way we could, which was the spooning position. It did work for us, finished doing the naughty at 11.45pm and at midnight my contractions started, by 9am i had my boy in my arms. However i was a week overdue and think he was nearly ready anyway, i think it would have happened over the next couple of days, but we just helped it along a bit. I think if baby isn't ready nothing will work.'
- Ele53shv
What real parents say: the cons
Unfortunately, having sex to induce labour doesn't work for everyone. Here are some stories from members of our forum who haven't had much luck:
'I tried it when I was pg with DS1 when I was over-due but nothing would budge him because he just wasn't ready. Spoons was the only comfy way too.'
- Sio98bpx
'I tried sex with both of mine, every other day or every couple of days from 37-38 weeks and they were 13 and 14 days over.... so I don't think it works.'
- Luc35phk
'I once got told by a midwife... it wasn't the actually sex that helped.. it was the laughter trying to do it.... maybe the most awkward position you can think off......'
- Ixzo30psg
'Sex didnt work with me, About an hour and a half walk did though! was in labour pretty much the next day but wasn't established until the morning after.'
- Aoi68rka
'Me & hubby did this with first, ruptured my waters which just trickled throughout the day, ended up being induced with complications as wasn't contracting after 24 hours. Now pregnant with 2nd and won't be trying anything to induce labour.'
- Sha05rip
When you shouldn't have sex during pregnancy
According to the NHS, it's perfectly safe for most people to have sex at any point in their pregnancy; right up until your waters break!
However, it's best to avoid sex during late pregnancy, or check with your GP first, if:
- you've experienced heavy bleeding during your pregnancy
- your waters have broken
- there are any problems with your cervix
- you're having twins or more
- you've given birth prematurely in the past
If you're in any doubt, have a word with your midwife. If you can't have sex, don't worry; there are plenty of other ways to try to kickstart labour...
More ...
If you're still thinking about things you could do to bring on labour, try these:
