Meghan Markle tried to twerk her baby out — and she might be onto something.
To mark Princess Lilibet’s fourth birthday, the Duchess of Sussex shared a never-before-seen video from the maternity ward, filmed before her daughter was born.
The clip, which some are calling cringeworthy, showed Meghan throwing it back to Baby Momma Dance by Starrkeisha, with Prince Harry bopping alongside. Just your average royal birth preparation.
She captioned the video: ‘Both of our children were a week past their due dates.. so when spicy food, all that walking and acupuncture didn’t work — there was only one thing left to do.’
With Lillibet arriving safely, the world can only assume Meghan’s rhythmic tactics worked.
We’ve all heard the same theories as Meghan, but every mum’s experience is different, and what works for some, definitely won’t for others.
So, can a last-minute boogie really get things moving? Metro asked Lesley Bland, lead midwife for education at My Expert Midwife, to share her thoughts on the most popular labour-inducing tricks — and how effective they are out of five.
Dancing: 5/5
Turns out Meghan’s dancing wasn’t so random after all. ‘If you are going to try anything, try a little boogie, shimmy, or a wiggle,’ says Lesley.
The midwife explains dancing — or similar exercise — can encourage the baby’s head to descend through the pelvis, which in turn puts pressure onto the cervix, which can start uterine contractions.’
However, she adds: ‘As always, there is no guarantee that your Lambada or Salsa will induce labour, but you might have fun doing it, which will release that incredible hormone of love, oxytocin, which in itself is associated with labour.’
Lesley advises giving it a try. ‘At best, your labour will kick in; at worst, you’ll have fun!
Walking: 4/5
Lesley says this is another method of encouraging labour that she can get on board with. ‘Adopting an upright mobile position can help to get the baby’s head down into the pelvis, which puts pressure onto the cervix and kickstarts early labour.’
She says gentle walking three to four times a week, and curb walking (where one foot is on the curb and one on the road) have been recommended.
‘Exercise in general can have positive effects on labour and recovery in the postnatal period,’ she adds. While it’s not guaranteed to induce labour, she suggests trying it to boost your mental health and general well-being too.
Having sex: 3/5
This is a commonly suggested way to induce labour, but is there any truth to it? Lesley says: ‘There have been some trials looking at sexual intercourse to induce labour, but the results are very spurious, and the conclusions are uncertain.
‘We know sperm contains prostaglandins, which are hormone-like substances that are used in the induction of labour to make the cervix more favourable.’ She adds that sex can also release the love hormone, oxytocin, which is associated with labour.
Is there any harm in trying it? Lesley says: ‘Some women find having sex at the end of the pregnancy really uncomfortable, while others enjoy the intimacy it brings with their partner before the sleepless nights.’
She adds that sex should always be avoided if you have a low-lying placenta, have experienced any vaginal bleeding or have an amniotic water shave broken. If you have been advised not to for any other reason by your healthcare team, you should also abstain.
Make sure to check with your midwife before testing
Becca Mascarenhas, Midwife at The Portland Hospital (part of HCA Healthcare), tells Metro: ‘Expectant mums are often keen to try natural ways to bring on labour, but it’s important to know which methods are based on evidence, and which ones are more of a myth.
‘It’s also important to speak to your midwife before trying any labour-inducing techniques. Every woman and every pregnancy is different, so personalised advice is key.
‘I would also add that we only ever recommend any of these techniques from 37 weeks pregnant to reduce the risk of pre-term labour.’
Eating spicy food: 1/5
Lesley says: ‘This one has done the rounds for years, and, to be honest, is probably one of the ones that I would be encouraging women not to try.’
Spicy food can cause a degree of irritation to the gastro system, which is more likely to cause diarrhoea than induce labour, according to Lesley.
‘If you enjoy spicy food, then there is no reason not to have it if you really fancy it, but as a midwife, I wouldn’t be using it as a means of inducing labour.’
Eating prunes: 1/5
Some suggest eating prunes for the same reason as eating spicy food.
Lesly says: ‘It’s more likely to give you loose bowels than induce labour, but if you fancy some then go for it.’
Drinking raspberry leaf tea: 2/5
Drinking raspberry leaf tea has been shared far and wide on social media as a natural remedy to induce labour. However, Lesley advises against it.
She explains: ‘Raspberry leaf tea helps to strengthen the smooth uterine muscle wall, which means that when contractions do start, they are more effective and efficient, helping labour to progress well.’
So, the fruity tea gets an extra point for helping during labour, but as Lesley says: ‘There is no evidence to support the theory that drinking it will actually induce labour, and as a midwife, I would not recommend this for that purpose.’
Castor Oil: 0/5
Lesley explains that the method of drinking castor oil was used in the past as an alternative method for inducing labour, even during the 20th Century.
She says: ‘As a registered midwife, I would strongly recommend not even giving it a go.
‘There has been some evidence that suggests castor oil can cause some uterine contractions, but if we are being honest about it, the effects are more likely to be an upset stomach and diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting than induction of labour.’
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