If you're near the end of your pregnancy but haven't yet reached your due date, you may be interested in herbs or foods that can induce labor. Most women are quite uncomfortable as they approach their 40th week of pregnancy, making labor inducers quite popular. Unfortunately, there's no herb or food--ginger included--known to induce labor.
Labor Induction
While most of the physiological processes involved in conception, pregnancy, labor and delivery are well understood, there's still some question as to what event or events actually precipitate labor. Many midwives and practitioners of alternative medicine suggest that certain herbs--evening primrose, for instance, or red raspberry leaf tea--can induce labor. However, as of 2011 there's no scientific evidence to support any of these claims, and even medications that are designed to induce labor can sometimes take several days to work.
Ginger
Ginger does have a reputation as an herb recommended in and used during pregnancy, but not because it induces labor. Actually, ginger is recommended to treat morning sickness, explains the American Pregnancy Association. More than half of all pregnant women will experience nausea at some point during their pregnancy--generally early on, and generally when they have low blood sugar--and ginger is a natural remedy that allows treatment of symptoms without using drugs.
Safety
Even though ginger doesn't have a reputation as a labor-inducing herb, there are other herbs with such a reputation. However, they may not be safe for use during pregnancy, as there are no studies proving the safety of any herbs that claim to induce labor. Furthermore, herbs are regulated differently in the U.S. than pharmaceuticals and food. Food-grade herbs like ginger, however, are considered safe in moderate quantities.
Induction Dangers
While it's tempting to want to induce labor as you approach the end of your pregnancy--particularly because the medical community considers 37 weeks of gestation "full term"--there are good reasons to wait for your body to go into labor naturally. Early delivery of babies--even by just a few weeks--increases your baby's risk of health problems, explains a 2011 article by Katherine Hobson in "The Wall Street Journal."
