How Kate can end the great baby wait: Pineapples. Housework. Cuddles with Wills. As she goes five days overdue...  

  • The Duchess of Cambridge is believed to be five days overdue giving birth
  • Prince George also failed to arrive on time and was born three days late 
  • Midwives have given their top tips on how the Duchess can induce labour  

By Sarah Rainey For Daily Mail

Published: 17:57 EST, 27 April 2015 | Updated: 20:19 EST, 27 April 2015

The Duchess of Cambridge is believed to be overdue by five days as she had been due to give birth last Thursday 

The Duchess of Cambridge is believed to be overdue by five days as she had been due to give birth last Thursday 

So, the Great Kate Wait continues. As the crowds of well-wishers swell outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in London’s Paddington, anyone holding their breath for the arrival of royal 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 fruit 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 its 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.

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‘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.’

Eating pineapple is one of the methods described as helping to induce labour in expectant mothers, who are overdue 

Eating pineapple is one of the methods described as helping to induce labour in expectant mothers, who are overdue 

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 is 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 labour-inducer, 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.

Kate and William leave St Mary's Hospital in Paddington shortly after the birth of Prince George. One midwife suggests cleaning Kensington Palace could help induce labour 

Kate and William leave St Mary's Hospital in Paddington shortly after the birth of Prince George. One midwife suggests cleaning Kensington Palace could help induce labour 

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 a posterior position [back to back] 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

Blowing up balloons is an obscure way of inducing labour as it increases muscle contractions in the abdomen 

Blowing up balloons is an obscure way of inducing labour as it increases muscle contractions in the abdomen 

One of the more obscure ways to speed labour, blowing up balloons is said to increase 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 in mind if 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 in 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 thought 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.

The new royal baby's big brother Prince George was three days overdue when he was born on July 22, 2013 

The new royal baby's big brother Prince George was three days overdue when he was born on July 22, 2013 

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 found 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.

What's the longest it could be - and when will doctors step in? 

How is a due date set?

Developments in ultrasound technology mean that due dates can be predicted with greater accuracy than ever before.

A 12-week scan can now date a woman’s pregnancy by the size of the foetus. It’s this, explains obstetrician Professor Campbell, that gives the most accurate prediction of the due date.

‘You can tell virtually to the day how old a baby is at the 12-week scan. The earlier you do it, the more accurate the dating — if you scan at 20 weeks, this decreases accuracy by around ten days. Women want a date, so we give them an exact day at this 12-week stage. Then, later on in their pregnancy, we tell them it’s really a range, so the “due date” can be plus or minus a week.’

Kate and William with Prince George in a picture to mark his first birthday. It is thought their second child is now overdue 

Kate and William with Prince George in a picture to mark his first birthday. It is thought their second child is now overdue 

Why are babies late?

An average pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, but every mother — and baby — is different. No one knows exactly what causes a baby to be overdue, but labour tends to happen when the time is right.

‘Often, if a woman is late for her first pregnancy, she’ll be late for her second — and so on,’ says obstetrician Roshni Patel. ‘But there is something called “regression to the mean”, which means she may be late again for baby number two, but less so than she was for her first one.’

Other factors can lead to a baby being overdue. ‘The range of a “normal” pregnancy extends over five weeks,’ explains Elizabeth Duff, senior policy adviser at the National Childbirth Trust.

‘Significant factors for a longer pregnancy can include the mother being older, her weight being heavier and longer previous pregnancies.’

How overdue can a baby be?

According to official guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, a baby is officially ‘overdue’ when the pregnancy has lasted 42 weeks — two weeks longer than the normal gestational period. But some mothers carry babies for longer, and there are even stories of women whose pregnancies lasted up to ten months.

The Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, where the Duchess will give birth. The facility don't normally wait for more than a week before helping the baby along 

The Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, where the Duchess will give birth. The facility don't normally wait for more than a week before helping the baby along 

‘I’ve seen babies as late as 43 or 44 weeks,’ says obstetrician Professor Campbell. ‘But we start to worry about babies after the 40-week period. The placenta, which has worked so hard to feed the foetus, stops working as efficiently and the amniotic fluid goes down.

So the birth may become compromised. That doesn’t apply to everyone — a pregnancy could go to 44 weeks if the baby is safe and healthy.’

When do medics induce?

In England, one in every five babies is induced, so it’s an entirely normal process. The timing of this varies, depending on the health and preference of the mother and baby. Doctors traditionally waited until 42 weeks before artificially inducing labour, but it’s becoming more common to bring it on after 41 weeks. Indeed, obstetricians at the Lindo Wing, where Kate is due to give birth, don’t normally wait for more than a week before helping the baby along.

Sources say the hospital will have been in touch to arrange for her to go in and have a scan to make sure the baby is still thriving.

Royal fans have already started to gather outside the hospital, where the baby will be born in the coming days 

Royal fans have already started to gather outside the hospital, where the baby will be born in the coming days 

How do they speed things up?

At 41 weeks, an expectant mother may be offered a ‘membrane sweep’, which is an internal examination to stimulate the cervix into producing prostaglandins, the hormones that make the uterus contract and trigger a natural labour.

This also has a physical effect, loosening up the membranes around the cervix to help it expand for the birth.

At two weeks past the due date, women are brought into hospital and given a dose of synthetic hormones, which mimic the natural prostaglandins and oxytocin released during labour. Up to three doses of these hormones, in 2mg and then 1mg doses six to eight hours apart are given in the form of a pessary inserted into the vagina.

Many women don’t want inducement, preferring to wait for natural labour — but if this still isn’t triggered by any of these methods, an emergency Caesarean section may have to be carried out.