Please check with a healthcare provider before attempting any of these remedies. Your body and baby must be ready for labor before your cervix will ripen. Use of these remedies may encourage this.

• Take Evening Primrose Oil three times daily for up to two weeks. Some midwives vary on the length of time recommended--be sure to ask yours.

• Black Cohosh tincture, 10 drops under the tongue hourly, should help ripen the cervix in 3-4 hours. Continue until the cervix is soft and ripe.

• Nipple stimulation: Have someone else suck continually on your nipple or roll between your thumb and finger. You can also use a breast pump for this purpose. This may take several hours.