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Health

Sorry, having sex won't start labour – but rubbing your nipples might

By Helen Thomson

30 October 2019

Pregnant woman and man in bed

It’s not going to help

PeopleImages/Getty

Sex got you into this – can it get you out? Many heavily pregnant women turn to a number of methods in an attempt to start labour, including having sex. The bad news is that it doesn’t work.

Almost . The most common thing to try is a long walk, followed by having sex, ingesting spicy food and nipple stimulation.

There is good reason to assume that sex might get things going: sperm contains prostaglandins – chemicals that doctors use to induce labour.…

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