True or False: Do these old-fashioned methods to induce labor actually work?

You've reached the end of these 9 long months of pregnancy, the baby’s little room is ready, and your hospital bag is packed… and the last few days you're living through seem to last an eternity…
So this morning, you woke up with the idea of finding a way to induce labor.
Good news: search engines are full of ideas, the most varied (and outlandish) methods to induce labor.
Bad news: you'll have to sift through all these old wives' tales…
So, true or false? Let’s go over it with you.

1. Driving on a cobblestone road
   The vibrations from the cobblestones would help the baby move more easily down the cervix, and the movements would encourage contractions.
   FALSE: It’s not specifically recommended to take risks in a car at 9 months pregnant… Safety first, for both you and your baby!

2. Doing housework
   Cleaning windows and vacuuming would help pregnant women give birth faster, especially if you raise your arms!
   FALSE: It's the imminent approach of labor that makes expectant mothers want to clean (the "nesting" instinct), not the other way around!

3. Exercising to induce labor
   Climbing stairs, walking 10 kilometers, dancing... Physical activity puts pressure on the uterus and helps the baby engage in the pelvis. Plus, it will clear your mind and keep you in shape.
   TRUE: Physical activity could help speed up labor… However, be cautious: you'll need all your strength to give birth, so keep some energy for later!

4. Massaging the nipples
   When the nipples are stimulated, our body releases oxytocin, the hormone that triggers labor.
   FALSE: The amount of oxytocin produced by a small breast massage is minimal compared to what a pregnant woman’s body would need to give birth.

5. Acupuncture
   This traditional Chinese alternative medicine may help trigger labor.
   TRUE: Certain acupuncture points can help open the cervix and increase the effectiveness of contractions. This practice may even be offered in some delivery rooms in certain hospitals.

6. Membrane stripping
   This method is typically performed by a gynecologist or midwife. It involves inserting fingers into the vagina to detach the membranes of the uterus that are against the cervix.
   TRUE: As the membranes separate, they release hormones that will trigger uterine contractions. This method may even be offered in some maternity wards to speed up labor.

7. Having sex
   To combine the useful with the pleasant, why not try the famous "Italian method"? Semen contains a hormone (prostaglandin) that supposedly triggers uterine contractions.
   FALSE: Just like nipple massage, the amount of hormones generated by sexual intercourse is not enough to induce labor…

8. Eating spicy food
   It would stimulate the digestive system and trigger the start of labor on its own.
   FALSE: It’s the beginning of labor that may speed up digestion (due to hormones), not the other way around.

9. Consuming laxative foods
   Raspberry leaf tea, pineapple, or castor oil... Their laxative properties would stimulate the intestines, and in turn, the uterus.
   FALSE: And by the way, be cautious—if labor does actually start, you definitely wouldn’t want to head into the delivery room with a serious case of diarrhea…

Just a little more patience! You’ll soon have the immense joy of holding your little one in your arms, and all these endless moments will quickly be forgotten!