There?s no shortage of advice out there for how to have an easier labour, and when you?re sifting through the well-intentioned information on the internet, you may come across an interesting suggestion­­?eating dates during pregnancy. These sweet fruits have long been associated with healthy childbirth?the Quran names them as one of the best foods for moms-to-be?and some women believe that eating dates can induce labour.
So what does the science say"
While recent research concluded that snacking on dates doesn?t kick-start childbirth, it did find that eating the fruit might still have a positive impact on labour.
In 2017, the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology published a study out of Malaysia in which 77 women ate seven pieces of date (approximately 80 grams) a day starting in their 37th week of pregnancy. Researchers found that these women didn?t experience a faster onset of labour when compared to the 77 women in the study who didn?t eat any dates during their pregnancy. However, they were less likely to require intervention in the form of oxytocin, the hormone that induces and intensifies contractions. Only 37 percent of the date-eating moms needed oxytocin to help their labour progress while 50 per cent of the control group required it. Studies conducted in Iran and Jordan reached similar conclusions.
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