The last stages of pregnancy can be pretty awful. Many women want to do anything they can to speed things up, particularly if they’re past their due date anyway. There are plenty of rumors about foods that induce labor, but which ones actually work?
Well, first thing, it’s best to wait until you’re at least 39 weeks along to try anything that might induce labor. Before that point, the baby may not be developed enough.
It’s also important to talk to your pregnancy healthcare provider before trying any of these approaches. After all, starting labor too early can be harmful. Some foods and techniques for inducing labor could also be risky for some pregnancies.
Also, none of these foods are magic solutions. Most of them haven’t even been studied all that much – so researchers don’t know exactly which ones work or for whom. You might even need to try a selection of these foods in the same day to see any effect.
Which Foods Induce Labor?
Spicy Foods
Spicy foods are often the first step if you’re trying to induce labor early (they’re certainly the most famous approach). Pregnant women sometimes even douse meals in hot sauce to try and get the right effect.
And, spicy foods will certainly have an effect, just perhaps not the one you’re looking for. In particular, spicy foods tend to irritate the intestines, which can lead to gastrointestinal side effects and heartburn.
Those side effects aren’t any fun at all. You’ve probably had more than enough of these throughout your pregnancy.
There is still a chance that the spicy food does also lead to increased uterine contractions. However, this is mostly relevant once labor has started rather than for inducing labor.
It’s actually good that spicy food isn’t powerful for starting labor. Otherwise you’d need to avoid spicy food for most of your pregnancy, which could seriously suck.
Pineapple
Pineapple is fresh and delicious, and often features in dishes meant to help with labor. The main reason is bromelain which is an enzyme mixture that has some unusual properties.
Bromelain isn’t found in many other places, so it’s not surprising that people have latched onto the idea that pineapple might help with labor. So, does it? While theories suggest that bromelain could soften the cervix and potentially trigger contractions, but such effects haven’t been proven at all.
Still, pineapple is healthy and a decent source of antioxidants, so eating it isn’t going to cause any harm.
That said, some recommendations suggest that you need a whole pineapple or even more to have any chance of an effect. Pineapple is very acidic, so eating this much could easily cause stomach pain or other issues. It’s best to pay attention to your body and stop the moment you feel uncomfortable.
Prunes
Prunes get things going, but like spicy foods, they won’t necessarily help with labor. They’re more likely to relieve constipation instead.
Still, unlike spicy foods, prunes probably won’t give you side effects like heartburn, so there’s little risk in eating them. The fiber in prunes offers plenty of health benefits anyway.
And, like most of these foods, there’s always the chance that prunes help. Some people certainly swear by them. You might find yourself eating prunes anyway to help with constipation.
If you don’t enjoy prunes on their own, try dipping them in peanut butter. You could even sprinkle sea salt on them to create a decadent treat.
Dates
Dates and prunes have plenty in common. They’re both dried fruits that offer a decent amount of fiber and can help with constipation.
A little research has linked dates to better cervical dilation, but that mostly happens during labor. So, the odds of kickstarting labor with dates is pretty slim.
There’s no harm in experimenting anyway, just be cautious about how quickly you increase your fiber intake. Dramatically increasing fiber intake can easil lead to stomach cramps and other undesirable side effects.
Eggplant
For some reason, eggplant has become strongly associated with promoting labor as well. There’s no known reason for why this might be and little research into the link between eggplant and labor.
Even if the vegetable has no effect on your labor timing at all, it’s certainly healthy. It’s also a delicious ingredient, so why not eat eggplant a little more often?
Castor Oil
Castor oil is sometimes recommended for labor induction, largely because it stimulates the bowels. This means it could theoretically lead to increased uterine contractions. However, as we’ve seen with prunes and dates, stimulation of the bowels doesn’t necessarily lead to labor.
Reports from the delivery room highlight another crucial consideration – regardless of whether castor oil helps with labor or not, stimulating the bowels is likely to lead to diarrhea, perhaps even explosive diarrhea. Having this while delivering a baby would be beyond awful.
That risk is why many people say even if castor oil did work, it’s not worth trying. Some brands of castor oil aren’t even safe to consume anyway.
Famous Pregnancy Dishes
Some restaurants have their own famous dishes that are meant to induce labor, such as The Inducer pizza from Hawthorne’s NY Pizza & Bar. More than 450 babies have been linked to this particular pizza. The Inducer is a spicy pizza, which could be the reason that it’s often associated with inducing labor.
But, the link isn’t always that obvious. Some popular labor-inducing dishes don’t contain any ingredients that seem like they should help.
There may be something going on that we don’t yet know. Or, perhaps it’s just word of mouth and positive thinking. Still, even if specialty labor-inducing dishes don’t actually lead to labor at all, they should be delicious.
Other Things That Might Bring On Labor
Food isn’t the only area to think about. Some other approaches might induce labor as well.
Sex
The idea of sex to induce labor isn’t a fairy tale. It really might work. One reason is that orgasms cause a release of oxytocin and that hormone has a direct role in uterine contractions.
The second reason is that semen has a compound that can help to ripen cervix. This isn’t enough to induce labor on its own, but might be relevant if you’re trying other approaches too.
The first effect means that masturbation could be helpful for inducing labor too. Self-pleasure will still give you a hit of oxytocin and is particularly relevant if you’re single and pregnant.
Nipple Stimulation
Nipple stimulation is commonly recommended to induce labor and one of the few approaches that actually has some scientific backing. You need to stimulate the nipples every day and even then it may take three to four days for you to see results.
The approach works by increasing levels of oxytocin, which leads to increases in the hormones that promote labor. Of course, the practice isn’t effective for everyone. Some people even stimulate their nipples for a week or more without any avail.
Even when nipple stimulation produces results, it doesn’t always lead to true labor. Sometimes it simply promotes contractions that quickly dissipate. Still, there’s more support behind this approach than any of the foods we’ve talked about.
Some people also use a breast pump to induce labor. This is meant to have a similar effect as manually stimulating the nipples and is effective for some people.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture has also been studied as a way to induce labor, although the evidence isn’t as strong as for nipple stimulation. It’s crucial to your OB/GYN before taking this approach. Also make sure the practitioner has been trained in approaches that are specific to labor induction.
Talking to professionals beforehand really is important, as there are risks to inducing labor early, both for the mother and the baby.
Walking
Walking is always a good idea during pregnancy, as it helps to keep you active. The practice is particularly relevant for labor, as it relaxes the joints in the pelvis.
Lunges can be even more effective because of how they tilt your pelvis. They’re also a fairly low intensity type of exercise, making them viable in the late stages of pregnancy.
Curb walking is often discussed as well. This involves having one foot up on the curb and the other on the street, then walking along in this manner. As with lunges, the angle here can help with your pelvis and could promote labor. Just watch your feet, as you don’t want to trip and fall.
Home Remedies To Avoid
There are some famous ways to induce labor that we’ve avoided so far because they’re actually not a good idea.
One of these is licorice root, which includes licorice root tea. While the root is often used as an herbal remedy, it is concerning in some situations. Consuming too much licorice root may even lead to health issues for the baby.
Raspberry leaf tea is another to watch out for. The tea hasn’t been linked to health issues in the same way as licorice root, but there are still concerns that it mightn’t be safe. The same is true for raspberry leaf tablets.
In fact, it’s worth being cautious about herbal tea in general. While these teas may offer a whole host of health benefits, some of their compounds can cause side effects as well.
It’s also important to consult with your doctor about any foods and home remedies you’re considering. Some may be fine for other people and risky for your pregnancy, while others might be a bad idea in general.
Can Foods Really Induce Labor?
While home remedies for inducing labor are popular, there’s little evidence for any of them. Some have no effect at all, while others have tiny effects, like helping to ripen the cervix or make labor a little shorter (but only once it has actually started).
You’re likely to need a combination of approaches to see any effect on labor. Even then, results are far from guaranteed. Honestly, this isn’t surprising. If your body isn’t ready to go into labor yet, there’s little you can do to push things along.
So, why do so many people swear by home remedies?
That effect is probably due to our ongoing habit of looking for patterns. For example, if someone had a big spicy dinner and then naturally went into labor, they’d probably assume that the spicy meal led to labor. This doesn’t need to happen many times before the story starts and then everyone is looking out for associations.
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