There are multiple studies which suggest eating around 6 dates from 36
weeks of pregnancy can help you achieve an easier birth. Although these studies are small, they’re all in agreement that dates might be a good tool to have in your birth toolkit.
In fact, eating dates in pregnancy can help your labour by:
- Ripening and dilating the cervix. Women who ate dates in pregnancy had a higher Bishop score and generally entered hospital with their cervix more dilated than those that didn’t.
- Shortening the early phase of labour. Those that ate dates statistically had a much shorter latent phase of labour.
- Reducing induction. There was a significant reduction in induction of labour rates in the group who ate dates.
- Reducing augmentation of labour. Eating dates in pregnancy can significantly reduce the need for artificial oxytocin use to speed labour up.
- Increasing VBAC rates. Women who are planning a vaginal birth after caesarean are more likely to achieve it if they eat dates during pregnancy.
- Reducing postpartum blood loss. People who ate dates during pregnancy lost less blood post birth compared to those who didn’t.
The studies suggest that dates may affect oxytocin receptors, making them more successful. As a result, this means more effective contractions and the cervix better prepared for labour. Put simply, dates may help your body work more efficiently during birth.
Not only that, but dates contain dietary fibre and sorbitol. Together these help you poop – and the only thing more dramatic than giving birth is having the postnatal poo!
