Eating Dates for Mums-to-Be

It’s not uncommon for many mums-to-be to eat spicy food or crave fruits during their labour, but did you know that there’s a sweet solution to having an easier birth through natural means like eating dates?

Dates come from date palms, which are commonly found in the Middle East. Small and wrinkled, they contain many nutrients that can help you during your birth. Potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc are just some of the minerals each date fruit contains. Also, according to the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, it has twenty-three types of amino acids, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, dietary fiber, and fourteen types of fatty acids.

But aside from their nutritional value, what else can dates offer mums-to-be? In our Hypnobirthing Home Study Course, you will learn how eating dates can bring you so many benefits that will make your birth easier, quicker, and more comfortable!

In 2011, a study was published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology that shows the results of an experiment where sixty-nine (69) ate dates everyday four weeks before their delivery date. These women had developed cervix dilation (3.52 cm) higher than those who didn’t eat the dates. Is this a good thing? Definitely! This means that giving birth will be easier for you when your cervix dilates and thins to accommodate your baby being birthed out into the world!

Also, those who ate dates were reported to have kept their membranes intact (around 80% of the women) compared to only 60% of those who did not eat dates. This means that expecting mothers who ate dates required less medical intervention and were on lesser risk of infection. Also, only a few of those who ate dates were given synthetic Oxytocin or Pitocin.

Spontaneous labour occurred in 96% of those who consumed dates. Also, only 13% of these women underwent a c-section to deliver their baby.

What’s more is that the first stage of labour was almost seven hours earlier than the women who didn’t eat dates. Another study also mentions how eating dates helped reduce chances of postpartum bleeding, compared to those who were given Pitocin. Dates, packed with calcium, serotonin, enzymes, and other nutrients can exponentially help decrease postpartum hemorrhage and can prevent anemia.

The studies are still new and few, but are optimistic and effective for expecting mums. Eating dates can help your birth to become more comfortable. It can also help if you need to get a quicker birth for medical or social reasons.

In fact, many women eat date fruits to induce labour. There are many reasons why you might be required to induce your labour. To learn more about induced labour and the use of natural methods for birthing, tune in to Hypnobirting Hub and our podcasts for more detailed information on having a comfortable and amazing birth.