For potentially easier labor, studies suggest eating 6 to 8 dates a day (about 70-80g, or 3-4 large Medjool dates) starting around 36-37 weeks of pregnancy, which may lead to shorter first stages, better cervical ripening, and less need for induction drugs like oxytocin, though more research is needed. Always check with your healthcare provider first, especially if you have gestational diabetes.
Pregnancy: Around 36 to 37 weeks, research suggests that 5 to 7 dates per day may support your body's natural readiness for labor. Postpartum: You can continue eating 2 to 4 dates daily as part of a balanced diet to help replenish energy and nutrients.
Prostaglandins can help ripen the cervix, stimulate contractions, induce labor, and accelerate delivery. As a bonus, dates are a fantastic source of fiber and antioxidants! The recommended serving of dates is six dates per day.
How to Dilate Your Cervix Faster
Things you'll want to get done before you go into labour
Some of the signs of cervical effacement may include:
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Drinking raspberry leaf tea
If you're going to try it, you should take it in the weeks leading up to your due date and slowly increase the amount. Although many people try raspberry leaf, experts are still unsure whether it works, or even how safe it is in pregnancy.
Results: There was a significant positive effect of consuming date fruits on maternal outcomes in the first and third stages of labor. The group of pregnant women who consumed dates had a shortened latent phase of labor, which meant that their cervix reached maximum dilation (10 cm) faster.
Eating dates while pregnant can bring several possible gains in getting the body ready for labor and providing good nutrients. Eating 6 to 7 dates a day starting at 36 weeks might help with quicker labor, better cervical opening, and an improved birthing experience overall.
From what I've researched, it's recommended to start eating more dates at week 36 of your pregnancy. Any kind of date is fine, just make sure you're eating 70-80 grams to make a difference. 70-80 grams is about three medjool dates or six deglet noor dates, which are smaller.
Benefits of Consuming Medjool Dates During Pregnancy
Regular consumption can promote the secretion of oxytocin, which induces labor. Besides that, it helps reduce the risk of Postpartum hemorrhage.
The group of pregnant women who consumed dates had a shortened latent phase of labor, which meant that their cervix reached maximum dilation (10 cm) faster. Pregnant women in this group gave birth 8.5 hours faster than pregnant women who did not consume dates, whose labor lasted about 15 hours.
In this blog, I review the evidence and common foods that women use to help induce labour.
Other small studies show that dates can modestly reduce the duration of early stages of labor and decrease the need for medical augmentation of labor with Pitocin, without adverse outcomes to mom or baby. The recommendation is around 80 grams of dates daily which is roughly equal to 3-4 medjool dates or 5-6 red dates.
Most babies born from 37 weeks of pregnancy weigh between 2.5kg and 4kg.
Try not to tilt your pelvis forward or backward, and avoid lifting or carrying heavy or bulky items. Contractions. At 37 weeks pregnant, you could start to feel contractions that you might recognize as being similar to menstrual cramping.
But if your baby will be larger than average, it will be perceived as “closer to done” when the ultrasound is done, and your due date will be moved up (incorrectly). The reverse is also true for babies that will be smaller than average at term—their due date might be moved to a later date.
Because infants born at 37 weeks are at risk for complications due to incomplete organ development, they may require treatment in a NICU. However, their NICU admission rate is lower compared to preterm infants.
For most women, labor begins sometime between week 37 and week 42 of pregnancy. Labor that occurs before 37 weeks of pregnancy is considered premature, or preterm.
You're in the ninth month of pregnancy and the third trimester. The countdown continues: you've got 3 weeks to go!