Isn’t it great when the simplest and cheapest solution turns out to be the most effective? Like when basic natural ingredients make the best laundry detergent, or when kids have endless fun with something as simple as a cardboard box or a mixing bowl and spoon instead of pricey toys?
Recently, I came across a study that supports an old tale suggesting that eating dates might naturally shorten labor and reduce the need for induction. Sounds too good to be true, right? I thought so too and dismissed the idea at first, partly because I found dates too sweet for my liking. However, there’s now some scientific evidence and many women’s personal experiences backing up the potential of dates to speed up labor and improve outcomes.
The study from 2011, published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, compared two groups of women: those who ate six dates a day during the last four weeks of pregnancy and those who didn’t. The results were quite interesting.
In my informal survey of friends and readers, those who ate dates later in pregnancy indeed experienced shorter labors. Some friends even craved dates and had labor lasting less than two hours! One friend, Genevieve, ate dates in her final month and had a shorter labor, and many women shared similar stories on her blog post.
I’m used to having labors that stretch over 24 hours, so this caught my attention, sweet tooth or not. The study particularly interested me because it highlighted that the early stage of labor was significantly shorter for women who consumed dates compared to those who didn’t. On average, the first stage of labor lasted 8.5 hours for women who ate dates, whereas it was 15.1 hours for those who didn’t. While 8.5 hours beats my usual over 24-hour experience, I’d take either improvement gladly!
The study authors concluded that eating dates in the last four weeks of pregnancy reduced the need for induction and labor augmentation, leading to better, though not significantly better, delivery outcomes.
After reading the study and hearing about these women’s experiences, I’ve decided to try dates this time around. I plan to start eating 4-6 dates a day around 35 weeks, aiming for the magic number of six from the study. Since I’m not fond of eating dates on their own, I’ll mix them into chia seed energy bars or blend them with homemade almond milk.
Alongside this, I’ll continue drinking red raspberry leaf tea and stay active with walking and squatting to prep my body for labor. I’ll let you all know in February if my labor is shorter this time. Have you ever tried this? Did it work for you? Please share your experience below!
