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Magic foods for labor

plumpousplumpous member
in July 2017 Moms
This was mentioned in the UO but also has been on my mind. I typically stay away from anecdotal advice and I hear so many theories on eating certain foods before giving birth.

So, what's your yay or nay? 

I heard about raspberry leaf tea and medjoul dates. They say drinking/eating them the weeks leading to birth cab help strengthen the uterus and can reduce the risk for intervention and even reduce pain. I did drink the tea last time and had very manageable pain and short L&D, but who knows! My thinking was that it tastes good and if there's a chance it helps, why not. 

Is anyone else going to consume these so called magical foods to help ease labor? Or does anyone know of actual evidence supporting it? I read about it and seems like they do contain vitamins and minerals that are good for it, but it's very hard to know if it makes a difference or not. 

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Re: Magic foods for labor

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  • SaphireSweetie88SaphireSweetie88 member
    plumpous said:
    This was mentioned in the UO but also has been on my mind. I typically stay away from anecdotal advice and I hear so many theories on eating certain foods before giving birth.

    So, what's your yay or nay? 

    I heard about raspberry leaf tea and medjoul dates. They say drinking/eating them the weeks leading to birth cab help strengthen the uterus and can reduce the risk for intervention and even reduce pain. I did drink the tea last time and had very manageable pain and short L&D, but who knows! My thinking was that it tastes good and if there's a chance it helps, why not. 

    Is anyone else going to consume these so called magical foods to help ease labor? Or does anyone know of actual evidence supporting it? I read about it and seems like they do contain vitamins and minerals that are good for it, but it's very hard to know if it makes a difference or not. 

    QFP

    .... but you're asking people for their advice / opinions/ etc?? (in reference to the bold)

    Me:35 | DH: 32
    Married: 06-2024
    TTC #1: Since November 2015
    Restarted TTC "count" Oct. 2016
         due to previous issues.
    ***TW***
    BFP: 11/4/2016 
    BFP: 07/17/2024
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  • PurplePoppy424PurplePoppy424 member
    Ironically this is posted after being mentioned in the UO thread and while we have a quiet time on this board.......
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  • BusyZeeBusyZee member
    To answer your question, il eat whatever I feel like eating. I love dates, and if it's supposed to bring on labor then might aswell see if it works. I love teas aswell so il probably OD on that one too. But if someone suggested me something I don't like to eat, I wouldn't bother. And I wouldn't suggest castor oil because I know someone who tried it. 
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  • karissa0307karissa0307 member
    My midwives gave me a list of things to try to start labor. Walking, sex, dates, pineapple, raspberry leaf tea, castor oil, acupuncture, chiropractor and many more. I tried all of it, starting at 37 weeks. Baby came when he was ready, I'm not convinced any of it worked. 
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  • LoveLee85LoveLee85 member
    karissa0307 said:
    My midwives gave me a list of things to try to start labor. Walking, sex, dates, pineapple, raspberry leaf tea, castor oil, acupuncture, chiropractor and many more. I tried all of it, starting at 37 weeks. Baby came when he was ready, I'm not convinced any of it worked. 
    Wow, I'm surprised your midwives suggested castor oil?!?! My OBGYN told me early on it won't work and you just make yourself miserable with what it does to you. FYI I didn't ask him, he just debunks the theory because people end up in the ER 9 months pregnant and severely dehydrated/sick. Not fun. 
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  • stokesm21stokesm21 member
    I think it's so slow on this board that people are seeing drama where it doesn't exist but anyways ...

    This article links to some studies but she states that they clearly contradict each other:
    https://www.mamanatural.com/red-raspberry-leaf-tea/  

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11370690
    • This one in particular she said, "Score one for the Mama team!" but if you look at the version of it that I've sourced here, the conclusion clearly says, "Suggestions for further research are offered."  Not only this, how do they know that the RLT was the only factor that resulted in these conclusions?  Did they monitor these women their entire pregnancies?  (I honestly didn't read the studies haha!) 
    Others: 
    https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-309-red raspberry.aspx?activeingredientid=309&activeingredientname=red raspberry

    https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/herbal-tea/  
    • This mentions, "medical studies have shown ..." but doesn't link those studies.  The sources linked at the bottom of the page use midwifery a lot, hence not actual scientific research.  
    https://thepregnantscientist.com/tag/raspberry-leaf-tea/  
    • This scientist seems to link to a bunch of studies and she states that it's recommended in the midwife community but not really anywhere else which leads me to ... 

    On all the forums I read most women stated that they were drinking RLT as advised by their midwife but the ones that mentioned their OB were told not to take it.  While RLT is more of a holistic approach, midwives aren't Dr's.  I guess maybe I just don't understand it.  Your body was designed to grow, labour and birth a child. It knows what it's doing.  At the end of all this what I've found is that the results are inconclusive.  And that's not enough to make me waste my money personally.     
    Me: 29 ~ DH: 31 ~ SS: 12
    Met: 08/2001 ~ Dating: 07/2004 ~ Engaged: 11/2009 ~ Married: 06/2011
    TTC: Since 09/16 ~ BFP 10/28/16 ~ EDD 7/5/17
    Team Pink * Canadian Bumpie
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  • karissa0307karissa0307 member
    LoveLee85 said:
    karissa0307 said:
    My midwives gave me a list of things to try to start labor. Walking, sex, dates, pineapple, raspberry leaf tea, castor oil, acupuncture, chiropractor and many more. I tried all of it, starting at 37 weeks. Baby came when he was ready, I'm not convinced any of it worked. 
    Wow, I'm surprised your midwives suggested castor oil?!?! My OBGYN told me early on it won't work and you just make yourself miserable with what it does to you. FYI I didn't ask him, he just debunks the theory because people end up in the ER 9 months pregnant and severely dehydrated/sick. Not fun. 
    My midwives and OB they work with said ok to it, as long as I was 40 weeks. I took it and was in labor 3 hours later. It didn't make me vomit or poop & I don't think that's what put me in labor. Of course it's controversial, just take the advice of your doctors & not some randoms on the internet. 
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  • JmUDuuuukes 07JmUDuuuukes 07 member
    edited May 2017
    I tried sex. It didn't work. I tried eggplant parm. It didn't work. I drove over rr tracks, nada. It's all bs. Baby comes when baby is ready. Relax. Plenty of time...

    Eta:I hate autocorrect on this site.
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  • stokesm21stokesm21 member
    I too have read that castor oil is pretty controversial.  Again, your body will labour when it's good and ready.  I considered not getting induced even if I go past the maximum 10 days (the policy here) until I looked up the research and read that the risks of stillbirth (and risks in general) are increased.  After 10, I'll allow them to do whatever they need to to get her out but I won't try anything before that specifically for the reason of inducing labour.  (That means, if I want to have sex, I'll have sex!  But not because I'm trying to induce labour haha!  I also feel like I've gone off topic but anyways ...!)   
    Me: 29 ~ DH: 31 ~ SS: 12
    Met: 08/2001 ~ Dating: 07/2004 ~ Engaged: 11/2009 ~ Married: 06/2011
    TTC: Since 09/16 ~ BFP 10/28/16 ~ EDD 7/5/17
    Team Pink * Canadian Bumpie
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  • PurplePoppy424PurplePoppy424 member
    edited May 2017
    **Removed for TOU violation**
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  • alcrimminsalcrimmins member
    I tried RLT with dd and I don't think it helped. I tried dates but couldn't stomach them. 

    I will say though that I will avoid Mexican food beginning at 39 weeks. I know what it does to my body  :# 
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  • BabyBump2BabyBump2 member
    Sooo...then you just feed to her drama starting by making comments that are unnecessary. You don't like the thread? Don't look. 
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  • nononormannononorman member
    Finally some action on here today
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  • BabyBump2BabyBump2 member
    rae1-3 said:
    BabyBump2 said:
    Sooo...then you just feed to her drama starting by making comments that are unnecessary. You don't like the thread? Don't look. 
    Image result for i do what i want
    We all already know this. Not news. 
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  • longhairdntcarelonghairdntcare member
    edited May 2017
    @babybump2 - Food can't start labor. Also not news. 

    eta - unless it happens to be laced with pitocin. 
    Babysizer Cravings Pregnancy Tracker
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  • BabyBump2BabyBump2 member
    rae1-3 said:
    @babybump2 - Food can't start labor. Also not news. 
    No shit. I never said it did lmao. 

    I'm not starting arguments with anyone here, because it's beyond useless. 
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  • PurplePoppy424PurplePoppy424 member
    Holy shit! We hit the trifecta! 
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  • longhairdntcarelonghairdntcare member
    hyperangel_8509 said:
    At least she's trying to make conversation on a board that seems dead half the time with all the rules and lurkers too scared to post or comment for fear of being flamed, and the rest too scared to comment in case their comments are considered starting drama and being shunned from the PG-to-FB group forever.

    FYI, my old TB days with my first, anyone who wanted to migrate to the FB group did, no PG elite admins fielding applications required. And save for a few crazies (just them being crazy in their real lives, not anything cat-fish or identity-theft kind of crazy), our group is now 5 years strong with no issues or drama. Imagine that. 
    The problem with this methodology is that if people don't comment and interact and we don't 'get to know them' here on the main board, how are we supposed to know if they are a catfish or want to steal our identities?

    Nobody has been denied to the PG simply because people don't like them. 
    Babysizer Cravings Pregnancy Tracker
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  • PurplePoppy424PurplePoppy424 member
    hyperangel_8509 said:
    At least she's trying to make conversation on a board that seems dead half the time with all the rules and lurkers too scared to post or comment for fear of being flamed, and the rest too scared to comment in case their comments are considered starting drama and being shunned from the PG-to-FB group forever.

    FYI, my old TB days with my first, anyone who wanted to migrate to the FB group did, no PG elite admins fielding applications required. And save for a few crazies (just them being crazy in their real lives, not anything cat-fish or identity-theft kind of crazy), our group is now 5 years strong with no issues or drama. Imagine that. 
    This is a completely unfair statement. That has NEVER been the case with the PG. If someone has been "denied," it has solely been because of former/current drama centering around them or lack of participation in the main board. 
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  • LoveLee85LoveLee85 member
    edited May 2017
    karissa0307 said:
    LoveLee85 said:
    karissa0307 said:
    My midwives gave me a list of things to try to start labor. Walking, sex, dates, pineapple, raspberry leaf tea, castor oil, acupuncture, chiropractor and many more. I tried all of it, starting at 37 weeks. Baby came when he was ready, I'm not convinced any of it worked. 
    Wow, I'm surprised your midwives suggested castor oil?!?! My OBGYN told me early on it won't work and you just make yourself miserable with what it does to you. FYI I didn't ask him, he just debunks the theory because people end up in the ER 9 months pregnant and severely dehydrated/sick. Not fun. 
    My midwives and OB they work with said ok to it, as long as I was 40 weeks. I took it and was in labor 3 hours later. It didn't make me vomit or poop & I don't think that's what put me in labor. Of course it's controversial, just  take the advice of your doctors & not some randoms on the internet. 
    Oh I'm taking no advice from random internet strangers, but thank you. 

    Eta: this wasn't a dramatic response. Lol. I was just surprised to hear someone recommend it knowing what it can do. I guess I got lucky because I never reached that point of miserable and needing to try things with my first, and he was born in week 39. 
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  • mslynn2012mslynn2012 member
    BabyBump2 said:
    Sooo...then you just feed to her drama starting by making comments that are unnecessary. You don't like the thread? Don't look. 
    And what exactly, have you added to the thread?



    As far as the pineapple, RRLT, sex, etc to start labor, I did it with both kiddos, about a week prior to my EDD and with both I went early. Coincidence? Could be. Will I do it again? Can't hurt!
    married 7.18.12   DS1 4.29.13   EDD 11.23.14

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    my happy boy

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  • mrsla0512mrsla0512 member
    This topic was addressed in the UO, so basically this thread is pointless and OP likes to start debates without coming back to defend herself. 

    And please answer the question @plumpous. Are edibles approved, we'd like to know.
     
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    This thread has been closed to new posts due to the discussion’s unwelcoming tone. Continuing to create threads related to this topic will be grounds for warning and/or removal from The Bump Community.

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