Someone please come and give me a massive slap of the reassuring sort

[CBear6]

I just ate a fair sized bag of black liquorice pieces. I know they're riddled with sugar but it was a one-off and anyway, they were bloody lovely and I enjoyed them (so there!).

I was texting with a friend and jokingly mentioned it and she was all "liquorice isn't allowed in pregnancy!" as supposedly it damages the placenta and can cause premature labour.

I would have thought it only applies if I was drinking bottles of pure liquorice essence or chewing those sticks they have at the chemist. I was eating those liquorice flyers (black liquorice with sherbet down the centre) but she's got me jittery.

The queue to give me a slap starts over there ....

oh really?? i never heard that, i had licorice a few times the last couple of weeks, had been craving it a bit. im sure it would need a huge amount to cause premature labour??? like people say for pineapples but it would need to be a massive quantity surely

I would have thought so too, surely if it started labour they'd give it out at the hospital!

My mums craving with me and both my sisters was liquorice...we are all fine.

why do "friends" insist on saying things like that?

Liquorice sweets are mostly sugar with only a small amount of the actual root anyhow (or it would taste horrid). Please don't worry I honestly think it is fine.

I know there is something about licorice, I think it may be more to do with mucking up hormones in early pregnancy, but my brain has gone rather hazy about it all sorry. I'm pretty sure that a one off indulgence won't cause you trouble.

PS next time you decide to break out the licorice, pass some my way.
(I was randomly thinking about licorice 2 nights ago, thinking yum, but isn't it bad and why?)