Success with eating 6 dates a day to prepare cervix for Labour?

[sunshinecitrus1]

Myth or has anyone tried this?

I've started eating dates, 38 weeks so a bit late but I don't really like them so have been putting it off, I think the study sample size was too small to be significant but I figured apart from not liking them it wouldn't hurt. Didn't realise it had to be medjool dates so will get those next time but 6 a day is so many and they're not cheap, especially when you're having to force them down!

6 weeks prior I believe is the optimum time to start

@longtimelurkerfirsttimeposter

6 weeks prior I believe is the optimum time to start

Thank you. Worth a try! I used to love medjool dates but haven’t bothered with them in recent years.

Thanks ladies for the replies! It is worth a go at the very least, I like the taste of them and as you say, they can't hurt regardless of whether they actually work or not!

I love dates and did it through my pregnancy. Still had a 48hour labour and a 2nd degree tear.

But who know how it would have been if id not done it; could have been better, worse or the same.

If you like dates just go for it, you've got nothing to loose.

Hi @sunshinecitrus1, how did you get on? Did they seem to help?

Thanks!

I’d never heard of this before but giving it a go this time - it’s got to help with constipation if nothing else. I read 70g daily from 36 weeks was the recommended amount.

I love dates and I live in the Middle East so have access to a wide variety at low cost. I ate loads of them during my last pregnancy for this reason.

My labour was fucking horrendous but it was relatively short and spontaneous and three weeks early. I had ventouse in the end but things were progressing very quickly.

@Fran919 I am not sure whether they helped or not as I was still a week later than my due date after eating dates for weeks beforehand but I believe it did prepare my body as I did dilate very fast for my labour. (I managed to labour at home and was 9cm by the time I got to the birth centre after about 4/5 hours from my first contraction - First baby too!)

I don't know if they really work for everyone and maybe it is a bit of a myth but I honestly don't think it can hurt if you give it a go, as long as you enjoy them as some people find them way too sweet!

Yes but my waters went early without contractions getting going, so had to induced.
Always wondered if my attempts to bring on labour early with dates/pineapple contributed to it.

I did this from when I went on mat leave at nearly 37 weeks. I went into labour spontaneously at 39+2 and it was very quick for a first baby - waters went 11pm, first contraction shortly afterwards, baby born 3.45am. I did have a pretty bad tear so maybe it was a bit too quick, all healed fine though.

No idea if the dates help but they were tasty so couldn't harm! I liked them in porridge, someone in our NCT group also made energy balls out of them.