Dates, dates, the wonderful fruit. If you’re in your third trimester, especially 3-4 weeks away from your due date, you may have been told to consider eating about 4-6 dates per day starting right now. Why? Dates have been known to increase cervical ripening in late pregnancy which could potentially shorten your labor, reduce the need for medical intervention during delivery, and reduce postpartum bleeding. Sounds like a pretty powerful fruit, right?
I consumed 60-70 grams of dates per day for a month and a week before my son was born. That’s a lot of dates. And, let me tell you, some days it’s not easy coming up with ideas to consume them! My date intake did not naturally induce labor; I had to be induced after 41 weeks but my cervix was slightly dilated when I checked in at the hospital and my labor was very quick so you better believe I will be chewing on dates again for this second pregnancy. Anything that has the potential to make the labor and delivery experience more of a breeze and less painful, is worth trying in my book.
Plus, dates are sweet little nuggets of goodness that are high in fiber, packed full of vitamins, and, while considered high in sugar, they are a much better source of sugar than many of the other source found in many of our diets. It’s a great fruit to add to your next smoothie, bowl of oatmeal, or as a snack on the side with some cheese or nuts. I personally recommend buying pitted Medjool dates. If you don’t buy pitted, just make sure you remove the pit before you eat them!
Have you heard of eating dates during pregnancy? Would you give them a try?