You may have heard the news…
Eating dates in late pregnancy may increase cervical ripening…
Ok great, what is cervical ripening, you may ask. Before and during labor our cervix (the lower, narrow end of the uterus that protrudes into the vagina) begins to soften. This process is known as “ripening” or effacement. By the time you deliver your new little bundle of joy your cervix will have stretched from around 1 inch in width to paper thinness. Effacement is usually measured in percentages: Zero percent means no effacement; 100 percent means you’re fully effaced. Yay! Effacement is actually one of the biggest jobs for first time moms. When you are 100% effaced your body can usually then fully dilate to 10 cm.
Your cervix ripening progresses labor which could reduce the need for pitocin. Also, it could help decrease postpartum blood loss. There have been a few different research studies on the results of eating dates, check out the result from all of the studies at Evidence Based Birth .
Added Bonus** Dates are just great for you nutritionally. They have a high fiber content that can help all of you struggling with constipation. High Iron content that can improve anemia (and help with postpartum blood loss). Dates can alleviate inflammations and DECREASE your risk of cancer! Just to name a few things, check out this chart to see more:
11 Health Benefits of Dates (Scientifically Proven)
In each study they gave the women around 60-80 grams of dates a day starting at 36 weeks. That’s about 6 dates a day. How are you going to eat all those dates you may ask?!?! Well we have gathered a group of some of our favorite recipes for you. We have your sweet and savory options, vegan, vegetarian and carnivore recipes. Basically we have something for everyone. Most recipes can be easily adapted to your dietary needs.
Salads:
Crispy Kale Salad with Dates, Pear, + Avocado
Breakfast or Snacks:
Blueberry Date Smoothie- Power Breakfast
Healthy Oatmeal Date Breakfast Cookies
Nut Butter Stuffed Dates
For the meat lovers:
Chorizo Stuffed Dates with Red Pepper Sauce
Roasted Cauliflower with Prosciutto and Dates
Porchetta with Wilted Arugula and Warm Dates
For the Veggie Lovers:
Sweet Date and Potato Crepe (gluten and dairy free)
Date and Gorgonzola Stuffed Sweet Potato
Za’atar Roasted Cauliflower with Dates Pine nuts and Thyme
Basically, you can throw a date in anything and it will be delicious. It is nature’s candy! So get creative and share your ideas with us in the comments!
