Easing Labour and Delivery with Dates
When it comes to childbirth, the archetypal scenario is to have an easy, short lived, safe labour and delivery. Luckily, there are many tools and tricks that have been proven to help and consuming dates might be one of them.
A History...
Phoenix dactylifera commonly known as date or date palm has been cultivated from the 6th millennium BCE from Mesopotamia to prehistoric Egypt, making dates one of the oldest cultivated fruits. In fact, fossil records have shown that the date palm has existed for at least 50 million years.
Date palms were venerated by ancient Egyptians as a symbol of fertility. The Carthaginians depicted them on coins and monuments, and the Greeks and Romans used them as an emblem for prosperity and triumph.
The date fruit was mentioned numerous times in the monotheist scripts, not only for its food and medicinal properties but also as a symbol of honesty and righteousness. In the Quran, the Virgin Mary was believed to be instructed by God to eat dates when she was giving birth to Jesus, and, similarly, scholars have been recommending it to pregnant women in the Middle East ever since.
There is a large variety of dates (too many to name in this post) with distinctive sizes, shapes, colours, consistencies and quality. But the most popular ones are: Ajwa dates, Anbara dates, Safawi dates, Barhi dates, Dayri dates, Saghai dates, Khudri dates, Sukkari dates, Kholas dates, Deglet Noor dates, Halawy dates, Khadrawy dates, Medjool dates, Thoory dates and Zahidi dates.
Benefits of dates in pregnancy
The date fruit contains a high percentage of natural sugars that are absorbed and used by the cells shortly after consumption. But it also consists of high soluble fibres, essential minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium, sulphur, and zinc ; vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin A, and vitamin K ; 23 types of amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids, including palmitoleic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids (Baliga, Baliga, Kandathil, Bhat, & Vayalil, 2011). As well as phytochemicals, such as flavonoids, glycosides, sterols, cinnamic acids, tannins and saponins. It is considered in many countries an ideal food, offering a wide array of health benefits (Al-Shahib & Marshall, 2003).
Dates can help fend off common pregnancy complications, such as anaemia and constipation, and could contribute to a nutritious pregnancy diet. (But remember, everything in moderation and always check with your health practitioner if you have any concerns)
More importantly, studies have shown that pregnant women that began eating dates three or four weeks before their estimated due date reduced significantly the need for induction and augmentation of labour (Al-Kuran, Al-Mehaisen, Bawadi, Beitawi, & Amarin, 2011) , and produced a more favourable delivery outcome (Razali, Mohd Nahwari, Sulaiman, & Hassan, 2017).
Dates have also shown to have an oxytocin-like effect by softening the cervix, leading to an increased sensitivity of the uterus, stimulating uterine contractions, and reducing postpartum haemorrhage (Kordi, Aghaei Meybodi, Tara, Nemati, & Taghi Shakeri, 2014).
These healthy fruits can also give instant energy after childbirth and accelerate breast milk production.
As a matter of fact, in some cultures, a softened dab of chewed date is also given on the new-born's palate. Interestingly, a study by the University of Auckland has shown that giving babies that are at risk of neonatal hypoglycaemia a “sugar gel” shortly after birth might lower the incidence of hypoglycaemia and protect against brain damage (Hegarty et al., 2016).
Different ways to indulge...
* Eating 6-7 dates a day on their own from 36 weeks gestation onwards
* Mixing the dates in your favourite milk/yoghurt based smoothie
* As a date butter
* As stuffed dates (removing the pit and adding a nut – pecan, almond, walnut, or even peanut butter)
* In your oatmeal or yoghurt in the morning
* As a milk infusion, by soaking dates overnight or boiling dates in a cup of milk
References+
Al-Kuran, O., Al-Mehaisen, L., Bawadi, H., Beitawi, S., & Amarin, Z. (2011). The effect of late pregnancy consumption of date fruit on labour and delivery. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. https://doi.org/10.3109/01443615.2010.522267
Al-Shahib, W., & Marshall, R. J. (2003). The fruit of the date palm: Its possible use as the best food for the future? International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1080/09637480120091982
Baliga, M. S., Baliga, B. R. V., Kandathil, S. M., Bhat, H. P., & Vayalil, P. K. (2011). A review of the chemistry and pharmacology of the date fruits (Phoenix dactylifera L.). Food Research International. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2010.07.004
Hegarty, J. E., Harding, J. E., Gamble, G. D., Crowther, C. A., Edlin, R., & Alsweiler, J. M. (2016). Prophylactic Oral Dextrose Gel for Newborn Babies at Risk of Neonatal Hypoglycaemia: A Randomised Controlled Dose-Finding Trial (the Pre-hPOD Study). PLoS Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002155
Kordi, M., Aghaei Meybodi, F., Tara, F., Nemati, M., & Taghi Shakeri, M. (2014). The Effect of Late-Pregnancy Consumption of Date Fruit on Cervical Ripening in Nulliparous Women. Journal of Midwifery and Reproductive Health.
Razali, N., Mohd Nahwari, S. H., Sulaiman, S., & Hassan, J. (2017). Date fruit consumption at term: Effect on length of gestation, labour and delivery. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443615.2017.1283304When it comes to childbirth, the archetypal scenario is to have an easy, short lived, safe labour and delivery. Luckily, there are many tools and tricks that have been proven to help and consuming dates might be one of them.
DR NAUF ALBENDAR
My name is Dr Nauf AlBendar and I am the founder of The Womb Effect. As a medical scientist with a BSc in Molecular Genetics and Genomics, an MSc in Nutrition & Food Science and a PHD in clinical medicine, I have developed a deep appreciation and understanding for the developmental origins of health and disease.