Can eating pineapple and drinking coconut water help induce labor? A must-know to avoid harm for both mother & baby

Coconut water is a “legend” in the folklore of many pregnant women. Many people believe that eating a lot of coconuts (ripe fruits) or drinking a lot of coconut water will help facilitate childbirth. According to that advice, coconut is a natural drink rich in nutrients that helps boost immunity, facilitate labor, and stimulate the opening of the cervix to facilitate delivery.

Coconut, pineapple are just rumors

According to Dr. Phan Chi Thanh, Department of Obstetrics at Central Obstetrics Hospital consulting on Vnxpress, pregnant women need to be cautious with this information. Coconut water is rich in vitamins A, E, calcium, potassium, and chloride, which help improve health and enhance immunity. But drinking too much coconut water is not good because they contain high amounts of sugar, which can lead to excess, multiple pregnancies, and gestational diabetes. To date, there is no evidence that drinking a lot of coconut water or using any other type of water helps pregnant women deliver more easily. There is also no research to confirm that drinking coconut water daily helps babies have white and clean skin as rumored.

Similarly, pineapples are rich in vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants that help boost the immune system. Specifically, pineapples contain bromelain enzyme and protease enzyme that help soften the cervix. But to stimulate cervical softening to facilitate delivery, pregnant women need to eat 7-10 pineapples to achieve the concentration of enzymes that can affect the cervix.

That is why eating pineapples to expect an easier delivery is just a reference and not very optimistic.

What should pregnant women do?

The ease or difficulty of childbirth, the process of labor depends on many factors that require the examination of a specialist doctor.

In addition, pregnant women can apply the following tips in the approaching birth phase:

– Sexual activity in the third trimester of pregnancy to soften and dilate the birth canal, helping the delivery process go more smoothly. Pregnant women can get a massage or do yoga, go walking to support the labor process.

– Nowadays, pregnant women should not listen to oral labor induction methods because they can be dangerous. It is best to have support from a specialist doctor, and when there are signs of labor, go to the hospital immediately.

– From the 39th week of pregnancy, women can increase their intake of pineapples to prepare for childbirth. They should choose fresh and delicious pineapples, not canned ones. It is not advisable to eat too much with the expectation that they will help make childbirth easier. If pregnant women experience stomach pain, avoid eating too much and eat pineapples when hungry.

– Healthy normal pregnant women should walk more in the later months of pregnancy to make delivery easier. When the mother walks, the abdomen will experience pressure and the baby will move to the correct position for delivery, creating contractions that help the cervix dilate quickly and the labor process easier.

– During the expected week of childbirth, stimulating the nipples also creates strong contractions and promotes the dilatation of the cervix. At this time, oxytocin is released, making the cervix open faster.

– Pregnant women can soak themselves in warm water to help the cervix dilate faster and relieve pain, but it should be monitored by an expert as it can lead to quick labor without timely intervention.