A midwife has shared her honest assessment on whether eating pineapple can help kick-start labour and speed up the process. From spicy food to consuming an entire pineapple daily, many methods claim to induce labour in the late stages of pregnancy. But do any actually work?
Midwife's Verdict
Midwife Angie, known as The Eco Midwife on TikTok, offered her candid verdict on whether eating pineapple during the third trimester can genuinely affect labour and delivery. She said: "Does eating pineapple at the end of your pregnancy help trigger labour, reduce the chance of induction, and make it shorter? Well, possibly."
Angie referenced small randomised control trials from 18 months ago that suggested a reduction in labour duration and induction rates. Although these studies were small and not peer-reviewed at the time, they warranted further research, which has just been published.
The Role of Bromelain
Angie explained that pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain, most concentrated at the core but also present in the flesh. This enzyme has been anecdotally linked to cervical ripening, helping the cervix dilate and potentially speeding up labour.
"Up to 2023, there was literally no evidence for this. It was all anecdotal," Angie noted. However, a new study involving over 2,400 women has emerged. Researchers compared 1,200 women who consumed pineapple at the end of pregnancy with 1,200 who did not. The study, conducted in Nigeria, requires caution regarding generalisation but warrants further investigation.
Key Findings
- Women who ate pineapple in the third trimester experienced labour that was approximately 1.7 hours shorter.
- They were more likely to have a spontaneous vaginal birth and lower caesarean rates.
- Improved cervical ripening scores were also observed.
Angie added: "Those who consumed pineapple were more likely to have a spontaneous vaginal birth and lower caesarean birth rates, and they also had improved cervical ripening scores." She suggested that if you like pineapple, consuming it at the end of pregnancy may provide benefits, and drinking pineapple juice in early labour could also help.
However, she emphasised that more research is needed to confirm whether pineapples can speed up labour, aid cervical ripening, and increase spontaneous vaginal births.
