At the start of pregnancy, naive me was all, “Of course I want my baby to bake as long as possible! Why do people keep saying they’re sick of it at the end? Don’t they want the best for their babies?”
By 39 weeks I was DONE. Done and also very grateful I’d never said the above to anyone but my husband. You know you’re DONE when you start googling word chains like “how to induce labor easy safe for child proof studies get it out now.”
There’s intercourse, pineapple, garlic, and hot peppers. Or how about the basil one—that’s so prevalent that there’s a restaurant that serves extra-basil-y eggplant parmesan specifically to help DONE moms go into labor? Is there any proof behind any of these rumors? Dr. Jamil Abdur-Rahman tackles the question for Romper.
Key Takeaways
—Basil is rumored to jumpstart labor because of its role as an emmenagogue—something that increases menstrual flow.
—Basil increases menstrual flow by causing muscles to relax. When taken during labor, this could actually reduce uterine contractions and slow down labor.
—Licorice is a safer bet; it increases production of prostaglandins and can make the uterus contract.
Read more at https://www.romper.com/p/can-basil-induce-labor-ob-gyn-explains-how-the-herb-impacts-your-pregnancy-12066378
