Why pregnant people should NOT eat pineapple.

Ok, so that’s a bit of a sensationalist headline isn’t it?! But when you’re pregnant you are constantly bombarded with these messages of ‘you MUST do this’ or ‘whatever you do, DON’T do that!’ which can feel somewhat overwhelming and scary - who do you listen to?

This is why our course is carefully created from accurate, evidence based information, accredited by the Royal College of Midwives. But enough of that - what about the pineapple?

So there are many old wives tales about what you should and shouldn’t eat in pregnancy, and pineapple is often one that comes up.

It’s usually cited as something you should eat to help you go into labour, when I ask my clients which methods they have heard of for naturally inducing labour, pineapple, curry and sex are always top of the list.

Pineapple is thought to contain an enzyme called bromelain, which is known to stimulate the prostaglandins in the body which in turn soften the cervix. It is difficult to find any hard evidence on this, but it is widely believed that the bromelain is contained in the core of the pineapple, which needs to be fresh as the bromelain is lost in the canning process.

It is also widely believed that the levels of bromelain are low, meaning that you would need to eat approximately 7 fresh pineapple cores in order for it to work its magic!

So, it’s not looking great for pineapple to be a natural induction tool. However, what we ALSO know, is that in the last trimester of pregnancy, the bowel slows down a lot due to those pesky hormones - this can often lead to constipation and the awful haemorrhoids (piles) and so in fact eating lots of fresh fruit is really helpful for that.

In conclusion, if you really feel like eating 7 fresh pineapple cores there may just be a chance that it might soften your cervix a little, but it’s not going to do enough to warrant the awful indigestion and diarrhoea that will be involved in the process!

There are lots of other natural methods that we can use to safely help bring on labour, they are discussed in the Calm Births book here, or discussed on a course with any of our teachers.

How does hypnobirthing work?

It’s the question that many ask, and it’s a good one, and here I will try to answer it! The very short answer is that Hypnobirthing (the way Calm Births teach it) is a full antenatal preparation course which includes hypnotherapy techniques to ensure that both birthing person and partner feel fully prepared, informed and excited about their baby’s arrival, and that the birth experience feels positive and calm no matter what happens on the day.

Essentially we know that if a person is anxious, fearful or worried about their birth experience, it has a profound physiological effect on the process - whether that is for a vaginal birth or a C-Section. So through a variety of different ways, we work with you to alleviate those anxious or fearful thoughts, to allow the process to be smooth and positive. This is done through a combination of personalised support from the teacher, home learning and the Calm Births syllabus.

So to look at that in a little more detail we can break it down into 3 sections: The Physical, The Practical and The Relaxation techniques.

The Physical

Being pregnant, being in labour and giving birth are all miraculous, amazing things that the body does for us, or sometimes that healthcare professionals help us to do in the instances where we need clinical help. All of these are huge physical undertakings and so much is happening to the body that it can feel frightening and overwhelming.

Therefore our aim in hypnobirthing (specifically in Calm Births classes) is to give you all the information you need to know about what is happening to the body at every step of the way. This means that you will feel fully informed, in control and prepared about what is going to happen and there will be no surprises along the way. This reduction in fear or anxiety about the process makes a fundamental difference to how the body responds during the process itself.

With us you will also learn physical tips such as how to help the baby into the optimum position, how to avoid perineal damage during birth, or how to prepare for a planned C-Section if that is your journey.

The Practical

In much the same vein as The Physical, we know that the more you know about the process, the more prepared and calm you’ll feel, in turn affecting the actual birth.

And so we prepare you practically for birth, including what to pack in your hospital bag, how to get your body into labour, how to know when it’s labour, when to call the Midwife and what happens after you’ve had the baby.

The Relaxation Techniques

This is where the ‘hypno’ bit comes in - and it’s really nothing scary or ‘woo’ - it’s simply learning a really good way to relax whenever you want it. The scientific explanation of this is that you will train your brain to reach the Theta level whenever you want it to - the Theta is where our brain is at when we are just dozing in front of the TV, or engrossed in a film or book, or absorbed in a daydream. We are completely aware all of the time, but just feel really happily relaxed. Now wouldn’t it be great if you could feel that way whenever you wanted?! That’s what we teach you! So that leading up to the birth you will spend lots of time learning this and practising it (which is giving the baby some seriously calming times, which is why hypno babies are generally very chilled!) - then when you’re in labour you can just take yourself away to that lovely place whenever you want to, by yourself and sometimes with the help of your birthing partner.

There is so much more to it, but in a nutshell, that’s what hypnobirthing is! If you feel like it might be something for you, please do reach out, we’d love to help you x