Labour & due date

Can spicy food or pineapple bring on labour?

Checked against the sources listed on this page. Not reviewed by a clinician. Last updated 5 November 2026. How we check.

Myth

There’s no good evidence that spicy food or pineapple starts labour. Some small studies suggest eating dates late in pregnancy may help the cervix ripen.

Spicy food can upset your stomach, but it doesn’t trigger contractions. The pineapple enzyme bromelain is mostly broken down by digestion, and you would need impossible amounts.

Trials of eating dates in late pregnancy have found shorter labour and less need for induction. Many are small, so treat this as promising but not settled.

References

  1. Salajegheh Z et al. Oral consumption of dates around childbirth: systematic review. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2024

Related weeks

Week 37Week 39

More labour & due date myths

Partly true

Is pregnancy really 9 months?

Roughly. It is 40 weeks (280 days) from the first day of your last period, which is about 9 months and 1 week. From conception it is about 38 weeks.

 Myth

Will my baby be born on the due date?

Unlikely. Only about 4% of babies arrive on their exact due date. Most are born within about two weeks either side.

 Myth

Does a full moon bring on labour?

No. Large studies of hundreds of thousands of births found no link between the lunar cycle and when babies are born.