Hands up if you hate dates? Me too! Can’t stand them…but I do love their possible benefits for labor and birth. Have you heard of those benefits yet? If not, I have deep dived all of that evidence here. I would definitely recommend that you read that post first so you understand how dates might help out your labor (what is NOT true about the claims that so many people make) and if you feel like its worth eating them (or for me, choking them down).
Ok, so let’s assume you want to be eating dates. I’m with you. And there are definitely a lot of basic, simple ways to eat dates: 1) Just pit them and eat them, 2) With a smear of cream cheese, 3) As sweetener in a muffin or baked good (and more). What I have found is that the best way for me to eat them is usually going to involve some sort of nut butter. I feel like that salty, nutty combo helps cover some of the sweetness that just doesn’t sit well with me. So, this smoothie recipe is my favorite, because the blend of ingredients basically means I don’t notice the dates!
Want another date recipe too? I’ve got you! I always need a couple to cycle through. Try these Salted Chocolate Nut Butter Stuffed Dates too!
Who is The Labor Mama and Why Am I Here?
Hey friend! I’m Lo – also known around here and social media as The Labor Mama. I’ve spent my nursing career in labor, delivery, and postpartum, have birthed 4 of my own babies, have labored thousands of mamas at the bedside, have taught thousands of students online, and have even delivered a few speedy little babies with my bare hands (oops).
Here at TLM, I offer online classes to empower you the way everyone should be. The education + support I offer gives you experience, evidence, and empathy; you’re getting all of my years of “clinical” RN knowledge, beautifully combined with my real experiences as a mama and a nurse. These are not your average hospital classes (those won’t do it, I promise), and honestly, birth, postpartum, and breastfeeding don’t follow a textbook or protocol anyway. You need to know so much more than that!
If you want to connect with me further, head to Instagram. There are hundreds of thousands of us over there learning together daily.
Do dates really help labor?
Ok, I really think you should read the article that deep dives this topic, but in general – they might. There is some research that says dates might help ripen the cervix. That basically means that they can help make the cervix softer and stretchier and just more ready for dilation and labor. They could also shorten labor length and decrease need for labor inducing or augmentation (“helping labor along”).
Another helpful read: Cervical Dilation and Effacement: What Do They Mean?
Ok, let’s get you to the smoothie recipe ⇣
Birth Prep Smoothie Recipe
PEANUT BUTTER BANANA CHOCOLATE DATE SMOOTHIE
Ingredients
- 3-4 medjool dates, pitted and loosely chopped (*see note 1)
- 1 ripe banana, sliced (if frozen, that’s great)
- 2-4 TBSP nut butter (I use 4 to help mask the taste ?. If your nut butter is unsalted, add a sprinkle of salt too!)
- 1-2 tsp of cocoa powder
- 1 serving of collagen powder or protein powder (*see note 2)
- 1 1/2 C milk (cow’s, almond, oat, etc.)
- handful of chocolate chips (optional – but I love these little bits in there!)
- 1 tbsp of flaxseed meal (optional)
Directions
- Add dates, banana, nut butter, milk (start with only enough to blend – you can add more as needed), and ice into blender. Then add in powders and optional add ins. Blend until mixed well and your desired consistency.
- If needed, add additional ice to thicken. Add more peanut butter, cocoa, or dates as needed to change sweet, salty, or chocolatey proportions.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: If your dates are dry or they don’t seem to fully blend well, try soaking them in hot water for 10 minutes before using them. This does happen to me and I don’t love those chunks!
Note 2: If your protein or collagen is chocolate flavored, you can skip the cocoa. You could also skip the cocoa and the chocolate chips altogether if you’d prefer more of a vanilla nut butter option.
Ok, that’s it! Try it, let me know what you think in the comments, or let us know what add-ins and options you took with yours. I’m always looking for new ways to get these dates in! xx – Lo
More resources (and freebies!) for you to take a peek at are below, and don’t forget about my online course options here:
