Today's the day...Your due date! 40 weeks of pregnancy is now complete. The days of discomfort and being unable to bend down to tie your own shoes are gone....Or are they? Many women do not deliver by their due date and become what is known as "overdue". In these instances, they may start to consider alternatives to give the labor process a little push.

One of the easiest and enjoyable ways said to help self-induce labor is the consumption of pineapples. Just as with papaya and mango, pineapple contains a proteolytic enzyme called bromelain. When bromelain is consumed with meals, it assists in the digestion of proteins. When taken on an empty stomach, bromelain acts medicinally as an anti-inflammatory agent. Therefore, naturopathic medicine uses this enzyme to reduce pain and swelling.

The mechanism by which pineapple contributes to inducing labor might be the proteolytic action of bromelain. Bromelain might help to soften the connective tissue of the cervix and, thus, bring on labor. Because bromelain is destroyed in the production process of canned pineapple, you should consume only fresh pineapple flesh if you are trying to induce labor with pineapple. (Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Lena_Leino)

Of course, any attempts taken to self-induce should be told to your OBGYN. One should not attempt to self-induce unless they have completed 40 weeks of pregnancy.

So, does it work? On a personal level, I can tell you that this information was given to my daughter from a labor and delivery nurse at our local hospital when my daughter was pregnant with my grand daughter. Being utterly uncomfortable and overdue, my daughter attempted this method of self-inducing. After only a few hours of consuming fresh pineapple she began feeling contractions. It took almost a full day before the constractions were in a regular pattern of less than five minutes apart. Later that evening we headed over to the hospital and our beautiful grand daughter was born in a matter of hours!

If you are overdue, suffering from discomfort and want to attempt self-inducing by means of pineapple consumption, remember that this is NOT a guarantee. It's just a way to help the process move along a little faster. When your baby is ready to make their grand debut into this world, they will! The Diaper Baker congratulates you on the amazing event of childbirth which is just around the corner for you!