Labor Soothing Date Smoothie

I hate dates!  They are like raisins on steroids.  I seriously cannot get past the texture of them without gagging and on their own they are way, way too sweet for my tastebuds. 

When my midwives recommended I start eating 6 medjool dates a day (starting at 36 weeks) my stomach dropped a bit.  They say they help ease labor.  I have heard this both from midwives and other moms so I knew I was going to have to find a way to get them into my diet.

So first off I just want to rant on all the awesome benefits of medjool dates.  Please keep in mind when you make these smoothies to use medjool dates.  This was stressed to me by my doulas and midwives.

Fiber- dates are full of fiber which is something everyone probably needs more of but especially third trimester mama’s because pooping is hard!

Potassium– An awesome natural electrolyte.  It helps balance water/salt.

Magnesium– You know those leg cramps you are getting, especially at night?  Magnesium will help sooth those.

Folate– Getting enough folate will ensure your baby’s spinal chord matures properly.

Vitamin K– this maintains proper blood clotting which is important for mama’s during and after labor and if your OB or midwife hasn’t mentioned it yet you’ll learn about a Vitamin K shot for your newborn.  If they have not brought this up to you by your 35 week appointment I strongly urge you to ask questions about it.  I’m still doing my reading and research on this. 

Ingredients:

-6 medjool dates (make sure to remove the pits)

-1 banana

-2 tablespoons of almond butter (depending on how you label honey as vegan or not I opted for this almond butter with honey and flaxseed)

-1 cup unsweetened almond milk

-a dash of cinnamon (I like a heavy dash to balance the sweetness)

-5-6 ice cubes

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until desired consistency.  

This smoothie is delicious.  My husband got a taste and deemed it his favorite smoothie ever. The sweet dates balance with the almond and cinnamon really well.

Below I linked the medjool dates I bought along with two other 36 week plus must haves to help with labor.

 

Happy drinking!