What is the so-called contraction cocktail?

The contractions cocktail can contain different ingredients depending on the recommendation of the midwife or gynecologist. Most so-called contractions cocktails contain apricot juice, castor oil, almond paste and some alcohol. The alcohol is important so that the castor oil can dissolve in the juice.

Castor oil has a laxative effect. To prevent the loss of electrolytes through the castor oil, apricot juice containing potassium is used. Before mixing such a contraction cocktail, you should first consult your gynecologist or midwife. The contact persons can then also advise on the exact mixing ratio, which is not unimportant.

Foods that promote labor pains

There are some specific foods that are known to induce labor. It should therefore be avoided during pregnancy if possible. The dose of the food is very important, so small doses usually have no effect on the contractions.

In the case of fruit, it is known that unripe papaya can trigger a contraction of the uterus. The latex containing the unripe papaya is responsible for this. A whole range of spices also have a contraction-promoting effect.

These include cinnamon, ginger, coriander, curry, marjoram and cloves. If possible, these should only be consumed in small doses in order not to trigger premature contractions. Sugar substitutes, such as those frequently used in light products or chewing gum, should also be avoided.

Raspberry leaf tea is, as the name suggests, a herbal tea made from dried raspberry leaves. The tea, if drunk in sufficient quantity, is said to stimulate contractions and also dilate the cervix. This effect has not been scientifically proven, but there are many testimonies.

It is also recommended not to drink the tea in large quantities before the 34th week of pregnancy in order not to trigger premature labor. The tea, like all household remedies used to promote labor, does not work equally well for all women. It is also possible that the pregnant woman will not notice any effect of the raspberry leaf tea at all.Nevertheless, before drinking tea as a contraction-promoting measure, the gynecologist or midwife should be consulted to make sure that initiating contractions is not harmful to the child.

The contractions tea is a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, ginger and sometimes raspberry leaves or verbena (a verbena plant). The individual recipes vary again, depending on the source you consult. The raspberry leaves are placed in a tea infuser together with the cloves and fresh ginger and then poured over with sparkling water.

The cinnamon can be added directly to the water. Experience reports say that if several cups of this tea are drunk throughout the day, contractions can be triggered within one or two days. Cinnamon has a stimulating effect on the blood circulation of the pelvic organs and it is also said that it can trigger contractions.

Since cinnamon is used in many foods, it is important to check, for example, whether and how much cinnamon is contained in the baked goods you buy. This is relevant before the birth date in order to avoid triggering premature contractions by eating cinnamon. If the due date has already been reached or exceeded, an attempt can be made to trigger the contractions with cinnamon-containing cookies or cinnamon tea, after consultation with the gynecologist or midwife.

Do you have any questions? red wine contains varying amounts of histamine depending on the degree of maturity. Histamine is suspected of being able to trigger contractions.

Therefore it is much discussed whether a glass of red wine can be used as a means of inducing contractions. However, the histamine content in a glass of red wine is usually not high enough to have an effect on the uterus. Drinking more than one glass is not recommended.

It should not be forgotten that red wine also contains a not harmless amount of alcohol. The alcohol could cause problems if sudden medication has to be given. Therefore the recommendation goes rather to use red wine not for the promotion of contractions.

Castor oil is a strong laxative and is known as a household remedy for inducing labour. The castor oil activates the intestines and also the uterus, which should then trigger contractions. However, one should be very careful with the intake of castor oil and should first consult the midwife or the gynecologist.

Known side effects are nausea, vomiting and intestinal colic. In addition, there are cases that report that the castor oil plant acid has entered the child’s circulation. This leads to excessive stress in the unborn child, which can have a negative effect on the birth and the course of the first days of life.

In addition, there are no qualitative studies that report on the harmlessness of castor oil. For this reason, the German Drug Commission has also expressed concern about the induction of labor with castor oil. Just like red wine, sparkling wine contains histamine.

The histamine is said to have a promoting effect on the contractions. However, it is questionable whether a glass of sparkling wine contains enough histamine for the desired effect. Furthermore, the harmful effect of alcohol must be weighed up. Therefore, it is rather not recommended to use sparkling wine as a means to promote labor.