Q&A: Is it safe to eat spicy foods before you are full-term?

by Dr. Marjorie Greenfield

I've read that eating spicy food toward the end of your pregnancy can help stimulate labor. So, is it safe to eat spicy foods before you are full-term?

If spicy food could cause preterm birth, we'd be seeing lots of preemies in many parts of the world! Unless you are having problems with nausea or heartburn, spicy foods are fine to eat in pregnancy.

I don't know of any evidence that spicy foods actually cause labor to begin, even in a mom who is overdue. I know many women attribute labor starting to something they did or ate, but labor is going to start at some point for everyone, and associations don't necessarily indicate cause and effect.

Some experts believe that the foods you eat during pregnancy and breastfeeding can help your baby get used to the tastes of your culture. So make a citizen of the world, and eat your chile rellenos, Szechuan eggplant, or atomic Buffalo wings to your heart's content! Enjoy!

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