Dates during pregnancy: are dates safe in the first months and the ninth month?

Dates during pregnancy and daily safety

Dates during pregnancy are completely safe and beneficial as part of your balanced diet throughout pregnancy if you do not have gestational diabetes. According to the UK National Health Service (NHS), dried fruits like dates are a safe, nutritious choice within the recommended daily fruit and vegetable intake of at least 5 varied portions a day. Dates give you natural fiber that helps prevent common pregnancy constipation, alongside iron and potassium.

The key always lies in moderation and watching your daily portion size. Because dates are dried fruit, their natural sugars and calories are more concentrated compared to fresh fruit. Medical dietary guidelines therefore count one tablespoon of dried fruit, roughly 1 to 3 small dates, as one full fruit portion within your daily meals.

Source: NHS

Dates during pregnancy in the first months

Dates during pregnancy in the first months are safe and do not cause miscarriage or early labor as commonly rumored among mothers. In your first, second, and third months, your body needs steady energy and dietary fiber to ease sluggish digestion caused by shifting hormones. No medical evidence prevents you from eating dates in the first trimester as long as your blood sugar levels remain normal.

If you experience morning sickness in the early months, you might find dates too sweet on an empty stomach. You can then stick to 1 or 2 dates paired with a handful of unsalted nuts or a cup of yogurt. Pairing dates with protein or healthy fats slows sugar absorption into your bloodstream and prevents a sudden energy crash.

Always wash dates thoroughly with cold water before eating them, especially soft or unpackaged varieties. According to the NHS, all fruit must be washed carefully to remove any soil traces that could carry parasites or bacteria harmful during pregnancy.

Source: NHS

Dates during pregnancy from month four to eight

Eating dates in moderation from the fourth through the eighth month helps support your iron stores and relieve chronic constipation. According to NHS hospital nutrition leaflets, dates are listed among dried fruits rich in plant-based iron, which supports red blood cell production and oxygen transport to your baby. Your body's need for iron rises in the fifth and sixth months as fetal growth accelerates and your blood volume expands.

Between weeks 24 and 28 of pregnancy, around late month six and early month seven, your doctor will typically order a glucose tolerance test. If the test shows gestational diabetes, you will need to adjust your date intake immediately or swap them for lower-sugar fruits. In the eighth month, you can continue enjoying a small daily portion before moving to ninth-month amounts aimed at birth preparation.

Source: PubMed · PMC (National Library of Medicine)

Dates during pregnancy in the ninth month and easing labor

Dates during pregnancy in the ninth month are linked to improved cervical ripening and a reduced need for labor induction during the final four weeks of pregnancy. Cervical ripening is the natural process where the cervix softens, shortens, and begins to open in preparation for vaginal birth. According to a clinical study published on PubMed by researcher O. Al-Kuran and colleagues, eating 6 date fruits daily during the last 4 weeks before labor significantly reduced the need for labor induction or augmentation.

A systematic review and meta-analysis published on the National Library of Medicine (PMC), covering clinical trials with sample sizes of 89 to 210 participants, confirms that eating dates shortened the active phase of labor and improved the Bishop score measuring cervical readiness. In those studies, mothers ate 6 to 7 dates per day, roughly 70 to 80 grams, starting between week 36 and week 38 of pregnancy until labor signs began, with no side effects reported across any included trials.

However, the same systematic review notes that eating dates did not change cesarean section rates or the total combined duration of the first, second, and third stages of labor. In short, eating dates in the ninth month helps prepare your body for a smoother, spontaneous start to labor, but it does not replace medical care or your doctor's evaluation of fetal position and pelvic adequacy.

Source: PubMed · PMC (National Library of Medicine)

Are dates beneficial in pregnancy and how to get their nutritional value

The direct answer to whether dates are beneficial in pregnancy is yes, as they combine fiber, plant iron, and minerals in an easily digested snack. For your body to absorb the iron in dates efficiently, you need to pay attention to how you pair your daily meals and drinks. According to pregnancy anemia nutrition leaflets from NHS hospitals, vitamin C helps your body absorb plant-based iron, while caffeinated drinks block that absorption.

• Pair dates with a vitamin C-rich source in the same snack, such as a small orange or a handful of strawberries, to boost iron absorption.
• Leave at least a 1-hour gap between eating dates and drinking tea or coffee, as they significantly reduce how much iron your body absorbs.
• Drink 8 to 10 glasses of fluid daily when increasing fiber and dried fruits like dates so the fiber works effectively against constipation.
• Mix two chopped dates with a handful of unsalted almonds or walnuts for a balanced snack that keeps you full longer.

Source: University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust

Can dates be harmful in pregnancy and when to reduce them

Dates become unsuitable for you if you have gestational diabetes or type 2 diabetes, or if eaten in excessive amounts that rapidly spike blood sugar. According to pregnancy glucose management guidelines from Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, dried fruits including dates are classified among refined or fast-acting carbohydrates best avoided or strictly limited with gestational diabetes. The concentrated natural sugars in dates quickly convert to glucose in the bloodstream, raising post-meal sugar readings.

Even if your dietitian permits dried fruit while managing diabetes in pregnancy, a single portion is capped at one tablespoon and should not be eaten alongside main meals or late in the evening. According to NHS hospital guidelines for diabetes in pregnancy, allowed fruit portions are best eaten between meals rather than with them, while avoiding carbohydrates and sugars after 8 PM to keep fasting blood glucose balanced the next morning.

Source: Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust

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