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These 2 Burger King Orders Could Induce Labor

by Lauren Schumacker

Nearly every single mama-to-be has a different opinion on induction. From "absolutely no, never," to "only if medically necessary," to "get this baby out of me," feelings about induction definitely vary from one future rockstar mom to another (and if they change as your due date approaches and passes, well, that's OK, too). If you're at 39 or 40 weeks (or even more) and wake up every morning thinking, "OK baby, you can come out now," you might start looking for ideas about how to speed the process up a bit. Time to hit the drive-thru lane and try the Burger King order to induce labor.

If Burger King is your fast food restaurant of choice, then other BK-loving moms-to-be have a bit of advice for you. There are actually two Burger King orders that moms all over the mommy message boards say will kickstart your labor and bring your little one into the world. Some moms say they ate Burger King's Fiery Chicken Fries before going into labor, while others swear by a good ol' Whopper for naturally inducing.

The key to the spicy chicken fries is their spice level. Spicy foods have that kind of old wives' tale, legendary reputation for maybe, perhaps being the culprit that helps naturally induce labor. But New York-based midwife Elizabeth Stein told WebMD that there's no solid evidence of those non-medical DIY induction methods actually working. The lack of proof for spicy food comes from the fact that there's no connection between the stomach and the uterus, meaning that just having some spicy food in your stomach probably won't directly cause contractions to begin. But according to Healthline, digesting spicy foods cause your body to release prostaglandins, which could potentially help move things along.

The logic behind a Whopper (or Whopper Jr.) inducing labor is a little more mysterious. None of the mamas-to-be or brand-new mamas posting about Whoppers being just the ticket for a natural induction went into any specifics about why they think it works, other than the anecdotal evidence that it's worked for them or someone they know. But if it works, it works, you know? And Romper also reached out to Burger King to determine whether or not moms have thanked BK and their menu items for inducing labor but did not hear back at the time of publication.

Regardless of the science (or lack thereof) behind Burger King orders actually inducing labor, if you're going to try other home induction methods, it's important to fill your healthcare provider in on what you're doing. Jonathan Schaffir, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, told Fit Pregnancy that some natural induction methods can have unintended consequences and shouldn't be done too early.

When it comes down to it, you have to eat. Swinging through Burger King's drive-thru just might jumpstart your labor and, if it works, you're already in the car so you'll be where you need to go to welcome baby to the world in no time at all.