Some Women Swear By Tacos For Inducing Labor, But Does It Actually Work?

Oct. 4 is National Taco Day, and in honor of that, I thought I'd thought I'd take a look at one of the most talked about foods that supposedly send you into labor — tacos. Specifically, Taco Bell. There are scores of women in message boards across the country swearing by their Chicken Soft Taco Supreme, claiming this is the meal that sent them into contractions. But are there tacos that induce labor? Could your evening run for the border have you running for the maternity ward as well?

The women who claim that Taco Bell will send you into labor did note that you need to order their spiciest sauce on your tacos. That's right, my pregnant friends, they want you to eat Diablo sauce on your taco. You'll note, however, if you are a fan of hot sauces, that Taco Bell's Diablo sauce is really not that hot. In fact, it's so tame that Taco Bell just launched a limited-edition tortilla chip dusted in its chipotle goodness. However, there simply isn't any scientific research to back up the idea that eating spicy foods — regardless of their place of origin — will send you into labor. In fact, Stone Springs Hospital actually cautioned against the practice, because if anything, you're looking at a painful evening not in labor and delivery, but in your bathroom.

This method is much like similar methods of eating pineapple, going out for eggplant parmesan, and choking down black licorice as though that's a thing people actually do. It's an old wives' tale, and if you think your stomach can handle it, why not test the theory? See if there are tacos that induce labor. You know, for science. It's not at all because tacos are magically delicious and widely available. It has even less to do with the fact that you don't have to cook them if you don't want to. It's all for the purposes of research, right?

According to the What to Expect pregnancy forum, women are saying that Taco Bell is their ride-or-die labor BFF. But I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that it might not be so much the cause of your labor, but something you crave enough while you're pregnant that it's simply a regular part of your diet and purely coincidental that you ate it right before you went into labor. I mean, the forum didn't even explore if it was Taco Tuesday or Burrito Brunch.

So let's give this the benefit of the doubt — what would be the agent in the Taco Bell food that might be bringing on labor? Is there a way to replicate that without needing an ice pack for your abused bottom post-fire poop? According to The Health Site, it might be the spicy nature of the food, or perhaps even the garlic, which speeds digestion and might trigger contractions. If that's the case, why don't you amp that up with the supposed power of pineapple, and make a side dish of roasted chili-garlic pineapple. It's got the heat from chili peppers, the digestive aid of garlic, and the bromelain of pineapple. Plus, it's fun to chew.

Or maybe you go whole hog and have yourself a dinner of eggplant parm with a side of Taco Bell Nacho Bell Grande, and for dessert? Pineapple sorbet. Sure, it sounds like a recipe for digestive hell, but then again, so is pregnancy. I know that when I was pregnant, I wanted to lick the hot sauce off my plate I craved it so badly. I had no idea that it could help bring my baby sooner or else I would have just chugged it from the bottle.