By Comfort Asemota
Maternal and nutrition specialists have debunked the popular belief that consuming okro or drinking okro water during the third trimester can ease labour and delivery.
They emphasize that the claim is a myth with no scientific support. While okro is highly nutritious, there is no evidence that it facilitates childbirth.
Dr. Stanley Egbogu, a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, stated that eating okro in pregnancy does not aid delivery.
“There is no documented evidence that consuming okro in the last trimester makes labour easier,” Dr. Egbogu said. “This belief is common, especially in rural areas, but it remains a myth.”
He added that okro is still a healthy vegetable and recommended that pregnant women focus on proven methods to support labour, such as mild exercises like walking. Dr. Egbogu also noted that water births, though less common in Nigeria, have been shown to help reduce labour pain.
Registered nutritionist Mrs. Yemisi Solanke-Lawal also confirmed that there is no scientific link between okro consumption and easier childbirth. She highlighted that while the vegetable is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and folate—all beneficial during pregnancy—these nutrients do not influence labour.
According to maternal health resources, a serving of okro provides approximately 15 percent of a woman’s daily folate requirement but does not contain folic acid, which is essential for fetal development.
Having lived in China, where herbal and natural remedies are commonly relied upon, Solanke-Lawal noted that she observed no evidence that okro aids labour.
She advised that pregnant women should include okro as part of a balanced diet in appropriate quantities but avoid relying on unverified claims. While okro may help regulate blood sugar levels in people with diabetes, its benefits do not extend to facilitating labour.
