Good news is that women can eat a ripe papaya safely during pregnancy

Have you heard your grand mom asking your mom never to eat a papaya while she was pregnant? Those words rang through my ears throughout my childhood because of a huge family and most were females, from my fathers side, his sisters.. and i used to wonder what does the papaya got to do with pregnancy. I finally got the answer one day when i read it somewhere that it would result in a miscarriage, which i dint know the meaning of but then my mom explained it to me:) I was even during my own pregnancy, reluctant to eat a papaya but not anymore because i've just come across some usual info and would like to share it with everyone.

There is no doubt you can eat it, just by being a little cautious because a fully ripe papaya is not considered dangerous, while a raw is... especially in the early pregnancy. A RAW PAPAYA IS CONSIDERED DANGEROUS MOMS, NOT A FULLY RIPE ONE :)

During pregnancy healthy eating is important and one source of vitamin c should be included in the diet of a pregnant woman, and papaya contains that vitamin c to help you get that recommended 70 mg daily.

"Papaya also serves as a natural way to soothe the heartburn experienced during pregnancy. The papaya enzyme that helps soothe indigestion is called papain, or vegetable pepsin. Papain is found in the fruit's latex and leaves. A fully ripe papaya is not considered dangerous, however a papaya that is the least bit unripe contains a latex substance that is believed to trigger uterine contractions and may lead to early labor or miscarriage. Researchers have noted that unripe papaya latex acts like prostaglandin and oxytocin, which the body makes to start labor. Synthetic prostaglandin and oxytocin are commonly used to start or strengthen labor contractions"

Its also recommended you eat the papaya only if your sure of its 100% ripeness, especially during early stages of pregnancy to avoid risks. In the later stages of pregnancy a ripe papaya can assist with heartburn control. If your in the 38 week and a natural method of induction is recommended by your doc, a slight unripened papaya is a good option.

Have a safe delivery, friends :)