It might seem like an odd tool for your labor toolkit but this affordable and easily accessible tool might just change your birth experience. There’s growing interest in research in the benefits of chewing gum to reduce pain and anxiety in medical/dental procedures. It’s also a safe way to encourage your gut to get busy after a cesarean birth.

In the past I’ve shared in my classes that chewing gum reduces anxiety in students taking a test and it also increases focus. Labor isn’t a test but there does tend to be quite a lot of anxiety associated with it (unless of course you’re already retraining your brain with the GentleBirth App). And if having an unmedicated birth is important to you - focus is essential, so any additional tools you can have in your toolkit will help.

There are 3 different ways to change the way your brain processes sensation in labor - and anything that reduces anxiety safely is worth a try.

A recent study on the use of mint gum in active labor at 4-5cm and at 7-8cm demonstrated significantly reduced anxiety and labor pain. So what’s the mechanism behind it? How does it work? First off it’s a distraction but there are also measuring changes happening in the brain especially in the ACC (don’t worry you don’t have to know about neuroscience). This is part the brain involved in pain perception, focus emotion and even decision making. This is also an important part of the brain activated during your mindfulness practice.

Mint is an essential is an oil I recommend towards the end of labor for focus and stamina (only on a tissue that can be easily disposed of rather than diffusing in the room as your baby needs to smell you - not essential oils).

A fascinating 2020 Turkish RCT found that children who started chewing gum a few minutes before getting an IV reported significantly less pain than the children who didn’t chew gum.

So throw a pack or two in your bag and give it a try - if nothing else you’ll banish ‘labor breath’ for you and your partner. Try chewing some gum if you’re having a stressful day too.

Tracy