Some Pregnant Women Believe This Starbucks Drink Could Induce Labor — but Experts Doubt It

When it comes to childbirth, timing is important. But sometimes, the timekeeping machine of a mom’s body can go haywire, due to which the doctor has to do something to induce her labor. When Ancient Egyptians were struck with this dilemma, they prepared a concoction of honey, wine, and fresh salt to hasten the labor, per UIOWA Medicine. Sometimes, they rubbed rose oil on the mom’s hips, while other times, healers used powdered rattlesnake rattles, infusions of bear claw scrapings, and herbal teas to loosen the baby out of the womb. Fast forward to today, moms are sipping Starbucks to do this.

In March this year, a 38-week pregnant woman, Lindsey Hull (@lindseyhull_), posted a TikTok in which she shared that she was chugging in Starbucks’ Venti Iced Passion Tango Tea with Pineapple Refresher Base. “This is actually so good, I would drink this even if I weren’t pregnant, trying to go into labor. That’s delicious,” she commented while sipping a strawberry-red drink from a straw dipped in a plastic tumbler. “I’m going to start drinking it every day until I have a kid. I guess this works, and we’ll see if I am still pregnant tomorrow,” she shared with the viewers.

In early 2023, another mom-to-be, Mika Laidler (@mikalaidler), posted a TikTok sharing how she, too, chugged down this Starbucks beverage to trigger and induce her labor. “When you are 39 weeks pregnant, plus four days pregnant with no sign of labor, you get the Starbucks ‘Pregnancy Drink’ and hope for the best,” she exclaimed in the video’s overlay caption while the background displayed a footage of her baby bump as she sipped the ruby red drink from a glass. “Venti Passion Tea Lemonade + 4 pumps of raspberry syrup,” she described the combo in the caption.

Another similar video was posted by Irene (@lachicairene) in the fall of 2024. “Trying the labor-inducing drink from Starbucks, because I am absolutely over being pregnant,” she described in the video overlay while sharing footage of herself guzzling down a candy-pink beverage from a tumbler. While these pregnant ladies endorsed Starbucks for inducing labor, some experts believe that there’s nothing too magical about this drink. “There’s no magic to it,” Rebecca Amaru, M.D., a board-certified ob-gyn, told Baby Center. Shannon Smith, another board-certified ob-gyn, said, “At term, everyone should start having contractions and notice increased discharge at some point, so of course some women will correlate that with drinking this Starbucks drink. I think that is a natural bias.”

Starbucks might work or not; nobody knows for sure. But if it doesn’t, there are alternatives moms-to-be can use to induce labor. Exercise, for instance, can help induce labor and also reduce interventions during vaginal delivery, according to Healthline. “Sexual activity, especially having an orgasm, can release oxytocin, which may help jumpstart uterine contractions. Also, for pregnant people who have sex with men, there are prostaglandin hormones in semen that might help ripen the cervix,” the website explains. 

Another trick to bring the tiny tot out is nipple stimulation. “Stimulating your nipples can cause your uterus to contract and may bring about labor. Nipple stimulations stimulate oxytocin production. Oxytocin is the hormone that causes the uterus to contract and the breast to eject milk,” explains Healthline. Acupuncture can also augment cervical ripening, which helps in loosening the baby, and so does acupressure. Eating dates is also a good idea. Despite all these folkloric hacks, the best thing for a pregnant woman is probably to just wait, ‘cause right timing, after all, is what gives a new sandwich its crispy golden perfection.

You can follow Lindsey Hull (@lindseyhull_), Mika Laidler (@mikalaidler), and Irene (@lachicairene) on TikTok for updates on their mothering journeys.