The Surprising Way Jinger Duggar Is Trying To Induce Labor

When it comes to getting labor started, there are few things women won't try. Most of us are familiar with the simple strategies of exercise, sex, and acupuncture, but when those don't do the trick, some turn to dietary intervention (via Healthline). You might have read about eating spicy foods, swallowing castor oil, or sipping on some red raspberry leaf tea to naturally induce labor (even if studies show no real evidence that these tools help bring about labor), but Los Angeles locals tend to turn to a different dish entirely (via WebMD). Famous faces like Hilary Duff and, more recently, Jinger Vuolo (née Duggar) stop in at the Caioti Pizza Cafe to try their labor-inducing salad (via E! News).

The restaurant features a chalkboard on the wall with names of three decades of "salad babies," who were helped into the world by the notorious salad. In a recent Instagram post, the 19 Kids and Counting star shows off her bump in front of the famous board (via Instagram). Her husband captioned the post: "We've heard rumors of a salad that puts you into labor..." Seems like the couple can't wait to meet their second daughter (via InTouch). But what's in the salad that supposedly starts contractions?

What's really in the labor-inducing salad

If you're intrigued by the notion of a salad that starts labor, you're not alone. According to Today, the Caioti Pizza Cafe has been a famous local hotspot for LA's pregnant women for 30 years, ever since a woman came in, ate the salad, and immediately felt contractions start. Since then, it's become a common stop for women in their last few weeks of pregnancy, with local doctors and doulas alike recommending it to clients. According to the restaurant owner, between 5-20 pregnant women come in every day to try the salad. 

Unfortunately, the exact recipe for "The Salad's" balsamic salad dressing is a family secret, but we do know what's in the salad itself: romaine lettuce, watercress, walnuts, and pasteurized gorgonzola cheese, topped with a secret herb mixture that supposedly triggers contractions (via The Daily Mail). However, multiple doctors told The Daily Mail that it was unlikely that the salad actually hurries things along.