DIARY OF A BIRTH: The old wives' tale that helped Jules Robinson give birth.

Spicy food, long walks, nipple stimulation, sex, headstands, pineapple. They're just some of the old wives' tales around how to naturally induce labour.

But is there any truth to them?

Married At First Sight sweethearts Jules Robinson and Cam Merchant figured this out for themselves with the birth of their second child, Carter.

The beloved Australian personalities, who met during season six of the show, welcomed their first son, Ollie, in 2020. Within two years, they knew they wanted to grow their little family.

Then, in 2023, that moment finally came.

"I was like, 'Oh my God. Is this actually real?' The line was so faint I had it on every angle possible. I was like is this just real or is it because I want it to be there," Jules told Mamamia's Diary of a Birth podcast.

"It didn't feel real because I'd been waiting so long for it."

Listen to Jules Robinson's birth story with Carter on Mamamia's Diary of a Birth podcast. Post continues below.

Despite being in peak health, Jules's pregnancy felt different this time, being in her 40s.

But, overall, it was another enjoyable experience, and when it came time to give birth, Jules was raring to go.

Her birth experience with Ollie was nothing short of amazing, and she hoped for the same with Carter.

"My birth wish completely came true. It was a four-hour birth… My husband was amazing, and I couldn't have asked for a better birth wish that really did happen for me," she said.

Go time was fast approaching.

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"I went and did water aerobics and there was a midwife in the pool. I was like, 'I've had all the chilli. I've had the pineapple. I've done this and that'," Jules said.

The woman told her that the only thing that really works is sex.

So, off Jules went to have "the most comical sex you could ever imagine".

And it worked.

"Within two hours later, my water broke, so there's got to be something in that," she said.

"It broke like the movies, not like a little trickle. I got up and was like, 'Oh my God, we're on.'"

Mamamia's in-house expert Melbourne-based paediatrician Dr Daniel Golshevsky explained the science behind it.

"There isn't a huge amount of science to back this up… Theoretically semen does contain prostaglandins, the substance which ripens the cervix, and sex also releases oxytocin in women, which increases the strength of contractions," he told Diary of a Birth.

"Also nipple stimulation, which is usually done by babies with feeding but can be done by partners, also releases oxytocin."

As for the other old wives' tales, well, many are simple just that.

"Curry, long walks, headstands — I'm sorry, no," Dr Golly said.

"Do what you enjoy is the bottom line."

Jules pregnant with Carter. Image: Instagram/julesrobinson82.

Jules's preeclampsia struggle.

In the hospital, Jules was wondering if she was in for another quick birth. That answer soon became glaringly clear.

"I wanted to have a different birth than last time to experience something new. I got into the bath. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't for me," she said.

"Eventually, I was knackered. It was like a two-day bender."

Moving back to bed, Jules and Cam shared a silent but knowing moment.

"Cam and I looked each other in the eyes — by this time it was 6am, I'd been giving it all — our eyes just basically said if I'm not fully dilated I don't care. Get this baby out of me, I am done," Jules said.

Luckily, she was told the news she wanted to hear. She was fully dilated. That was it.

"I just had to dig deep," she said.

"It was 13 hours in the end. At the end, my husband was like, 'You are incredible' and if I had enough energy, I would've been like, 'I f****** know'… This took every bit of energy from me."

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The health concerns didn't end when Carter was born.

Jules found herself struck down by a headache, but she thought it was just tiredness from being up with the newborn. It was only when a midwife paid her a visit at home and checked her blood pressure that she realised it was much more serious.

She had preeclampsia, a serious condition of pregnancy, usually characterised by high blood pressure, protein in the urine and severe swelling.

A preeclampsia diagnosis is unusual after birth rather than during pregnancy, but it's something that can happen to anyone, Dr Golly says.

"In that moment I didn't care about me. I was like, 'I'll be fine'. I didn't want to go back to hospital, I was busy nesting," Jules said.

"The seriousness of it was, if I didn't get it under control, I could've had a stroke, which is just devastating to think.

"Here you are with this beautiful thing that's just happened and then there's this side effect."

Jules with baby Carter. Image: Instagram/julesrobinson82

Despite wanting to stay home with bub, Jules knew she needed to put her health first and go back to the hospital. Doctors eventually found medication that worked for her and now, she's fighting fit once again.

Many women will not experience preeclampsia symptoms. That's why regular antenatal check-ups of your blood pressure are so important.

"The most important thing is understanding and appreciating you can be the healthiest person on the planet and still get preeclampsia," Dr Golly said.

Feature image: Instagram/julesrobinson82.