In today’s incredibly weird foodie news, a pizza restaurant has claimed that its pizza is so darn good that it throws pregnant people into straight-up labor. That must be one fantastic pizza, amiright?
In northern California, Skipolini’s “Prego” Pizza — which is both a play on the Italian word for “you’re welcome” and “pregnant,” among other uses — is beloved for its witchcraft power to send folks right into the delivery room. In fact, the restaurant not only has a page dedicated to its myth, but they’ve also got about a hundred actual testimonials from people who’ve gone into labor after enjoying the Prego pie.
According to its story, “In the spring of 1981, a woman desperate to give birth after a trying pregnancy, wandered into Skipolini’s Pizza in downtown Clayton. Jokingly, the woman demanded that the manager give her a pizza that would make her have the baby soon. Seeing her desperation, the manager concocted a pizza with just about every known topping in the restaurant. ”
In fact, he made a pizza with pretty much every topping ever, including loads of onions, meat, garlic, and veggies.
After she ate the pie, she went into labor that night. Maybe it was a certain spice (as spicy foods are anecdotally said to do the trick) or the alleged four pounds of pizza that did the trick?
The pizza myth made its rounds after that, with OBGYNs even recommending the pie to their clients.
Several media outlets have covered the Prego Pizza, inspiring hundreds to try what it has to offer.
Maybe the pizza is merely a symbol of the finish line for highly pregnant mothers, but for whatever reason, it seems to work.
One of the website’s testimonials comes from Lois, who gave birth to a daughter after jokingly hitting up the pizza joint:
“I really didn’t think it would work and took it as a joke. Later that night I sent all my girlfriends an email saying, ‘This pizza didn’t work, all it did was give me worse heartburn.'”
BUT guess what happened:
“WELL, the joke was on me! At 4:20 a.m., I woke up to my water breaking, and Lola Camille was born at 4:27 p.m. on May 11th, before my body had a chance to completely digest the 5 slices of prego pizza I had the night before! She was 4 weeks early, and had I took the legend to heart I definatly would have waited and let her cook a little longer!”
One guy, David, said the same thing:
“We were almost a week overdue, and my wife was about done being pregnant and wanted to deliver. I convinced her that the Prego Pizza might do the trick. She ate one slice. 2:30 a.m. that night her water broke and we were on our way to the hospital! I highly recommend it!”
Of course, there’s no actual scientific evidence that pizza works these wonders, but some herbs have been linked to inducing labor.
That’s because some herbs increase certain hormones that can help get the body ready.
Still, the medical community doesn’t endorse many of these techniques.
In actuality, the more plausible idea is that a pizza restaurant is probably managed by a little old Italian strega — aka witch — who probably sprinkled in a dash of this and that into the sauce to help mothers along. Buon appetito!
Whatever the cause, people have really leaned into the myth of Skipolini’s pizza.
It’s kind of become its own little community.
Maybe it’s wishful thinking or the power of suggestion, but those testimonials (and all those pictures) say something: Pizza is a miracle worker.
And, it’s delicious. It’s a win-win!
We’ll be filing this one under, “SKEPTICAL BUT TOTALLY WILLING TO TRY.” Yum.
