My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

Childbirth

Eating in labour

31 replies

wobblymum · 29/05/2003 10:39

I'm really keen on eating during my labour if it's quite long and the mw has said I can do this as long as it's only light snacks but how much do you think would be too much? I don't know how much I'll need to keep my strength up. I'm going to take honey and glucose tablets but if that's not enough, would a few cereal bars and a banana or two be ok?

Thing is, I'm worried about the reaction if I have to have an anaesthetic but if I manage to keep up enough strength to push properly, that could stop the need for one. Also, what about accident victims who happen to have just eaten a huge meal and then get rushed into hospital and need loads of anaesthetic. They cope ok, so how big is the risk really?

This sounds like a really stupid question but I keep thinking about it because I'm worried about all the 'risks' and things that could go wrong.

OP posts:
Report
LucieB · 29/05/2003 10:51

I ate a bit during my labour. At first didn't feel like eating anything, then after a fair few hours, started to munch bananas and sip Ribena out of a carton. That kept my energy levels up. Once I had an epidural (after about 10 hours of labouring) I ate some crisps which came back up just after I delivered my ds. Don't know whether that was because of the anaesthetic or just the whole body shock of giving birth. I would also really recommend one of those cool water sprays you can get from Boots....and some sweets to suck.

Report
bubbly · 29/05/2003 11:02

We were advised freezing red grape juice into ice cube tray as cold and refreshing but gives a little energy rush. LuciB those spray things are fab, really fine misty spray - lovely.

Report
Meid · 29/05/2003 11:09

I had a full dinner while in the delivery room. I had gone on a long time and still had quite a way to go so the midwife made sure I had dinner. I can't remember what it was though as I was pretty spaced out on the drugs - I just remember having to pause eating during contractions!

Report
Twink · 29/05/2003 11:16

When my first contractions started I decided a cheese sandwich would be a good thing to eat for breakfast.

Not a good decision, within 2 hours I was throwing up almost every minute and it took a long time before dh could even think about eating cheese again..

Report
bondgirl · 29/05/2003 11:18

Good luck Wobblymum. I ate loads through my second labour, loads and loads of toast and sugary tea, and it was fantastic. It was a long labour and so I really needed to eat! Bananas and energy bars are good too.Find out what the policy of your hospital is. Some midwives are very pro-eating. You might find another midwife tells you a different story from the "official" line.

Report
ninja · 29/05/2003 11:21

I was recommended to eat something that would - how shall I say it - make it easier to go to the toilet after IYSWIM. I had dries fruit, good for energy and making everything 'softer'! it's no point putting that moment off!

Saying that I projectile vomited all over the 2 midwives and the paediatrician, I have to say that was very impressive.

The main thing I wanted was LOTS of water - especially with gas and air and one of those sports bottles which are easy to drink out of is a good idea.

Report
doormat · 29/05/2003 11:27

I only ate in labour once and that was enough. I vomitted everywhere. Yuck.

Report
HZL · 29/05/2003 11:30

I packed a veritable feast to take into hospital for my labour - sandwiches, bananas, dried fruit, glucose tablets, sports drinks, home-made flapjack - and ate precisely none of it. I felt vaguely nauseous with each contraction, and the only thing I could tolerate was watered down sports drink, sipped out of one of those water sports bottles. And this was only because dh insisted. I didn't have any pain relief to make me nauseous either (until they called a halt to three hours of non-productive pushing and wheeled me into theatre for a spinal block and ventouse). If you want to eat and can tolerate it, then go for it - I think its encouraged these days - otherwise just make sure you're well hydrated. Labour wards can be hot places.

Report
WideWebWitch · 29/05/2003 11:32

Wobblymum, I don't think you'll feel like eating too much, but I ate small snacks while I was in labour at the beginning and I think you'll be fine.

I've just been reading Safer Childbirth? By Marjorie Tew (thanks for recommending it mears) and she says

"Precautionary Starvation.
Obstetricians have been increasingly disposed to deal with unforeseen complications by carrying out operative deliveries for which general anaethethsia may be required. Maternal death may occur if an anaesthetised woman vomits and inhales the contents of her stomach. To guard against this danger, obstetricians have made it standard practice in recent years to withhold (or drastically ration) food and drink for all labouring women, although in 1988-9 only a small minority of them were delivered by an unplanned caesarian section and despite the more frequent use of regional anaesthesia. For a woman whose labour lasts longer than her normal fasting time between meals this is a weakening deprivation at a time when when considerable physical and emotional exertions are being demanded of her body. The longer her starvation the more likely it is to upset the woman's normal blood chemistry and reduce the efficiency of her muscles...Deprivation of nourishment and refreshment may well aggravate the complications which then have to be treated by operative delivery. Likewise, it probably weakens the foetus and contributes to the diagnosed distress which triggers the intervention. And so a vicious circle is set up. Avoiding one danger which could affect a small minority is achieved by courting other dangers which affect a large majority. No study has yet confirmed that the advantage of pursuing the former objective outweighs the disadvantages of suffering the consequences."

So your instinct that you may need to eat to keep your strength makes sense. I expect mears or leese or pupuce can add more but to my knowledge, women aren't stopped from eating during labour any more. HTH.

Report
WideWebWitch · 29/05/2003 11:35

BTW, I typed out most of the passage so it made sense, but it clearly isn't standard practice to withhold food any more. Yuk to all the puking stories here, I too puked a whole carton of Ribena seconds after drinking it. Nice.

Report
bubbly · 29/05/2003 11:39

I didnt puke quite the opposite as I tried the home remedy of castor oil to try and kick start an overdue baby. Midwife was suitably unimpressed.Luckily it cleared the system before I had to push otherwise it doesnt bear thinking about.

Report
wobblymum · 29/05/2003 12:09

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I think I'll take loads of squash and fruit juice and a few snacks and just see how it goes. I bought a big pack of mini boxes of raisins because I thought they'd be good for energy and useful afterwards!!!!

Probably just get into labour, not feel like eating anything and then wonder why I spent so much time thinking about it!!!!!

OP posts:
Report
wobblymum · 29/05/2003 12:10

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I think I'll take loads of squash and fruit juice and a few snacks and just see how it goes. I bought a big pack of mini boxes of raisins because I thought they'd be good for energy and useful afterwards!!!!

Probably just get into labour, not feel like eating anything and then wonder why I spent so much time thinking about it!!!!!

OP posts:
Report
milch · 29/05/2003 15:04

I was advised by all my mwives, GPs, obs, 'Eat as much as you like, when you like. Your body will tell you when and what. If you're the type who's going to throw up during labour, then eating or fasting won't make any difference (other than it being very unpleasant to try to vomit on an empty stomach).' With one labour I couldn't bear food, with the other I couldn't stop stuffing my face. But with both I was absolutely overwhelmingly ravenous for at least 48 hours afterwards. Make sure you've got something carbohydraty in your labour bag for afterwards. Good luck

Report
Pimpernel · 29/05/2003 16:24

I had dd at home, so dp kept running down to the kitchen to make banana smoothies for me - minimal effort needed to 'eat' them. I also found satsumas very refreshing. I tried a slice of toast, but didn't find it appealing at the time.

Report
elliott · 29/05/2003 16:28

I didn't have time or inclination to eat the sandwiches I'd made for labour, but I sure was glad to have them in the middle of the night afterwards!!

Report
mears · 29/05/2003 20:04

There are lots of different policies regarding eating in labour. As wickedwaterwitch's copying of Marjory Tew's book says there is really no evidence for the starving of women. In our unit the midwifery women can eat, the ones under the care of the doctor cannot. Hopefully that will change, but the reasoning is that there may be more likely to need an anaesthetic because they have complications in labour. I am not convinced myself. I have all women in labour have different needs regarding eating. Some want to, some don't. I do not think they should be restricted.

Report
ZsaZsa · 29/05/2003 20:45

You need to do what ever you feel like doing in labour, so take some food in case you feel like it!
I puked on the way into a caesarian after a 12 hour labour - if it happens at that point, you will probably have the mindset "so what!"

Report
M2T · 29/05/2003 20:47

mental note - ZsaZsa had a 12 hour labour then a CS. Must investigate

Report
Philippat · 29/05/2003 21:00

At the time I didn't worry about it (more important things on my mind) but looking back it does worry me that I was given a tablet ' to settle my stomach' on admitance and then told I couldn't eat anything after that.

As I gave birth about 3 hours later it wasn't really an issue (I'd had pancakes at 4am at home when I first got contractions), but if I had my time again I'd have queried it and probably refused it.

Anyone else had this or know what it was?

Report
codswallop · 29/05/2003 21:02

I had a mars bar against midwife instructions, Fan bloody tastic. Pushed Baby out in seconds

A mars a Day helps you work rest and...
(COMPETITION TIME!!)

Report
ZsaZsa · 29/05/2003 21:08

Pantz
i woz Meanin' to swap names back 4 that post but tooo intoxicateted
M2T u iz sharp az a sickle wot az been sharpened maximally

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

M2T · 29/05/2003 21:11

mental note - ZsaZsa drinks, therefore not breastfeeding or pregnant. Keep investigating

Report
ZsaZsa · 29/05/2003 21:16

M2T
you iz like a steppin' razor
you'z dangerous

Report
mears · 30/05/2003 00:44

Philipat - it was an antacid - probably Ranitidine. We give it every 6 hours to women in labour who are not allowed to eat. It is given incase you need a general anaesthetic. Pregnant women are at risk of aspirating stomach contents when they are given a general anaesthetic, so it is common to keep the stomach empty of food and the acid neutralised with the tablet. Whether it is absolutely necessary is the unanswered question. Doctors believe it is necessary, not everyone agrees.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.