Hospital snacks

[MummyWeatherwax]

Hello

I've read lots of advice saying to take snacks in to hospital for during/after labour.

My question is what type of snacks are best?
Should it be slow energy release things like flapjacks, quick release like chocolate or energy drinks, do I want crisps, sandwiches? Healthy things like nuts and seeds?

Obviously its my first time, and I'm probably asking things that are completely obvious to anyone who's done it before, but I'd rather know what works well.

Thank you!

[melliebobs]

I packed the punnets from my Graze box
Haribo tangfastics and Jaffa cakes

Tbh during labour I really wasn't hungry

[MrsHoarder]

Didn't eat anything in labour. But was glad for a pack of biscuits on the ward afterwards.

[nickeldaisical]

anything you want to eat.

I wouldn't just take snacks, either.

i had a homebirth and in the time it took to give birth from when the MWs stayed and didn't leave, I ate and drank enough to feed a small country.

so have sandwiches, pizza slices, crisps, chocolate, flapjacks etc and orange juice as well as asking them for water and tea.

[nickeldaisical]

and it doesn't matter if you don't eat them before the birth, you'll want them afterwards!

[cupcake78]

I packed some cereal bars. If I was doing it again I'd take stuff for after the birth not during. Maybe even to the point of a small packed picnic. Wasn't hungry during the birth but blinking starving during the night afterwards!

Next time I'll be taking in cereal bars, nuts, fruit, chocolate and some sweets to make the night feeds on the ward bearable. Oh and some squash to dilute the water with!

[roundtable]

I had jelly beans, lucozade, bottle of undiluted squash and rescue remedy for during labour which was good for me. My hospital has lots of shops so I didn't really take anything for after labour.

I'm planning on taking the same this time too! Better to have it and not want it I think. Good luck op. :)

[Mollydoggerson]

You really don't need to bother with this.

[nickeldaisical]

am i really the only one who ate solidly through labour ?

[GoldenGreen]

take anything you like - you may or may not want to eat during labour but you will want something substantial after!

[Lirogiro]

I was induced and wasn't supposed to eat anything in case inneeded a c section( which i did end up having). My dp sneaked me energy tablets though which tasted amazing and i'm sure gave me more stamina.

[milk]

Cereal bars are useful :)

[cooper44]

I only ate through the early stages rather than later but granola bars are great as they have lots of slow release oats etc but also sugar so cover all bases. then during later stages I was drinking ribena like it was going out of fashion - I had a looooong labour though and was so knackered by the end stages I needed the sugar.

[Katienana]

I've got 2 slim bars of dairy milk, packet of fizzy jellies, cereal bars, trail mix and rice cakes. Plan to grab some fruit before leaving house, and also have a fancy flask that has an ice stick to keep my water cool. Hospital has lots of shops and vending machines to buy additional drinks (I'm thinking lucozade will be good). Is also walking distance to M&S so DH can be dispatched there if necessary for naice salads, sandwiches, fruit etc.

[scentednappyhag]

I ate a pizza (yes, a whole one ) before getting to the hospital, then vomited it promptly into my DH's lap...
I packed mint imperials for labour, I'd recommend them, even if it's just for bribing the midwife
And all I could face to eat afterwards was chocolate and capri-suns.
I'm not painting myself in a particularly healthy light here, am I?!

[MummyWeatherwax]

These are exactly the kind of things I wanted to know - Thanks guys!

[leannac]

I took loads of snacks into hospital but couldn't eat or drink at all during labour