Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

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.

1 2

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

What food/drink did you take for labour?

46 replies

Alarae · 21/02/2020 17:35

Obviously being on maternity leave (and bored out of my mind!) I am constantly thinking of snacks.

What did/are you planning to take to hospital for during labour? Midwife suggested lucozade but I can't stand the stuff- far too sugary. Any other ideas for that?

I am thinking of bringing oat based/cereal bars (eg Belvita soft bakes) as snacks and also my water bottle. Maybe some chocolate... As why not?! How much did people bring? Did you even want to eat anything during labour?

OP posts:

Report

LillianFullStop · 21/02/2020 17:49

I brought chocolates and those protein bounce bars.

LowcaAndroidow · 21/02/2020 17:52

I didn’t want to eat anything during labour but was hungry after. I did bring lucozade though and sipped it when I could.

Beseen19 · 21/02/2020 17:57

I took the lucozade isotonic still drink and downed it during labour and then instantly brought it right back up. Needless to say the second birth I didnt pack any food or drink at all apart from mints/lozenge type sugar free sweets as gas and air makes my mouth incredibly dry. Even after the birth both times it takes me a good half a day to even think about eating and I'm someone who constantly is eating or thinking about eating.

RhymingRabbit3 · 21/02/2020 17:57

Nature valley protein bars
Jelly babies
Nuts
A big bar of chocolate for after

pinkdressinggown · 21/02/2020 18:03

I had gestational diabetes, so had to make do with a big hunk of cheese and some almonds

Gazelda · 21/02/2020 18:05

Jaffa cakes. But as soon as labour started, just the thought of them made me sick. I couldn't face them for a couple of weeks afterwards.

I'd take protein bars, bananas, cereal bars. Boiled sweets. Mints. Lots and lots of drink.

BillyAndTheSillies · 21/02/2020 18:06

Both times I was induced and wasn't allowed anything to eat or drink in case of needing surgery.

I had packed things though. Nature valley bars, dried fruit and nuts. Drinks wise, Capri suns (I'd frozen them so they'd slowly defrost and be refreshing). They turned out great to eat once I was on the post natal ward and I was up feeding through the night.

happytoday73 · 21/02/2020 18:06

First time... Some of my favourite things.
After that... Things for my husband and water and boiled sweets for me. The sweets were to help with the fact I throw up everything in labour... (which isn't great if long labour)

cheesefries · 21/02/2020 18:13

Jelly babies and crisps. I lounged in the pool occasionally being fed by DH when I needed a sugar boost between surges but mostly wasn't anywhere near as interested in food as I expected both times. Stuffed my face straight after though!

Squashpocket · 21/02/2020 18:16

First time - Still lucozade and wine gums. Threw it all back up
Second time - nothing

SpaceDinosaur · 21/02/2020 19:19

Lucozade hydroactive. Isotonic so really useful but not too sweet.

Orange jelly babies.

There was more in the bag but that's all I actually ate. DH must have had a feast because all I wanted was sips of my drinks (water as well) and orange jelly babies

happymummy12345 · 21/02/2020 19:20

Nothing

AmazingGreats · 21/02/2020 19:37

Half my suitcase was food and drinks. I didn't eat or drink during labour itself as wasn't allowed, but afterwards I ate mountains and was grateful for it all because the hospital offerings could not cope with the colossal appetite I got after labour and with breastfeeding. Not sure if it was hormonal or something, but if I hadn't had a good stash I think I may have eaten the baby !

Beef jerky, crackers, spread, porridge pots, noodle pots, pasta pots, cereal, biscuits, protein bars, granola bars, protein balls, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, coffee sachets, a travel mug. Basically everything I could make with hot water and that didn't go off. I did bring a fair bit home but handy having snacks in the early days anyway. And

ELM8 · 21/02/2020 19:43

I took an obscene amount of snacks with me, the reality was I didn't eat anything for the nearly 40hr labour as I felt so sick. Couldn't even stomach any drink that wasn't water. No harm in being prepared though! DH made use of the snacks as we were there so long...

Fairypiggy · 21/02/2020 19:47

I took crisps which was a mistake as my mouth got dry with the gas and air so DH ended up eating them.

Babdoc · 21/02/2020 19:51

Nothing! In those days (30 years ago) we all stayed nil by mouth in case we needed emergency surgery.
I had a slice of hospital toast and a cup of tea after delivery, then went home - to avoid the prospect of a ghastly hospital lunch.

kateybeth79 · 21/02/2020 20:29

I remember taking Jelly Babies and Snackajacks but couldn't eat anything without throwing it back up again. Tbh I was in too much pain to be hungry!

MrsCrosbyNRTB · 21/02/2020 20:32

Isotonic orange lucozade and ready salted hula hoops. I felt slightly queasy so didn’t have much but they certainly helped

heymammi · 21/02/2020 20:50

Water and a Burger King 😂
This was long time ago and was very young and I got the bus to the hospital with a tiny bag as I was going to be induced. I drank so much water as it was one of the hottest day that year but I couldn't face any food but literally as soon as baby came out I asked for a Burger King as it was across the road from the hospital back when I used to still eat meat!

Obsidian77 · 21/02/2020 20:52

Haribo.

WhatHaveIFound · 21/02/2020 20:56

First time - jelly babies, energy bars, Lucozade tablets, plus juice & water. Threw most of it up.

Second time - took nothing as I was expecting to be sent home after they'd checked my waters had gone. Sent DH out for a bottle os water and he came back with a newspaper . Labour ended up so quick that DS had been born before I got a glass of tap water.

TorysSuckRevokeArticle50 · 21/02/2020 21:06

Didnt eat anything during labour but was absolutely starving afterwards and got given no food as missed dinner hour (had DD just after 6pm) and no one bought me any toast or anything.

Thankfully I had crisps, chocolate, pepperami bars and fruit in my bag, as well as one of those teeny super concentrated fruit squash things to add to water.

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!

Email address

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Feetupteashot · 21/02/2020 21:13

Didn't want anything in labour. Blooming starving afterwards and craved a m&s Xmas sandwich which wasn't available, it being July.
Big bottle of water and cereal bars. Anything you can open and eat one handed whilst trying to get baby to feed / sleep

MsChatterbox · 21/02/2020 22:19

I took snacks like Cereal bars and Crisps etc. What I really wanted was a proper sandwich or wrap. So this time I plan to somehow get some from tesco before getting to the hospital if things start smoothly.

Verbena87 · 21/02/2020 22:22

First time mum/distance runner/hippy so I took organic cereal bars and dried apricots.

Luckily my sister was there (2 kids) and brought the tonnes of sweets I actually wanted.

Flip

1 2

Please create an account

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