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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

anyone eaten/drunk during labour and NOT been sick?

45 replies

angels1 · 22/11/2010 18:26

I know this is a really odd question to ask, but you see I have a really bad phobia of being sick. Pregnancy so far has been a living nightmare for me as I've had really bad pg nausea (GP sais it's sort of HG but with just nausea, not being sick).

I didn't even know before I got pg that people could be sick during labour and now I find something else to be worried about.

Just wondering how many of you ate/drank during labour but didn't get any sensation of feeling or being sick or if it's inevitable?

I'm the sort of person that has crazy blood sugar levels so know if it's possible to eat and I feel up to it in labour, I'll be better off as I'll feel much better eating, but I don't want to make myself sick Confused

OP posts:
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OnlyWantsOne · 22/11/2010 18:27

guzzled lucozade + had pethidine, and no sick from me :)

whomovedmychocolate · 22/11/2010 18:29

Toast, tea, coffee, sticky buns, chocolate. No vomiting.

Did a big poo afterwards though!

nikki1978 · 22/11/2010 18:30

I ate toast when I was about 5-6cm I think and was sick - was ok after waters had gone but was not in active labour.

I think it is best not to eat and to get sugar from a drink.

itsatiggerday · 22/11/2010 18:30

Yes, I did and had a similar pregnancy. Just little things and often. Squash rather than pure juice and I had taken someone's advice and chilled all the bottles so they were cold which I was grateful for. Then little bits of things, sunflower seeds, bites of cereal bars (soft ones not ultra chewy) banana in v small quantities. And they were long enough that I needed food.

But mostly, don't worry too much. Labour is unpredictable in lots of ways and I think one way to get through it as smoothly as possible is to sit quite loose to specific expectations. I'm quite a control freak and when I finally gave in and just went with the flow it was a lot easier to cope with.

Good luck.

VivaLeBeaver · 22/11/2010 18:33

Me, I had cheese sandwichs and a whole full size Easter Egg.

PaulineMole · 22/11/2010 18:35

in my second labour i had lots of tea, toast, juice and wine gums, to no ill effect. the midwife recommended that i eat due to lots of ketones in my urine sample.

angels1 · 22/11/2010 18:36

a whole easter egg vivalebeaver? That is impressive.

I've already brought bottles of water, lucazade, diet coke and juice to take to hospital (I swear I'll need a suitcase the amount I'm taking!) and will take various bits of food too (if not for during labour then after). Maybe I should get some ribena too.

OP posts:
Abcinthia · 22/11/2010 19:03

I ate and drank during labour and was fine.

I was sick about half an hour later though, but that had nothing to do with the food/drink; the midwife shoved the thermometer really hard in my mouth and I gagged on it.

mrsbigw · 22/11/2010 19:03

I had toast before I went in once & was fine. Don't usually feel hungry though although sipped water throughout.
I wasn't sick but when I first get on the gas & air it makes me feel sickly although that soon passed.
Good luck & try not to worry :)

nah1974 · 22/11/2010 19:16

I ate loads of toast with jam & also jelly babies and drank pints of squash - and I was induced. I wasn't sick & I didn't feel sick either. Although to be fair, as like you I have a horror of being sick, I asked for anti-sickness drugs & I refused pethidine/meptid. G&A didn't make me feel sick. I'm sure someone here said that jelly babies were really good if you had low blood sugar but were worried about being sick. They certainly tasted good - I ate an entire bumper pack! Try not to worry (easier said than done, I know). I'm sure you'll be fine!

Metalhead · 22/11/2010 19:18

I drank Lucozade and ate half a sandwich, some pasta salad, a banana and a few cake bars and never felt sick or threw up.

Restrainedrabbit · 22/11/2010 19:21

I have emetophobia too and 3dcs, neither felt sick or was sick during labour and birth. Ate during all of them too!

Nagoo · 22/11/2010 19:22

I was sick from the G&A.

The eating didn't do it. Big lots of haribo....

Marjee · 22/11/2010 19:23

I had tea and toast before I went to hospital and wasn't sick. I have no idea how far along I was at that point but it was about 2 hours before ds was born (things progressed very quickly). I did reach a bit and I said a few times I was going to throw up but the feeling passed quite quickly and I think it was more shock at the speed of the labour than what I'd eaten tbh.

I think you just need to keep an open mind and see how you feel at the time. If you don't feel like eating and force something down theres a good chance you'll throw up but if you feel hungry and don't eat you might not have the energy to cope with the birth. If you are sick you'll probably be too preoccupied with everything else that you won't care anyway Smile

sheeplikessleep · 22/11/2010 19:23

Had cereal bars and water. I didn't feel sick or throw up.

notasausage · 22/11/2010 20:53

I was sick in early labour but that was the codeine the MW gave me to help (never been sick with that before). Ate toast, softmints and drank loads of water but didn't fancy much else - took a bit selection in with me though Grin. Wasn't sick again until coming round from the anaesthetic for emergency surgery and think I may have caught the recovery room nurse Blush

onepieceoflollipop · 22/11/2010 20:59

OP, with dd1 I had severe hg through the pregnancy. I was "banned" from eating and drinking (except water) during my 27 hour labour (long story). During that labour I vomited 7 times due to (imo) low blood sugar and lack of energy.

Pregnancy no.2 I had severe ms, but better than first time round. I had a comparatively "nice" labour - twinges started around 4am and dd2 born safely just after 11.30. On arrival at the hospital my lovely midwife encouraged me to eat tea and toast, which I did. I was sick once, but it was after guzzling some dark chocolate and it was due to (again imo) being drunk on gas and air at the time. As I was eating it I was thinking uhoh this might not be the best thing. :)

TheBreastmilksOnMe · 22/11/2010 22:07

I think that being sick has more to do with the pain you are feeling and 'transition' rather than what you have or havn't eaten. Some women react to it by vomiting, some don't. Eating and drinking would normally help with low blood sugar levels which can make you feel nauseous anyway.

EthelredOnAGoodDay · 22/11/2010 22:11

i wasn't sick at all. You need to eat or drink something to keep your strength up! :o

Casmama · 22/11/2010 22:17

I was really sick but I think it was the co-didramol that I was given. I was then sick after the birth too but think that was the drugs used in the spinal. I just don't think I react very well to opiates

MrsGangly · 23/11/2010 11:04

I had hyperemesis and threw up every day of my pregnancy, EXCEPT the day I gave birth. I kept taking tiny munches of toast and honey and drinking.

Poledra · 23/11/2010 11:13

I ate chocolate raisins, cereal bars, a few bites of sandwich and drank loads of really cold water in all 3 labours (until the epidural went in, then I just drank) water). Not sick at all.

electra · 23/11/2010 11:16

What makes people sick (usually) is the injection they give you to aid expelling the placenta. If you have a delivery without much intervention you won't need this (but often you do need to say you don't want it otherwise they will just stick it in)

So I was sick the first time but for numbers 2 and 3 not and I did eat and drink.

aquavit · 23/11/2010 11:19

angels I think that you really don't need to worry about this (though appreciate that you are likely to worry about SOMETHING!).

When you are in labour you are a lot tougher than normal - so being sick might not be quite so bad as you normally find it, if it comes to that. Also you may not feel you need to eat. I had a very long labour and ate bits and pieces for the first 24 hours or so (porridge was good), then nothing but energy drinks for the rest (think I didn't eat anything for about 48 hours in the end). Wasn't sick at any point and I was raveous afterwards. Of course, everyone's experience is different, but the point is that your body behaves quite differently from usual! and that is OK.

Good luck Smile

sancerrre · 23/11/2010 12:44

I'm planning on eating bananas as apparently they taste the same coming back up as they did going down!