What did you feel like eating and drinking in labour?

[Naomi1smile]

36 weeks and all starting to feel real. Planning my bag but hoping for a home birth and wondering what we should stock up on to eat/drink during labour. I am a grazer at the best of times but have no idea what I will feel like on the day. Any tips??

Nothing!!! Eurgh! I had one square of chocolate and immediately vomitted. Afterwards, however, was another matter!!!!

I did manage lucazade during though - that was really good.

Nothing.

I didn't want anything after either, they bought me toast and DH ate it.

I had (and appreciated) a few cereal bars a little while later though and then demolished a load of lovely soft fruit at lunchtime.

Just water for me too, although I did pack snacks for after the birth. I am also a bit to say that I packed the menu from my favourite local takeaway but in my defence the local hospital has tiny portions, they seem to have no idea that someone who has just been through labour and is nursing might actually want a full tummy.

I sipped water through a straw and sucked glucose tablets to give me energy. I had a fridge full of stuff prepared, smoothies etc, but didn't want any of it in the end. I'd vommed my dinner at the beginning and felt sick most of the way through labour

About a week previous I made a big tupperware of pesto pasta and froze it. As we left for the hospital I grabbed it and it defrosted en route. It was just what I fancied but they wouldnt let me have it once i'd had my epidural as they like you to keep an empty stomach in case of c-section. Couldnt eat my big bag o' sweets and dried fruit either! But it was the right thing to take I think.

During labour I had lucozade, robinsons and digestive biscuits. I did bring lots of snacks which DH had (it was a 21 hour labour!). Before the pushing stage the mw asked if I had any sugary snacks, luckily I had some jelly babies. Good for short burst of energy.

Lucozade sport (the flat sort with a sports cap so easy to drink) - good as I didn't want to eat anything but it has carbs etc so keeps you hydrated and gives energy without being fizzy and bloating.

MW gave me a dextrose/glucose tablet/sweet thing just before I was ready to push which I didn't want but was actually good once I had it, will definitely take some of them myself this time.

Was unbelievably hungry afterwards though - was never offered the mythical NHS tea and toast but had some oatcakes in my bag which kept me going until lunch came!

PS. I posted earlier saying how hungry I was after labour. But I should add that I also vomited during labour - I just wanted the sugary tea/hot chocolate for energy right at the end. The real hunger came afterwards :)

I didn't feel like eating or drinking anything in labour. About 8 weeks ago I was wondering the same thing though and juice cartons with straws were recommended here and by my sister as it is easier to drink through a straw. I made the mistake of buying sugar-free juice when this was one time I really needed the sugar. They did have cold water at the hospital too. I also got some cereal bars, thinking they would be easy to eat and give me energy. I wanted to take jaffa cakes and chocolat hobnobs but thought they would probably melt. Boiled sweets were good afterwards when I really needed the sugar as it was 10am and I hadn't eaten since tea the previous day.

Long labour - started at 4am, had my usual bowl of cereal at 8am on autopilot, spent the day mainly in birthing pool being passed grapes and water and chocolate milk and bananas, but I'm told I only actually ate half a bunch of grapes and half a banana and drank loads over the next 12 hours. Got epidural round 8pm then ate nothing until 5pm except half a bottle of chocolate milk in the morning before they told me not to. This might have partly caused me throwing up over the lovely theatre staff.

As soon as ds was born and I'd finished chundering, I was ravenous, but had to wait half an hour while they did stuff in the recovery room - someone made the mistake of telling me they don't do tea and toast at that hospital and I lost it a bit! Turned out to then be more issues but finally DH gave me my maltloaf and I wolfed down the hospital dinner which was quite tasty. Ate loads for the next month and had sugar in my tea too for the first time ever - I figured it's good for shock and childbirth has to be a shock to the system!

In contrast SIL felt sick all through labour and didn't want to eat much for ages afterwards.

My labour was only 2.5 hours and started at lunch time when I was cooking bacon and eggs for a bacon and egg sandwhich! I finished making and eating the sandwhich but had to put my French choc chip pastry twist thingy in the fridge for afterwards, as I started to feel sick! We had bought a load of Innocent fruit smoothies to drink for energy during a long labour, but they weren't needed at the time as it was all over so fast. I drank a little water, when I was in the pool (my partner held a cup with a straw out to me between contractions, so I could drink hands free) but that's all. Big mug of tea afterwards - with my pastry! Smoothies were all glugged in the first week after the birth when I was super hungry and thirsty ALL the time. I think I ate every half an hour all day every day! Also ate massive quantity of dried figs, prune and dates that first week after the birth but still didn't go to the loo properly for 5 days!!!

I was in labour for a couple of days and didn't eat or drink a thing. I couldn't face it. I had an emcs finally at 10pm ish and the kitchens were closed so wasn't allowed to eat afterwards. I was starving the next day. They did rehydrate me though with a drip as I was in a bit of a state.