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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

What did you eat during labour?

74 replies

spannermary · 05/03/2012 12:16

...I've been reading advice and there's lots of people saying "dried apricots and bananas".

I hate bananas and apricots don't float my boat, either...I'd rather have a snickers and a chicken sandwich any day! Maybe a cereal bar or 2...Not too healthy though - and nothing terribly complex about the carbs in that lot!

But then I've not been through labour yet (35 weeks) so who knows what I'll fancy when I'm there.

So - what were your top labour snacks?

OP posts:

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Juule · 05/03/2012 17:54

Lucozade

JazleEd · 05/03/2012 18:08

I wasnt allowed to eat the whole 13 hours of labour!! only drunk water. but once I nicked a bit of my boyfriends pepsi max drink my daughter then arrived. the powers of pepsi max haha.

SherlockKnomes · 05/03/2012 18:13

er I sent DH out for donuts and muffins but I was in transition. I ate some though!

Chaotica · 05/03/2012 18:20

I was another one not allowed to eat for the 14 hours I was at the hospital (had been in labour for ages before that, and been eating as normally as 4 min contractions would allow). DP was pleased to be able to dig into the stash of snacks we'd take though.

Purplehonesty · 05/03/2012 18:27

My dh brought me ham sandwiches and biscuits but I was told I couldn't eat so I waited til the midwife went out and scoffed them.
I don't do well when not fed and thought I'd rather be sick than scream at the midwife in a mad fishwife style!
Cereal bars later on too I seem to remember but it's all a bit of a haze

KenDoddsDadsDog · 05/03/2012 18:28

Nothing! I wasn't allowed anything.

RockinD · 05/03/2012 19:59

With DD1 had evening meal with contractions 20 mins apart, went to bed, no breakfast, late lunch (DD born 1311)

With DD2 I didn't realise I was in labour, so breakfast, three course Sunday lunch, soup, gammon with all the trimmings, fruit pie and custard, came home, went to hospital, DD2 born at 1815.

On that occasion I missed the hospital evening meal by 15 minutes. They offered me no food until breakfast. I was starving! And no, I wasn't sick and I didn't poo myself.

ZuzuBailey · 05/03/2012 20:15

Nothing. It didn't occur to me to eat or drink anything - I just didn't feel like it.

But the tea and toast afterwards was the best meal ever.

AllPastYears · 05/03/2012 20:28

Nothing. And when it was all over, the veggie meal I was offered was potatoes with fake mince - I'll eat just about anything veggie but fake meat... Hospital shop was closed by then, wish I'd taken some food in!

ivykaty44 · 05/03/2012 20:30

I wasnt allowed to eat and did have an emcs, the second labour I wasn't allowed to eat and everyone could hear my stomach rumbling as I was sooo hungry.

The midwife promised me toast as soon as I had delivered to try to get me to get a spurt on

SausageSmuggler · 05/03/2012 20:41

I was still on the ward (induced) when it was lunchtime and I remember being told to eat something for energy and stupidly ordered salmon, veg and potatoes. The potatoes were the only bit that got touched - partly due to the fact that I was having contractions one on top of the other meaning I couldn't talk let alone eat. Then I had an epidural and wasn't allowed anything anyway. Just as well, I vomited copiously about 2 mins after DS came out.

RecursiveMoon · 05/03/2012 20:43

I can report that Jelly Belly jelly beans are not the ideal labour snack . For some reason, I thought that they would be.

festive · 05/03/2012 22:39

Nothing. Felt horrendously nauseous the whole time (24 hrs). Drank loads of water and sucked a whole pack of Lucozade sweets. Midwife got me a cheese sandwhich and a cup of tea afterwards about 3am! I had packed jelly sweets, mini cheddars, flapjacks etc but could not stomach any of it.

Original poster

spannermary · 06/03/2012 19:03

Thanks for the feedback! (Do you see what I did there? ...I'll get me coat...)

So I'm going to pack cereal bars that I like, and a few boost bars too (good call!) as well as some cracker breads/cheesy biscuits etc. I'm loving the melon/grapes idea too - i'll keep a supply in the house because I can see how refreshing they'd be.

And if I can't eat them, I can't eat them. It's a good thing I know that now because I always like to know where my next meal is coming from, and if I was suddenly told I wasn't allowed food that'd upset me! So now I can prepare for that eventuality.

And I'll avoid the jellybabies!

OP posts:

Molehillmountain · 06/03/2012 20:49

Chocolate cake that I baked between contractions

PavlovtheCat · 06/03/2012 20:57

Nothing.
1st pg, Dh tried to force feed me burger and chips as midwife on phone said it would be a while so try to get me to eat something, I had like one chip. Then just before final stage had a lull, ate toast and jam, it came back up next contraction.

Second pg. first contraction 7.30am or so, had some toast, promptly threw it up. In hospital, threw up whatever might have been left in stomach during big contraction.

If I have another baby, I won't bother eating anything.

mumofjust1 · 06/03/2012 21:00

I wasn't allowed to eat or drink!

Towards the end of my (15 hour) labour, I was allowed chips of ice and dextrose energy tablets, but that's it.

whathaveIletmyselfinfor · 06/03/2012 21:00

the plastic mouthpiece on the gas and air!

PavlovtheCat · 06/03/2012 21:01

But. Dh was very very hungry at 10pm and had to peg it to get some pizza. Shop was shut. It was mainly for his benefit that the midwife did tea and toast at the gap of calmness I had.

So, might be worth taking something for him if he is going to be there!

susiegrapevine · 06/03/2012 21:03

Nothing. Took some paracetemol when labour started and threw that up and didn't want to eat so just drunk lucozade sport as it gives the sports people energy and is not fizzy like the normal stuff

Flisspaps · 06/03/2012 21:03

I ate nothing because I was induced, and they don't 'allow' you to eat because of the increased CS risk. I had dextrose tablets for energy. IIRC there was also (possibly) a drip given alongside the syntometrine which may have been for fluids.

This time I have dextrose tablets in my bag in case I can't face anything, but I shall eat what and when I please - I'm planning to be at home.

EdlessAllenPoe · 06/03/2012 21:05

nothing. am amazed anyone can hold down food in labour...

just aswell i didn't have long to wait.

MrTumblesCrackWhore · 06/03/2012 21:08

those 'Eat Natural' yoghurt coated cereal bar type things. Twix, Biting the caramel bit off the biscuit first distracted me in the early stages of labour. Lemon Sherbets (nearly choked though when a contraction started and tried to suck the gas and air nozzle too vigorously). Glucose tablets. Ginger beer (flat)

All came up a couple of hours later in several kidney bowls of vom.

SootySweepandSue · 06/03/2012 21:08

Didn't eat a thing sorry. Drugs took over.

madaboutmadmen · 06/03/2012 21:09

I had toast early on but didn't get change to speak never mind eat once things got going! (fast labour)

Jaffa cakes are good for energy.

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