What did you eat during labour?

[spannermary]

...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?

With first labour, cereal bars and an apple early on. It all came back up later on tho (sorry!). By the end I was v tired and everyone was urging me to eat something, my mum came up with a couple of polos from her handbag so had those, but was feeling too pukey for anything else.

Second labour was at night and only about 4 hrs so not really time to eat anything.

I'm a bit that people got tea and toast!

I had dd at 8pm after quick labour but still last meal was at lunch time and had nothing to eat until 9am the next morning when I had to take myself down to the dayroom, with a new born, to get breakfast as it was too early for visitors and you were expected to fend for yourself they don't tell you that on OBEM!!!

I wasn't allowed to eat

Nothing - didn't really occur to me and then I was whipped in for an EMCS .

Agree with workshy regarding breakfast, it is a nightmare to go to the dayroom, with a baby in a cot on wheels, struggling after a CS and GA to try to make your own breakfast - and no one tells you before that you have to do this.

I was advised to eat pasta. I had macaroni cheese and then threw it all back up.shortly afterwards!

Nothing. :( They didn't tell me once you get the drip you're not allowed to eat, had only had toast the day before as well and didn't get tea or toast afterwards either.

Didn't eat anything during but one of my top tips is to cook a nice pizza before you're due then freeze it. Take it with you in coolbag. It really hit the spot after I'ddelivere d and meant thatDh didn't have to leave to find stuff to eat.

Btw, why on post-natal wards do you have to fend for yourself? Surely that is pretty evil, I mean I could barely even stand up the next day after a horrendous labour and birth and it was a kind of 'do it yourself or do without' attitude.

I didn't want to eat anything in established labour but was forced to eat dextrose tablets with dc1 to try & get energy back up as contractions had slowed down.

Took ribeana to drink for dc2s birth to try & avoid nasty dextrose tablet incident again.

I also took in several packets of biscuits in which were welcome after babies born & between hospital meals & being too sore to make breakfast in the day room. Definitely take drinks in hospitals are so hot, easy to get dehydrated.

Ooh - I could murder some cold pizza right now! I'll be taking that in - thanks for the tip!

i ate cereal bars, jaffa cakes, oh and in one labour i ate celery and carrot sticks, the midwife thought i was mad but i had craved them all through my pregnancy, oh pretzels as well and tea and toast adn OMG the cup of tea and couple of slices of toast with jam i got after birth was alway sthe BEST thing every!! i couldnt drink tea when preg each time it made me sick but as soon as that baby was born the one thing i wanted was a good cup of builders tea, strong, splash of milk and two sugars

i didnt always eat much in labour, ds3 and ds4 were quick labours so not sure i ate at all? but i did drink plenty.

Pineapple juice before the epidural took and water afterwards. And I threw it up when they gave me that bottle of whatever it is when prep-ing me for a ecs (the midwives said everyone throws up). Made me quite glad I'd been just drinking water at that stage of play.

I guess I was lucky - breakfast (and all our meals actually) was brought to us (hospital food may not be great but any food that I don't have to cook myself is ok in my books). So I guess it depends a little on the hospital on whether you have to fend for yourselves. I just remember drinking gallons of iced water and mint tea afterwards - I think the ward's policy of encouraging you to lose all your baby weight by sweating it off over the course of 12 hours is a fairly smart one...

Tea ans biscuits with the 1st. Followed by emergency csection early eve. Couldn't eat till next morning. Was starving.
Nothing with 2nd. Again could eat till next morning.
Hoping to have an early elective section this time so at least I might not have to starve again.

O yes you do have to fend for yourself. I think after 1st section midwife brought me tea and toast next morning. 2nd I had to get my own. Even had to change sheets myself once off high dependency bit.

Looooved those sour snakes sweeties that you get. But really only ate about 6 in about 12 hours. Also fizzy lemon juice.

Don't drink too much though - I found it sort of impossible to wee. But my wee after delivering was the best one ever (even despite a bit of stinginess!). Erm. Apols for TMI.

I had tea and toast brought to me in the delivery room! DH ended up having it though because I couldn't stomach anything - this was just after i'd thrown up a few times. The (pitifully small) bowl of cornflakes I had the next morning though was like heaven! I've loaded my bag with snacks this time though so hopefully I won't have to go for as long without eating.

I'm fully prepared for the fact I may not be able to face any kind of food, but will be takin haribo, jelly belly jelly beans and maybe some gobstoppers to stave off total boredom if I have to wait around a lot? Also lucozade and glucose tablets, and after hearing this 'dayroom' scenario, a massive supply of food for afterwards! tea and toast do nothing for me. Also husband is type 1 diabetic so I'll need to make sure he has sugar if necessary!

Cartons of juice, frozen, so they were all icy cold. BRILLIANT.

Otherwise could not even eat Mars Bar.

that is a GREAT idea about frozen juice!!

Very little. I thought I'd be starving but I could hardly eat anything and felt sick at first. I think I had a bit of dry toast and some grapes at one point and a cereal bar afterwards.

I ate humble pie for thinking it would be easier then it was and washed it down by swallowing my pride then throwing dignity out the window

Yup - frozen juice sounds like a plan too!

...hoping to avoid humble pie, but I have a feeling I may eat plenty! :)

1st Labour: I ate ICE CREAM! Lots of & a packet of crisps. My DP tried to force me to eat pasta when I was really getting to crunch time (probably 1 or 2 hours before actually giving birth - he DID listen during antenatal classes!) I couldn't face it and told him politely where to stick it!

Once baby arrived toast and sweet tea from midwives - heaven
Couldn't get enough of the hospital breakfast the following day!

2nd Labour - nothing - started at breakfast so polished off my toast and had baby by lunch. Drank tea and ate biscuits post birth. YUM!

Keep it simple everytime!

yeah it's true, you can't have too much liquid. Even if you only taking little sips, we never know how long these things will take!