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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Tea & toast

50 replies

Rhianna1980 · 19/12/2013 20:28

It's a very stupid question but I have heard this being mentioned over end over again. "You will get tea n toast once you are done" and I have seen few women in my antenatal class being excited about it . So can someone explain to me : What's the infatuation with having tea and toast post delivery ?
Also , am I the only one who finds eating bread on its own bizarre?

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Eletheomel · 20/12/2013 14:41

I can normally take or leave tea and toast, but some of my best memories of tea and toast are in hospital (particularly after a lap and dye I had rather than birth) it was amazing! Can't really explain it, think it maybe has some supernatural powers due to the ordeal/saga that is giving birth, that the simple snack afterwards makes you feel amazing (especially if you've upchucked everything during labour...)

VisualiseAHorse · 20/12/2013 22:35

I had tea and toast while labouring in the pool, although I dropped most of it in the pool....

The lot I received after birth came back five minutes later, I nearly spewed on the baby.

VisualiseAHorse · 20/12/2013 22:36

Oh, and i vaguely remember my DH holding a cup of cold tea to my face while I alternated between sucking the tea through a straw and sucking on the G&A during the pushing stage!

Metalhead · 21/12/2013 13:59

I'll have to go against the general consensus here and say that, although I got tea and toast and had a bit of both, I really couldn't have cared less about having it and it tasted just like any old toast!

Think at that point I was still in shock from the whole birth experience and the fact I now had to be transferred to hospital for suspected 3rd degree tear...

Shellywelly1973 · 21/12/2013 14:19

Seriously over rated!!

I've given birth 5 times & honestly the tea & toast after the birth wasn't that good!!

crabwoman · 21/12/2013 19:56

Greatest meal of my life. I'd been very sick during labour, and couldn't eat/drink anything, so was starving. It was simple and filling and gone in 5 seconds flat! I even drank the tea with milk and sugar, and I normally have it black.

I also remember the poor woman in the next room's husband had eaten hers. Midwifes were incredulous!

Lunch the next day was 'homemade' vegetable and lentil soup with sandwiches. The soup felt like the most delicious and nourishing thing I'd ever eaten.

GoMommaGo · 21/12/2013 22:06

Fond memories of the tea and toast for me! Maybe it just tastes so good as you don't realise how much exertion is involved in labour until it's finished (too busy dealing with it during to think of food) and it's over so suddenly and you feel on such a high looking at the baby that its just so nice when a midwife appears like magic after you had a nice hot shower and gives you a nice hot drink and some food! Pity it's only two pieces though! I could have eaten loads both times and as dc3 due in a week or so my hosp bag consists mainly of snacks and cartons of juice etc! That and many maternity pads, big pants and x3 baby grows. Sorted!!! Priorites ladies. Hosp kitchens are not open in the depths of night and like another poster I had to wait an age for dh to appear with food from somewhere after dc1 at 2.15 am once tea and toast wore off.

Doctorbrownbear · 22/12/2013 19:39

I had DD at 5.30 and got NOTHING until they offered me a skeggy microwaved baked potato at 1pm the following day!

Doctorbrownbear · 22/12/2013 19:41

That was 5.30 pm and nothing until 1pm the next day...

onedev · 22/12/2013 19:48

I'm not a big fan ordinarily but after each of my births, it has tasted amazing. Seriously the most delicious meal I have ever eaten!

MinnesotaNice · 22/12/2013 19:50

My hospital offered a complimentary steak dinner after you give birth. No way was I eating steak after childbirth.

Actually tea and toast sounds like a perfect post-delivery meal.

MissBeehiving · 22/12/2013 19:52

After a 36 hours with no food, it was absolutely ambrosial.

MiaowTheCat · 22/12/2013 19:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Andcake · 22/12/2013 19:55

C-section here and no offer of tea and toast but DP popped out and got me a Brie sandwich which was heaven.

wplum · 22/12/2013 19:59

Didn't get any at the Glasgow Southern General. Elf n safety apparently.

RhinestoneCowgirl · 22/12/2013 20:01

I remember having about 3 sugars in my tea after DS was born. I hadn't eaten for nearly 24 hrs and had been really sick during labour so it tasted pretty good.

And this is going to sound like a smuggy homebirth story but dammit it's DD's birthday tomorrow, I've had wine and I feel emotional...

So... the day before DD was born I cooked up a big pan of veggie and kidney bean soup for tea. We ate it, it was tasty, we went to bed. I woke up in the early hours and went into labour, DD was born just before 6am. I ate the leftover soup for lunch that day sitting up in bed with DD in her basket next to me. It tasted absolutely delicious, with a thick wodge of bread slathered in butter.

neversleepagain · 22/12/2013 20:09

I asked the midwife for tea and toast. She brought me one slice, I am very greedy and asked for two more slices! To be fair, I hadn't eaten for 24 hours and just given birth to twins. I could have eaten 20 slices of toast and a gallon of tea.

yomellamoHelly · 22/12/2013 20:11

After first 2 got sandwich box with semi frozen sandwich. Really unappetising. With no. 3 made dh go to costa minute it was open for latte and huge croissant. Now that was ace!

schnockles · 22/12/2013 20:15

Was given the best cup of tea in the world after labour. It tasted slightly of cardboard but DH had laced it full of sugar so I barely noticed! Sadly my 'toast' was actually sliced, slightly stale white bread with butter and jam - the midwife apologised as the hospital had banned the use of toasters in the hospital and ward kitchens!

flatmum · 22/12/2013 20:21

You are almost fainting due to exhaustion, blood loss, physical effort and a bit of shock by that point so are just glad of the pick me up. I was given it with second two and it gave me the energy to go and have a welcome shower. First time they couldn't have given a damn and I keeled over when I tried to go to the bathroom (thank you at Thomas' London, Xmas 2004, you were shit and dangerous and yes im still bitter)

Marrow · 22/12/2013 20:29

Dd born at 8am and I was finally given a cup of tea at 2pm but no food until they brought the meals round at 5pm. Even then they stood at the end of my bed and said they didn't have a meal for me. I burst into tears as I hadn't had anything to eat since the previous lunchtime. They quickly found me a meal!

With DS I didn't get a cup of tea until he was 5 days old and no food until he was a week old- I was very poorly!

tattychicken · 22/12/2013 20:30

Very fond memories. Especially as the tea was served in a proper teapot and the cups were pretty floral china ones with saucers. Hot strong tea and hot buttered toast. After a shit labour. Lovely.

bugsyclaus · 22/12/2013 20:32

No tea and toast here either (dd born in the early hours). but it was Christmas time and the midwives fed me the best part of a box of quality street during labour because I was starving the whole way through

Skogkat · 22/12/2013 20:36

I got hot chocolate and some nice biscuits, and the offer of a cold pasta salad thing? Pasta salad was disgusting, the biscuits were lovely (bourbons and chocolate chip cookies) and the hot chocolate was everything I wanted right then.

BraveLilBear · 23/12/2013 11:35

After reading so much about the joy of t&t after birth I was so looking forward to it - in my head I'd possibly built it up into the mythical post-birth scene complete with DP dressing baby, taking a terriblepicture of me and baby, and some hot refreshments as a reward for doing something amazing.

I was given a very average egg sandwich before having the drip put in and was only allowed sips of water thereafter. I then ended up in theatre with a spinal and forceps, with DS delivered at 230. In recovery someone got some lemon squash for me (but left it at the end of the bed) but nothing else til 8am.

Also had naked, unnappied baby and no crib.

When tea and toast did eventually arrive I threw it all back up (possibly because it had been so long). I had a birth debrief a few weeks ago and was given a verbal apology for this. Apparently this was down to 'a breakdown in communication'.

Jealous of everyone who got their picture postcard conclusion with tea and toast!

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