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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Food suggestions for birth partner

90 replies

pinkflamingosinthepool · 31/08/2015 12:51

Having done plentiful research into what to pack in my hospital bag I feel I have everything I need and more except one thing - everyone just says "food" or "snacks" for birth partner. But that just seems so vague and we have run out of energy to think about this!

If everything goes relatively smoothly with the early labour stage he can make/nip out and buy sandwiches to bring with us, but who knows in what circumstances we might be rushing off to the hospital! Does anyone have ideas of non-perishables that we could have in the bag that won't go off between now and whenever it might be that I pop?

OP posts:

Artandco · 01/09/2015 09:37

A snack would have been pointless here. I wouldn't be eating during labour and should wouldn't want to if I couldn't and he was busy helping. Sent him out after to get me a huge Byron burger takeaway! Was home both times 6 and 8 hrs after

GladysTheGolem · 01/09/2015 09:39

I had a litre bottle of Yazoo chocolate milk after each baby, can't touch the stuff now but my god it was amazing

worriedmum100 · 01/09/2015 09:42

I really don't see the need for the snippy responses to a perfectly reasonable question.

Everything I've seen and read says it's important to try and eat and drink during labour. Of course not everyone can - I definitely didn't want to last time But DS was born at 3 am.8 By 5am I was starving and DP had been sent home. I also had a c section so in for 3 days or so and not very easy to walk to the toast station at the other end of the ward. Having a few easy snacks in the bag was very handy.

Artandco · 01/09/2015 09:48

Worried - it's isn't good to eat much during labour in case you need surgery as surgery works best on empty stomach. Hence for other operations you have to fast from x hours beforehand

scallopsrgreat · 01/09/2015 09:48

But these aren't snacks for her worriedmum, these are snacks for her birthing partner. Who should be more than capable of sorting that out for themselves!

GladysTheGolem · 01/09/2015 09:51

I packed my husband a few things in my hospital bag, I was the one packing the bag so his stuff was limited to the space not taken up by maternity pads and pjs.
It took 3/4 minutes of my time, and was a nice thing to do for someone I care about.

Sometimes, once in a blue moon, it's ok to do something for your partner.

Dixiechick17 · 01/09/2015 09:58

Having been a birthing partner myself and also giving birth I don't see anything wrong with thinking ahead and packing snacks for your OH. I was signed off sick and bored, so packing the bag and sorting bits out for DH was something to do amongst other things. My friend had an epidural and we were there for 24 hours, vending machine visits got expensive and didn't have much option, so there is nothing wrong with thinking ahead and packing what you like

worriedmum100 · 01/09/2015 09:58

Yes but no one's suggesting she pack a three course meal with after dinner mints are they? Just some practical tips about what worked well for them. This forum is supposed to be about supporting each other not sneering at what someone due to give birth shortly chooses to focus on. I'm giving birth very soon and currently obsessing about how many baby outfits to pack. I'm sure we all have things at this stage when we're trying to get "prepared" for such a huge event that other people would think slightly odd to focus on but that's late pregnancy and childbirth for you.

I know the OP was about her birth partner but realistically any snacks are likely to be for both people at some point. In any event if people think she's being daft and don't want to give her the straightforward practical tips she asked for they needn't respond at all rather than get snippy with her and suggesting her partner will be a bad father ffs!

ISpidersmanYouMeanPirate · 01/09/2015 10:04

I wasn't allowed to eat or drink once I got to the hospital (France).

The first time I packed snacks for DH (I asked him what he wanted, he originally scoffed and said "nothing" until I pointed out we'd likely be there for hours and could miss one or more meals).

The biggest mistake I made was packing strawberry flavoured sweets. They smelt so strong and I was soooo hungry, that I stopped DH eating anymore.

So just bland, non-smelly stuff is what I'd advise.

Didn't pack any snacks the second time, but it didn't matter as I gave birth very quickly after we arrived at the hospital.

Both times I packed chocolate bars and juice for me for after giving birth and they were a life saver during the 4 days I stayed at the hospital. (with DH bringing topups and sandwiches for me)

LyndaNotLinda · 01/09/2015 10:08

Cereal bars but keep them for you in case by the time you get onto the post-natal ward, there's no food available and visiting hours are over. I was nil by mouth from midnight the day before I went in and didn't get anything to eat until 8am the following morning. So I was bloody starving which isn't ideal if you've just given birth!

Your partner can go and get a bagel or sandwich during one of the boring bits (or can wait).

maamalady · 01/09/2015 10:17

We had jelly babies and cereal bars for us both. Not that it really mattered, as I ended up having an epidural so wasn't allowed to eat, and then as everything was calm DH nipped downstairs for a bacon sandwich from starbucks

Fartbaby · 01/09/2015 10:30

Jelly babies? How old are you? Twelve?

randomsabreuse · 01/09/2015 10:47

Given the whole point of the hospital bag is grab and go I'd prefer everything was contained in a known location and not duplicated - more snacks to eat later. DH packed himself a bag (contact lens stuff, clean clothes in case I had to call him from work) but with the 2 for me and little one there's no way the third would have made it. As it was no bags made it in - just 500ml water bottle and my notes - we arrived with me at 7cm and having been wanting to push for a while after being sent home 2 hours before at 2 cm. All done less than 3 hrs after that with a transfer to consultant led due to meconium in waters included. Bags came in after baby was born...

That said we were very glad for snacks as Sunday evening is a bit light on options - hospital canteen shut by the time we were sorted!

SilverNightFairy · 01/09/2015 10:48

Evilgirrafe, my husband popped out to McDonald's for me the morning after I gave birth to my third child. I was starving and the brekkie was not being served for what seemed like a thousand years! 'Twas bliss :). No jelly babies, though..would that we had thought of that!

randomsabreuse · 01/09/2015 10:49

Jelly babies and jaffa cakes are very highly recommended by runners as easily accessible sugars btw.

Breakfast bars were a godsend at 6am when ravenous after a night of feeding and breakfast not due for at least 2 hours!

SilverNightFairy · 01/09/2015 10:55

When preparing for the birth of my first child, my husband tossed some cereal in a sandwich bag, to be eaten alone as a snack. He also bought a few bags of dried fruit. He took himself off to the cafe for a meal or two during my very long labour.

KitKat1985 · 01/09/2015 11:43

Flapjacks went in my hospital bag. Filling and quick to snack on. However baby was in a rush and DH never got a chance to eat or drink anything. And I spend most of labour vomiting and didn't even want to think about food. However afterwards on the post-natal ward I was HUNGRY and I we ate those flapjacks like it was our last meal.

TheExMotherInLaw · 01/09/2015 11:49

As some have said upthread - nothing smelly! I didn't think to pack any food at all, and we had to dash off as soon as hubby came home from work, so he'd had nothing for many hours. All he could find to eat were some salted peanuts - It took about 20 years for me to be able to cope with the smell again!
I'd say, just pack lots of non perishable stuff that either he can eat while you are in labour, or you can eat when on the ward.

Newlywed56 · 01/09/2015 12:06

The only thing you need is lucozade sport (I had 1 mins apart contractions all day) so no hope of eating and possibly a pot of custard... Really anything that doesn't need chewed and can be swallowed between inhaling gas and air lol

threenotfour · 01/09/2015 12:19

I would think about non-smelly, non-noisy/crunchy foods. The smell on the account of the room and the atmosphere but also mixed with the crunchy noise when you may well find you are a bit tetchty to say the least. I sent my husband to the supermarket next to the hospital to buy deodrant and a toothbrush for himself as I suddenly got very sensitive to smells and didn't want him near me. I don't think he really smelt I think it was just part of labour hormones.

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 01/09/2015 12:28

Some sort of granola bar or flapjack would be my recommendation. Enough substance to keep you both going properly. My DH gets physically sick and keels over if his blood sugar dips so food for him was high on my list of things not to forget. He was off making sandwiches as soon as I gave him a heads up that we would be leaving the house at some point overnight.

Pack of biscuits and a treat or two for you if you are stuck on the ward for a few days. I remembered to bring cash but didn't have change for a vending machine at 10pm at night. In any case there wasn't one on the ward and I wasn't leaving my precious newborn to go wandering off post EMCS in search of chocolate

MintSource · 01/09/2015 12:30

I didn't eat anything during labour but did feel really glad I had packed a few snacks after so really recommend taking something.

I took bland, non-perishable but energising things including dried apricots, coconut bars (from health food shops) and a huge bag of crisps and some sweets.

Most of the munching was done (quietly) in the middle of the night when I woke up seriously hungry and I was so happy to have something on hand.

I also packed some smints which were great when you were not able to get to brush teeth whenever you want.

Hospital food consisted of a veg lasagne which looked like it had just re-entered the earth's atmosphere.

featherandblack · 01/09/2015 12:47

Banana muffins and oaty biscuits

featherandblack · 01/09/2015 12:48

Can I also suggest something that keeps the bowels moving like oranges. You do not want blockages.

yumyumpoppycat · 01/09/2015 13:37

Aim to delay going to the hospital for as long as possible, esp if it is your first, as early labour can go on for ages and can be quite tolerable ...use that as a chance to both pop to the shop and pick up some food....I am not even joking! There will prob be vending machines at the hosp with snickers and crisps if it comes to it.

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