What should I take to eat / drink during childbirth? What did you have?

[HelloMama]

Just getting some last minute things ready to take to the hospital and I've been wondering what we should take to eat during labour? We have got some boxed fruit juices and I was thinking of getting some things like dried apricots and yoghurt covered raisins, fruit and maybe some museli bars?

I would really appreciate knowing what everyone else took or what you wished you could have had if you had thought of it. Or maybe when push comes to shove (!) you just weren't hungry...? Please let me know!

definitely take a big bottle of water, also a flask filled with ice. i found that i didn't want to eat during labour but luckily i had taken some snacks for afterwards, they didn't feed me til the evening by which time i had missed 3 meals. muesli bars and dried fruit were good, also chocolate!

I ate normally during labour, and then had an entire cherry cake as well, just for luck. I cannot emphasise the need for s supply of nice wholesome food for afterwards, the hospital food really is disgusting, and you feel you ought to be given a bit of a treat. Get someone to bring something from home - and if you're in for a bit, try the specialist menus - in Kings the halal and caribbean were much better than the regular as they were supplied by a nice local takeaway!