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Childbirth

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

Original poster

drinking during labour?

35 replies

madremia09 · 11/10/2009 13:25

i had my last baby in spain and have moved back to the uk,due xmas day with dd no 2.in spain you are not allowed to drink any fluids during labour and i remember thinking i was going to die of dehydration.is it the same here? i dont even know why!
thanks

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Original poster
madremia09 · 11/10/2009 13:27

oh and you werent allowed to drink for 2 hours after aswell

OP posts:
IwishIwasmoreorganised · 11/10/2009 13:31

I was allowed to drink.

With ds1 I was induced and it all happened quite quickly but I had sips of water inbetween contractions as the Gas and air wsa really drying my mouth out.

DS2 arrived quite quickly. I was enjoying a hot chocolate at a friends house with my Tens machine on, then the contractions suddenly got a lot stronger so we dropped off ds1 at the in-laws and went to hospital. He arrived 5 minutes later so no time for a drink while we were there.

I've not heard of anybody not being allowed to drink. Perhaps if you were having an elective c-section I could understand why.

VirginiaLoveGlove · 11/10/2009 13:32

it is actually a bad idea to not drink during labour. yes you can in the UK.

juuule · 11/10/2009 13:33

I drank throughout labour.
In fact, I had bottles of lucozade at the ready for when I started.

potplant · 11/10/2009 13:34

Def not if you're having a CS. No eating before hand either.

I could have done with a large glass of red myself

Original poster
madremia09 · 11/10/2009 13:34

oh brill.no i didnt have a c section or anything like that at all,they give you fluids via drip but no fluid allowed to pass your lips,im rather intrigued now as to why.it wasnt just me,its standard procedure......

OP posts:
VirginiaLoveGlove · 11/10/2009 13:44

it is a hold over from when emergency c/s meant a general anaesthetic and the GA may have caused vomiting. Spain has a long way to go to update its maternity practices to make it better for mothers and babies.

I really recommend a book called Ina May's Guide to Childbirth which discusses a lot about some of the out of date medical practices that are still in use and even when the were commonly used they may have been dangerous or of no advantage to mother or baby.

However, it is an extremely powerful book. It is foremost about giving mothers very good information so that they can enter experience childbirth as a safe and normal process rather than a stressful scary or medical one.

MegBusset · 11/10/2009 13:46

That sounds mad! I drank chocolate milk through my labour with DS2, I couldn't manage to eat anything but the milk kept me going.

seeker · 11/10/2009 13:53

My sil is Spanish and still thinks I should sue the hospital where I had ds for negligence because they let me give birth to a 10lb6 baby vaginally. In Spain I would have automatically had a C section.

amelie2781 · 11/10/2009 15:42

Same thing in France, no drinking during labour. It was horrendous!
The official reason is that your stomach must be empty in case you need an emergency CS under general anesthaesia. Which is absurd because in case of emergency surgery the anesthaesist must assume your stomach is full.
I am due in a week and I think I'll tell them to p* off and drink anyway.

georgiemum · 11/10/2009 15:45

Here you can have what you want as long as there is no risk of a c-section. I had lots to drink and eat.

InMyLittleHead · 11/10/2009 15:48

I read somewhere that even if they have to crash you for a c/s they have techniques to make sure you don't vomit, so it doesn't matter if you've had drinks before.

PurpleEgluggedblood · 11/10/2009 15:51

Am I the only one who read the thread title and thought, a vodka and tonic would have been a lovely idea during labour.

seeker · 11/10/2009 15:57

No - I thought that too. And wondered whether to share my thought at the time that maybe a spliff would have relaxed my muscles wonderfully.......

WartoScreamo · 11/10/2009 16:39

At the maternity ward I gave birth in, no food or drink was allowed in the labour suite - well for the mother to be at least.

I was mightly peed off that I got ice chips, when the student kept popping off to put the kettle on. I could have killed for a cup of tea!

GrandhighBOOba · 11/10/2009 17:33

I wasn't allowed to drink for over 20 hours - in Scotland. Not even ice chips. Next time, I will smuggle it in, cos its not happening again, it was hell.

MiniMarmite · 11/10/2009 21:50

I was only allowed water as I was induced. I drank litres and litres...don't think the MW could quite believe it

LOL Purple, I was thinking G&T or maybe some lovely bubbly!

hairymelons · 11/10/2009 21:55

God, thought this might be a flaming for my earlier comments about wine in the bath during labour! Phew!
No water, though? That's barbaric.

wrigglershouse · 11/10/2009 23:48

Lots of people do have a glass of something slightly alcoholic in the early stages of labour at home. Not exactly recommended but unlikely to do any real harm and can help with making a little disinhibited as a kind of relaxation.

As far as fluids in hospital goes different hosps have different rules but most allow at least water up until the point at which anyone starts to wonder if a CS is going to be needed.

madamefreckle · 12/10/2009 00:15

DP fed me sips of water between every contraction for about 6 hours... and i didnt pee... then couldn't deliver the placenta as was too full of pee so had to be catheterised...ooch! You wouldn't consider running a marathon without water...!

TheOozingPusOfSeptimusSquelch · 12/10/2009 00:18

My midwife ordered me to drink a large glass of red wine in the early stages of labour

Did me the world of good

LissyGlitter · 12/10/2009 00:33

I actually got told off for not eating or drinking enough in labour. I remember throwing up in a bowl and then immediately being presented with a sandwich...I was not very impressed!

Then I ended up with an emergency section, and afterwards was having a nice glass of water and got told off for that!

I have now moved areas, and round here you are not allowed to eat in labour. I must say, that was a factor in making me lean towards another section - I couldn't face all that without even being allowed haribo!

YummyorSlummy · 12/10/2009 00:46

I'm in Scotland and I was allowed plain water but nothing else. Had packed snacks and lucozade and everything! I wasn't even allowed a glucose sweet!

McDie79 · 12/10/2009 01:01

I am in Scotland and I stole the coffee the midwife made for DH,she was lovely and made him another which I promptly stole as well,never got in trouble for it so am guessing it is ok

notasausage · 12/10/2009 09:33

Am amazed at the not eating or drinking thing! MW (Derbyshire) made me toast for breakfast when I arrived in labour and kept bringing me jugs of water. Took a whole bag of snacks in for me and DH. Ate biscuits and softmints for the sugar and to combat the dry mouth with the entinox but still needed emergency surgery following the delivery. Got more toast and juice when I got back to the ward after. Just remember to keep weeing every few hours (take the entinox with you if you can!).