Eating in labour

[wobblymum]

I'm really keen on eating during my labour if it's quite long and the mw has said I can do this as long as it's only light snacks but how much do you think would be too much? I don't know how much I'll need to keep my strength up. I'm going to take honey and glucose tablets but if that's not enough, would a few cereal bars and a banana or two be ok?

Thing is, I'm worried about the reaction if I have to have an anaesthetic but if I manage to keep up enough strength to push properly, that could stop the need for one. Also, what about accident victims who happen to have just eaten a huge meal and then get rushed into hospital and need loads of anaesthetic. They cope ok, so how big is the risk really?

This sounds like a really stupid question but I keep thinking about it because I'm worried about all the 'risks' and things that could go wrong.

[wobblymum]

I'd already decided that whatever the doctors 'allowed', if I wanted to eat during labour, I was going to. I've heard of so many people who have had epidurals and c-sections when they really didn't want them just because they got too exhausted to carry on by themselves, and I don't want that happening.

I think I'll take tons of food, then if I don't want it then I'm sure, like everyone says, I'll want it later on when there's only hospital cuisine on offer. I'll probably spend the entire time in hospital with baby in one arm and a sandwich in the other!

[SamboM]

I ate during labour (sandwich etc) but I wished I hadn't because I ended up having a 9 hour general anaesthetic due to huge PPH. They told me that they would have to put some pressure on my windpipe when I was going under in case I vomited, when it came to it they put their hands round my neck like they were strangling me and I remember thinking "If I die this will be the last thing I remember!" Fortunately I didn't die so it wasn't but I still find the memory of it upsetting.

I will definitely not eat next time!

[mears]

Sambom - I know that it is such a horrible sensation the pressure on your neck as you go to sleep. That is called cricoid pressure and it is done to every pregnant woman having an anaesthetic whether she eats or not. Because pregnancy hormones cause ligaments to relax, the stomach sphincters also relax allowing stomach contents out - the cause of reflux.
The stomach acid itself is the problem if it accidentally goes into the lungs.
Unfortunately the timing of the cricoid pressure going on in your case was perhaps not right as you were so vividly aware of it. Such a horrible experience for you. Hopefully you will remember it less over time. Take care, mears.

[badjelly]

The pain and complexity of it all stopped me from eating but before "they" realised things weren't going right everyone kept trying to shove fruit scones and coffee down me throat!

[motherinferior]

After reading this, am definitely going to stuff myself next time.

[bundle]

1st labour - vomiting all way through (contractions seemed to help evacuate my stomach - even though it was empty!) - definitely the worst bit of my labour, made me feel exhausted & dehydrated, coudln't even keep water down. 2nd labour - ate hula hoops at 11am before planned induction but ended up having crash c/s at 2.30pm and anaesthetists tut-tutted as I was wheeled into theatre. vomited on waking up