Best snacks and drinks for labour

[bluemoon2468]

Any recommendations?

Personally I had absolutely zero desire to eat or drink anything while I was in labour. In fact I spent quite a lot of it vomiting. The first thing I ate was a piece of toast after it was all over and it tasted like manna from heaven!

I've heard Jelly babies are good!

Following!!

I'm a FTM so I have no experience in this but what I have packed is, couple isotonic drinks for myself and DH, jelly beans and a few nutri grains....? I've also read that if you can load up on carbs as soon as labour starts it really helps as it's like a marathon. That might be hard to do depending on the circumstances!

My labours were short I was not thirsty or hungry in any of them.

However, I did prepare by getting some Lucozade for some energy if I wanted it.

And I would have had some sort of protein bar and snacked on that if I needed to.

I've also read that chewable calcium tablets are a good idea if you're having a long labour. Boosts energy and helps encourage things along if I remember correctly...

The day I went into labour with my last, I was pretty sure I was in labour so I think I nibbled on a couple of slices of toast in the morning and just kept my food intake small and often.

I had a whole little bag of snacks, cereal bars, raisins, jelly babies... just so I had a choice.

As it worked out I was induced and as soon as I was hooked up to the drip I wasn't allowed to eat anything! To be fair I wasn't hungry anyway.

Lucozade sport bottles were amazing though. The midwives actually provided me with a couple at the start of the process and encouraged me to keep drinking. So having my own as well was handy.

With both my previous labours I did not even think about food or drink. I might have had few sips of water but food was last thing on my mind. This time il probably pack couple bottles of bottled water but wont bother taking good. With my first I he was born 17:44 and after got cleaned up they brought me sandwiches but I didn’t feel hungry at all. With my 2nd I had her 10:50 and they brought me tea and toast which I had but didn’t feel hungry at all in labour and not too hungry fir next couple days after giving birth.

Three very long labours here, no desire to eat at all during them. I wanted things like sandwiches afterwards as I was genuinely hungry. I’d take bottled water and sweets personally

No one told me that if you get an epidural you aren't allowed to eat anything! And I was in too much pain beforehand, I didn't eat anything for almost 3 days.

My partner had all the snacks though, which he was grateful for!

I baked oat cookies with seeds and spices “for labour” which came out of the oven a grand total of about two hours before my first was born and by the time I actually wanted to eat any (about two hours after the birth) they had ALL been eaten by the midwives and all the baby visitors who had clearly had far more time to sit around and eat cookies/drink tea than I had! I’m still bitter.

I had sports mixture and lucozade. I didn't want to eat but they kept me from being hungry.

I've stocked up on capri-sun (will freeze in advance) and boiled sweets for energy

Water, hospital had yogurts, cereal bars etc to help yourself too and food was brought at meal times (USA)

I packed a stupid amount I didn't touch 🤦‍♀️

So I'd stick to the odd breakfast bar, jelly beans/jelly babies, some bottles of water and lucozade

I didn't eat anything during labour but afterwards when I stayed in I wanted things to snack on. My Mum made cheese scones and they were good as well as a few mars bars and breakfast cereal bars.

also mints as gas and air can give a weird taste

oh and fruit in my bag for after! And chocolate raisins.

Saying this in the kindest way but giving birth is not like planning a picnic
In all honesty I think you are over planning this. Wait till you are in labour and get your DH to go and get you a drink/snack if you need one. If he's anything like mind he will be outta that door in a nano second
Good luck.

I didnt eat anything and just had water when my mouth was dry. I did pack things like cereal bars just in case and they were useful after.

I certainly didn’t want to eat when I was in labour.

I had McDonald's when my contractions started then vomited it all over myself mid labour will b avoiding anything this time round lol

I had a quick labour and had a bowl of cereal just before it started, a tin of peaches and a cup of tea during the first phase and half a twirl and two sips of water during the second stage.
I had wine gums afterwards. I would have a few options for quick access to sugar and try to get slower release stuff at home before hand if possible.

@notangelinajolie my hospital's covid policy means that once we are in a delivery room neither of us is allowed to leave until the baby's born. If my husband leaves he won't be allowed back in. I don't think I'm planning a picnic... I do think I'm planning a potentially long endurance task where I might want to keep myself fuelled and hydrated and keep my husband's energy levels up as well. I may not feel like eating, but I might... I've heard both from women tbh.

Bendy straws so you can sip on a drink in any position.

Frozen juice cartons which will slowly thaw in your bag. Labour wards are baking hot and a cold sugary drink can be really helpful.

I can't think of anything I would like to do less while in labour!

@Sunsage definitely good to eat for fuel. But unfortunately your body does like to do a clear out before birth. So you don’t want to over eat. Little and often is definitely the way forward xxx