Drinks for Labour

[Indadhanu]

This might help too hun ...

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...ng-labour.html

[Mum0809]

Apple gatorade or powerade, I can't remember which one it was. And apple juice primas. The drinks are really good for after labour too. I froze most of them so they were nice and cold..

[Toomanytoomany]

They did a study and found that women who alternated lucozade with water were less likely to have ketones in their urine. Although who knows if this is a significant thing or a normal physiological thing for a labouring woman... but still, there you go!

I'm definitely going the Lucozade this time around - I have hypoglycaemia but never, ever feel like eating when I'm in labour. ANd then I get the shakes! So if I have lucozade, hopefully I'll avoid that.

[Sair]

I drank 2 apple juices and lots of water. From transition until birth I had a sip after every contraction, it was hard work I tell you

Funny you mention the shakes Toomanytoomany, I couldn't stop shaking for about an hour after the birth and they even put the heat lamp over top of me. Hmmmmmm now to google away!!!

[Toomanytoomany]

I drank 2 apple juices and lots of water. From transition until birth I had a sip after every contraction, it was hard work I tell you

Funny you mention the shakes Toomanytoomany, I couldn't stop shaking for about an hour after the birth and they even put the heat lamp over top of me. Hmmmmmm now to google away!!!

When I say shakes, I mean a hypoglycaemic attack - I start shaking, sweating, feeling nauseated and panicky. This happens whenever I let my blood sugar drop too low - whether I'm in labour or pregnant or just being a normal human being LOL.

I remember that horrible shakey feeling you're describing after my dd3 was delivered, though - I think it was shock because she was delivered really fast and I lost a lot of blood.

[Sair]

Errrrrr that doesn't sound like much fun

Blood loss and fast delivery makes sense for me. 5cm to delivery in 3 hours and at least 500mls loss.

[Novella]

I had coola cordial in a 1l jug with lots of ice had 2.5lt over a 5hr period of time. I was relly thirsty during labour and it was a good distraction. I didn't want to eat anything at all. I say whatever you like to drink normally or if you are unwell go for it.

My friend had been drinking red cordial at home and threw up when she arrived at the hospital the staff panicked thinking she had vomited up blood. So if you have been drinking anything red let your midwife know lol

[briggsy's girl]

i have been thinking about this cos i just cant stomach really sweet drinks or any of the energy drinks - i would prefer water

i'm wondering if weak cordial is gonna do anything for me at all - i really AM a water girl!

[Nai]

I think I'll try the lucozade this time - I also get hypoglycaemic and I got the shakes really badly last time too as I vomitted up everything that I had eaten/drunk so my blood sugar was all over the place.

[briggsy's girl]

i'm another that hypo's frequently (to the point of blacking out) so maybe i'll have to give lucozade a bit of a try before labour - would hate to try it on the day and find out it makes me worse!

[Janie]

BG, you could always just drink lots of water, but try to have other sugary things. Like I said, I found jelly to be awesome! If your hospy doesn't have it, you could always make and take your own. Or you could try sucking on lollies etc.

[SugarDust]

With both my DS's I wasn't up for drinking anything until after the birth!

I had everything packed snacks and all and they got sent home!

[Snacks]

BG, you might find you are happy to eat during your labour, in which case water would be just fine It's only if you can't eat that you need to think about your sugars, which I'm sure you know.
Like Janie said, you can keep lollies handy or jelly (though I found I didnt' even want jelly) but a lollypop that you can intermittently suck on is good. Or peppermint lollies which can really help ease nausea.

[ms_katya]

I was just looking up the exact same thing. I found an interesting discussion at
midwiferyandmore.com
This was the comment that I found most interesting. I've been taking hydralyte occassionaly to combat some of this summer-heat-pregnancy yukness. I'm taking powder at the moment but the chemist sells it in one litre bottles, as well as icy-poles. Could be an interesting choice!

"I used to work at a birth center here in San Diego.

I prefer to provide an electrolyte replacement drink that is frequently used by marathoners, hikers and laboring women. It's called "Hydralyte" and is available online or at selected sports stores. (I can't post the link but if you google it you will find it--or check for "gookinaid.") The advantage of using Hydralyte is that it's formulated to be extremely similar to the body's biochemistry. You don't, therefore, have to guess at proportions of ingredients or leave things out because they're not available to you (but important nevertheless!). BTW, Gatorade and its knock-offs are not physiologic. (Just witness what happens to marathoners when they attempt to use them during a race!) Just because something says it's an electrolyte replacement drink doesn't mean it qualifies as such under the category of "hard science."

Hydralyte works really well for morning sickness also. Mix exactly per directions to maintain proper concentration and have the woman drink it well-chilled. (Do not add ice or it throws off the formulation.) For pregnant and laboring women, it's best to use the citrus flavors rather than the fruit punch. Hydralyte comes in packets so it can be carried easily in the birth kit. The man who formulated it, Bill Gookin, was a world-class marathoner and has his master's in biochemistry. "Back in the day" when I was also running, and when his drink was in high demand at meets and marathons, everyone called it "Gookinaid" because we couldn't think of anything else to call it!"

[Jaycee]

My labour was too quick to think about drinking, let alone eating.
1cm to birth in 2 hours!

[{sarah}]

Nothing red LOL!! I had drank red cordial & threw up red stuff which sent all the staff into a panic thinking it was blood LOL!! They had to wait til a contraction to finish for me to explain!!

[Heaven]

OMG Janine!! Talk about speedy!!
rofl Sarah.

[Gabi]

Water was best for me! I don't think I'd have been able to stomach more than that.