Eating during labour?

Sorry for silly question - I've never laboured (yet) and as I'm going for a VBA2C I'm aware of some restrictions on eating / drinking during labour.

Expecting an uphill battle with the Ob's :lol: I'm just trying to scope whether this is a restriction that I am going to agree or disagree with!

One part of me says 'well if we end up going for a c/s then it may assist with the surgery - but pffft, what do they do with heart attack patients or car crash victims - turn them away from urgent surgery or pump their stomachs prior?? I don't think so :lol:?
My fitness background tells me I will need energy to 'push' thru this labour (pardon the pun :lol:), and going without food could set myself up for failure.

Soooooo, did you eat during labour (and what sort did you have) - or were you so taken in everything else going on that food was the last thing on your mind?

I didn't eat during labour. Not long after we hit hospital, I had gas and threw up so that was the end of me even thinking about food. The m/w who ran the birth classes encouraged us to bring food to keep energy up so I never considered that it'd be an issue.

I ate in early labour but I did find I didn't eat much during the thick of it.

Eating was the last thing I felt like during both my labours. Having said that, the stuff I did eat before my labours really ramped up I threw back up. And I'd advise you to not drink any acidic fruit juices ... pineapple juice made a quick return the minute I drank it during DS2's birth. Blurk.

I agree that hospitals encourage you to bring food/drink you may want during labour. Your DH might get the munchies, if nothing else.

For the record, I have a friend who swore by lemonade icypoles during her three labours ...

I was encouraged to eat to keep my energy up too but i three up in the early stages of labour with both the girls. In the end the labour was too fast to worry about it too.

I had some electrolyte icypoles during my labour. I definately didn't feel like eating!

No, I didn't feel like eating. I had dinner before going in (for induction) and threw it all up and didn't feel like eating at all.

I ate a full meal when I was in 'early' labour (about 6cm, contx about 15 mins apart and regular) with DD2, we'd been to hospital for monitoring and decided to go home as it was going to be a long night... DH and I got dinner, I had a big carton of seafood Mee Goreng in the hope that the spices would get labour progressing further!! :D
Once I was in established labour, I didn't feel like eating but was constantly thirsty and sweating despite it being late at night and really cold, all I took to hospy with me when we went back was a massive bottle of cold Gatorade. Just remember to ask for ice, room-temp drinks during labour suck lol!
Good luck hun, have a bag of snacky-type things prepared so you can eat if you feel like it, but you don't have to if you don't want to :)

didnt even think about food during labour :)

Another who ate in early labor DH and mum thought I was crazy. It all came back up three hours later at transition! Lol

Forgot to add I ended with EC under general

DS1, I woke up having contractions every 3-5mins, tried eating breakkie but was very hard doing it in pain. I think I managed 1/2 slice of toast. Lunch came and went, still labouring, dinner approached and I BEGGED for something to eat I hadn't eaten for 24 hours (except that 1/2 slice of toast) so they let me have a basic sandwich (hospital made) and then I was only allowed to crunch on ice and sip water. He was born "naturally" early hours of the morning.

DS2, I got my first really strong contraction (had been contracting for 8 weeks) after dinner. He was born at just after 10am and then I had lunch. I didn't want to eat anything, water was making me sick. I crunched on ice.

I arrived at hossy at 10pm and was starving but kitchen was closed so got a salad sandwich, i hate lettuce and in my gas induced haze I threw it in the bath that I was sitting in to ease contx haha!
Later on Didn't even think about food but 5 mins after DD was born I sent XP to the vending machine for a can of coke ( I love coke and was super thirsty!!)

With DD1 I ate when in early labour and vomited it all up later. Actually I did that with DD2 as well.

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No, I didn't feel like eating. I had dinner before going in (for induction) and threw it all up and didn't feel like eating at all.

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I just realised this isn't true - I had really bad morning sickness the whole pregnancy and literally had not felt hungry for 8 months, then as soon as I had an epidural it must of killed the nausea sensation also because I was suddenly STARVING for the first time in 8 months. I was like woman possessed, I think I even told the anesthetist how hungry I was (cause she would have cared?!). But in reality I wasn't really in the zone for eating!

I ate some asparagus on toast right before I went into hossie - DH forced me, as I hadn't eaten the whole 34 hours I had been in labour, save a bowl of cereal 24hours earlier.
I honestly didn't feel like eating at all, I didn't want to be 'weighed down' by it. But in the end, turned out to be the best thing I did - they wanted to put under a GA for the emerg cs, thankfully due to the fact I had eaten only an hour before, the ob refused and I had the epi instead, so I got to be present when she was born ;)

Anyway, never ever heard of a restriction on fluid intake - aside from the fact it would be cruel, it is also highly dangerous, so drink whenever and whatever you can feel you want and can stomach.

I was offered things from time to time ... I ate a small apple, tiny slice by tiny slice, over the course of about 12 hours, and I had three cups of coffee towards the end. I had sips of water, but not much.

I was offered other stuff, but couldn't even imagine trying to eat ...

That's all!

I did however end up on a drip, because it was a very long labour, and I hadn't been able to drink or eat much.

HTH ... good luck!

:)

I wasn't allowed to eat. I was starving. I hadn't eaten for 24 hours. My OB and midwife refused me food when I requested some. So throughout my labour, I had orange juice and spirit to keep my energy levels up. By the time DD was born, I was so hungry but didn't eat because I was too tried. Good thing, the hospital served me a big breakfast in the morning.

As far as I'm aware it's really important to stay well hydrated during labour (and to keep peeing too) and I drank bottles and bottles of water during the whole day I laboured at home and then at the hospital. I laced all my water with rescue remedy that day too. I ate lots of really small meals during the day (i.e. little bowls of rice, a sandwhich for lunch) as I was trying to keep up my energy, not neccessarily because I was hungry. I did mung out on a bag of Allen's lollies earlier on in the day but they didn't stay down long. Think that was more sugar overload than labour lol Just before we set off for the Ob (at 8cm) DH tried to feed me toast and I had one bite and refused it. Didn't eat again til she was born later that night then devoured toast the middies made us.

I had breaky just after my waters broke, before we went to the hospital. My midwife suggested I eat to give me a bit of energy for labour - I threw it all up a couple of hours later, lol. Banana and weetbix, nice!

My hosi actually don't let you eat during established labour except for lollies or possible small pieces of fruit for energy. The reason is your body generally empties itself to make way for bubs so your likely to vomit anyway and it just makes it worse, ITMS. I didn't feel like eating at all though, it was the furtherest thing from my mind, especially as I threw up anyway. The lollies were great though and I sipped a lot of water and sucked on ice cubes - it's important to keep your fluids up. I was amazed how quickly I drained an IV bag once the gave me my epi - I was thirstier than I'd thought!

With my DD I wasn't allowed to eat, the midwives put me on nil by mouth becaus they thought I would need a c/s (Luckily I didn't and I proved them all wrong!!!) and was put on a drip. With DS I ate a little bit and had some gatoraide (I think!) but threw it up not long afterwards. I drank lots of water though and sucked on ice.

DD i ate during the labour i went to hossy in the earlly morning and the late meal i ate was lunch, didnt end up getting tea was rushing in for an EC. With DS i was restricted with what i could eat i was only allowed to eat small amount JIC and i was trying for a vbac. I was however on IV fluids for most of the time i was in labour in the hossy was starving by tea time but as things wernt looking good i wasnt allowed to eat much and they ended up taking it away from me

I ate all through my labour (but I was in a birthing suite for most of it so not sure if the rules are different in a labour ward, and from hospital to hospital).

The only thing though, once I got to second or third stage (can't remember what defines each stage), I started throwing up a bit but not 100% sure if that was because I'd been eating, or a side effect from gas & epidural or a combination of everything.

If anyone tells you you can't eat in labour I'd be dubious about their care- not only does it violate your human rights but it can stall labour if you lose energy.

That said- I threw up my lunch at the beginning of labour, then I threw up powerade when I tried to drink that so I spent the entire labour just drinking water... but LOTS of water!

I ate early in labour with DS1. The midwife brought me a meal and said I should eat something as I could be there for a while, but don't eat too much as a full stomach often makes people sick later. I ended up with an E c/s, but not for another 7 hours or so.
With DS2 they didn't want me to eat during labour as I supposedly had an increased chance of needing and E c/s again. I just had something to eat before I went into hospital. I had to make myself eat, cause I really didn't feel like it. And I didn't even think about eating again until DS2 was born. Then I was starving and ate a huge breakfast!! Food had never tasted so good. :)
You will probably find that they don't want you to eat going in for a vba2c. Have something before you go in and maybe take some barley sugars or something if you want something to suck on. They just like to prevent you having a big feed and then throwing it all up again if you have to be given GA for another c/s.

I wasn't allowed to eat during my first labour, labour wasn't progressing and they thought I'd need a c/s.

With the other 2 I didn't even think about food, I ate afterwards though.

I ate during my labours. Toast or cereal bars early on when I still had an appetite, and jelly beans later on for a quick burst of energy between contractions. I also drank gatorade and water with rescue remedy in it.

The nil by mouth during labour is a hangover from the days when CS's were done under general anaesthetic, and the risk of aspirating (vomiting and breathing it in) was higher. Many OB's still recommend nil by mouth, mainly in high risk labours (which yours will be classified as) but if you take your own food in and decide to eat it then that will always remain your right.

lol, My midwife mentioned Hungry Jacks during labour and I wanted it so badly. Plus DP was looking a tad anxious so it did him good to have a break and get it for me :lol:

He said it was the longest lunch wait of his life!

I have this thought that I didn't eat enough / at all in my last labour. I am a frequent and big eater at the best of times, and find myself getting low on energy during the day if I haven't eaten for a couple of hours (and this is sitting at a desk job, LOL!). So I do connect the not eating with my lack of energy in my last labour, I ended up so tired that pushing was ineffective and I ended up with a c-section.

This time I am determined to eat and have it in my birth plan for my DH and doula to offer me food. Last time I had plenty packed, but think I refused a lolly snake the only time Dh offered me anything! This time I will be more conscious to try to keep the energy levels up.

I ate a little during labour, mine lasted 22 hours. I think I mostly had icy poles, lollipops, dried fruit and sesame cracker things. In all honesty I didn't ask for any of it but my DH was on the ball and kept feeding me bits and pieces!

I remember being very concerned about eating during labour and what if I ended up with an emergency CS! I even asked at our antenatal classes! The midwife said that there is minimal risk of aspirating these days, as you said they don't turn away life saving surgeries.

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If anyone tells you you can't eat in labour I'd be dubious about their care- not only does it violate your human rights but it can stall labour if you lose energy.

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That's a bit harsh, especially given that's it's common practice for midwives and OB's to recommend against eating during labour. There isn't much point eating (large snacks, acidic foods or full meals which is what a lot of OBs and midwives recommend against) if you will most likely just throw it all up again anyway, which seems to be a common theme in this thread. Labour is tiring enough without trying to cope with unnecessary vomitting as well.

I have no doubt that my delivery team were practicing excellent duty of care when they told me not to eat any more besides lollies. Vomitting up my breakfast a few times was bad enough!

I was in denial in early labour, so I continued to eat throughout. But I tend to be a grazer anyway. Once things really got going, I didn't even think about food. I was drinking powerade though, even in second stage.

I'd prepare some light snacks that are easy to digest (eg pieces of fruit, soup, lollies etc) and take some sports or electrolyte drinks as well as water. The rule against eating and drinking is in case you need a GA, but an emergency CS can be done with a spinal or epidural instead.

Ok, I will take food along, JIC, but no acidy drinks....that being said I'll expect to get my moneys worth a second time as the food 'may' ahem, come back up lol.... ;).

Thanks everyone for your help and guidance

xoxo

My labour was only 9hrs total from first contraction and they came on fast. Had no time to think about food. I did try lollies but threw that up pretty fast!! :lol:

Ice and water was all I wanted.

I had some toast early in the morning (my first contraction was around 5am) and then I didn't feel like eating anything else over the entire labour. I had sips of water because DH kept reminding me, but otherwise it wasn't something I craved.

The cup of tea afterwards was lovely though.

Lees, I haven't had a chance to read all the replies but my first thought was;

1). If you end up needing an "emergency" c-sect, you get a spinal or epi anyway
2). If it is a true emergency and they need to give you a GA, they can do a manouver to avoid aspiration (which is one of the big risks with a GA if you've not fasted).

But, my hospital discouraged food during labour. They ordered me a lunch but it was for DH. Fluids were ok but not food. Having said that - food was the last thing on my mind! And I actually threw up when they brought DH lunch! They did ackowledge they couldn't prevent me from eating, but they strongly discouraged it.

xoxo

I had bought stacks of labour food - jelly cups, icy poles etc. But when it came to it, I think I had a couple of pieces of toast for breakfast (when labour had just started), and that was pretty much it. I tried to eat to keep my energy up, but I just couldn't stomach anything.

I almost ate in labour...I took a few of those fruit and nut bars, for energy, I thought.

But I was far too tired to eat them, I sort of licked one on two different occasions, then Hubby ate them.

Didn't eat for a few days after, once I could sit up in ICU. For some reason (maybe one of the medications I was on?) I wasn't allowed to drink for a period of time after the birth.