Should I say "I told you so?"
Here is an article that states that a study in the UK concluded that eating during labor has no ill-effects on mother, baby, C-section rates, chances of vomiting, and so on, and so on.
It's no secret I have a passion for food in general. I love cooking it. I love eating it. It's necessary to eat good food to make our bodies healthy and allow us to have the energy to do the tasks that face us each day. Therefore, I found it odd to hear that during labor, a woman was not allowed to eat
anything. Often, she is not even allowed water and is kept hydrated through an IV.
I had heard several reasons for this rationale: eating increases risk of vomiting, eating can complicate things if a C-section is required, eating will prolong labor, etc. To me, though, it seemed sort of... eh-hem... stupid to deprive your body of nutrients and energy during one of the most grueling physical challenges you are likely to ever face.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that during labor you should have your hubby pick up a quarter-pounder with cheese and a large side of fries for you. As far as eating during labor goes, having been there and done that, I can tell you, a big, heavy meal was the furthest thing from my mind at the time. Some smaller (and easily digested) snacks, however, especially early on in labor, can be a godsend.
Now, I'm no doctor, but I've heard that complex carbs are a better choice for keeping your energy up than fatty or fried foods. Here are a few things that were suggested to me during my labor (notice a lot of these "foods" provide hydration, too - very critical to stay hydrated!):
- applesauce
- soups
- popsicles
- white grape juice
- apple juice
- Jell-o
- a spoonful of honey (gives a quick energy boost)
- crackers
- graham crackers
- bananas
- fruit (I loved peaches...)
- pasta
- toast
- warm broth
- cereal - hot or cold
- rice
- scrambled or hard-boiled eggs
- yogurt
- hard-candies to suck on (tasty and they keep your mouth feeling moist)
Anyway, I guess the point comes back around to my basic birth philosophy: women should be able to have options and choices in their birth experiences! If you're hungry, you should be allowed to eat a little something! If you are thirsty, you should be able to drink a little water or chew some ice chips (ice chips are a laboring woman's best friend, in my humble opinion).
Again, I'm not a medical professional. This all just my musings and thoughts, but the research does look like it's starting to back me up. ^_^ If you are preggers and delivering at a hospital or birth center, I would recommend checking to see if the facility you are delivering at allows women to eat/drink during labor. If they do, pack a few things to munch in your hospital bag, just in case. It can make a world of difference!
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