Why just clear liquids during labor
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Anonymous
| Is anyone else completely freaked out by this? I can't imagine the possibility of NOT eating for 24+ hours of a physical challenge. Are you thinking of sneaking food? |
Anonymous
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I think this is one of the reasons why women are encouraged not to come to the hospital until they're in full, active labor -- you can eat what you want at home. The reason they don't want you to eat in the hospital is concern you may aspirate vomit if you have to be put under for surgery.
Personally, though I have no experience with labor, it seems like it wouldn't be a time I'd want to eat a lot. Drink, sure. But not really have a lot of snacks. I'd be interested to hear what women with more experience think of the eating restriction. |
Anonymous
| This is one of the reasons I am delivering with Wisdom - no stupid rules like this! You are correct to worry about keeping your energy up. |
Anonymous
| They never bothered me. I really didn't feel like eating anyways. I did drink Diet Coke the entire time. No one confiscated it or said anything. |
Anonymous
| Are you sure your hospital or OB has this rule? I ate during labor at VHC. |
Anonymous
Yes, Kaiser at Holy Cross. He was very adamant that it was clear liquids and ice only. Ice?! Oh gee, thanks. |
Anonymous
Hide snacks in a bag you keep in the bathroom. The OB is only there intermittanlty, same with the nurses. Go to the bathroom and eat if you want. |
Anonymous
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You should definitely NOT be at the hospital for 24+ hours of labor, first of all. You should spend most of that time at home, and no OB is going to tell you not to eat at home.
If your hospital does have rules about eating/drinking, know that most nurses are just going to turn their backs, and nobody is going to be watching you throughout labor to make sure you follow the rules. Where I delivered, they gave me Popsicles, and I drank juice. I'd eaten plenty at home, and that was just fine. I know that when I toured a birth center they were really proud of letting moms drink/eat whatever they want during labor, but admitted that most of the time moms just want Popsicles or a sports drink. If you're hungry enough to have a meal, you should probably still be at home. Don't sweat this rule! |
Anonymous
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I know you probably don't want a c-section, but if you end up with one you will be happy to not have eaten before hand. I started vomiting after they took the baby out, and because I hadn't eaten not much came out. It would have been much grosser had I had a full stomach. I also know people who vomited during labor.
So while I think they should not just force you to not eat, and explain the reasons and give you a choice, there are reasons. They are not just stupid rules with no reasoning, even if you don't like the reasoning. |
Anonymous
| Georgetown has a liquids only rule. For my previous delivery I labored at the hospital for 5 hours and couldn't imagine eating during that tim. This was out of the area and I wasn't even allowed liquids, just ice chips, which I really liked. But I already have snacks in my hospital bag I intend to sneak if I feel like eating. Labor is exhausting. Keeping up energy and being comfortable are important. |
Anonymous
Actually, they kind of are. Research and best practice says that eating and drinking during labor is beneficial. Vomit happens. I prefer the risk of throwing up to the risk of running out of energy and stamina to deliver my baby vaginally. |
Anonymous
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Time and time again, research has shown that there is no reason to deny women food and water during labor. Yet it remains policy at so many hospitals. I don't get it. I would not give birth at a place that restricted my ability to eat or drink. I think it's an indication that the practice is very medically oriented and is not practicing in an evidence based way. There are a good number of providers and settings out there that have no restrictions on food and drink. Here's some articles on research that finds no benefit to denying food and drink, and benefit to letting women eat and drink: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100119213043.htm and http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/health/26child.html "Maternity wards have long forbidden women in labor to eat or drink. Even when labor goes on and on, the bill of fare is usually limited to ice chips. Now a systematic review of existing studies has found no evidence that the restrictions have any benefit for most healthy women and their babies." Yours is a legitimate concern. Some women don't get hungry during labor, but most get thirsty, and not giving women the option to eat or drink is really inhumane, in my opinion. When else in our lives is someone allowed to tell us that we can't eat?! As a doula I have seen moms get really worn out and starving from these types of policies. I have had some clients sneak food, if they were comfortable doing that. I also encourage clients who are giving birth in food/drink restrictive environments to make sure that the clear liquids they are drinking are as high as possible in nutrition and calories...but there's only so much you can do with clear liquids. I agree with the suggestion to stay home as long as possible -- and if you get to the hospital and you're less than 4 cm dilated, consider going home, or going to get a meal before you get admitted. Make sure to eat lots before you go to the hospital. And if you get induced, talk to your provider about having food during the cervical ripening stage -- at this point you're far from delivering your baby (usually) so the concerns about an imminent cesarean should be reduced. Having to be induced without any food is really, really tough. And I encourage you to print out some research studies and articles on this topic, bring them to your provider, and ask them why they are not practicing in a way that lines up with the best evidence possible. You could do the same in labor -- bring some articles and give them to the nurses on call. It's your body, and if you want to put food or drink in it, you should be able to. If you want to eat despite the guidelines, tell them you're willing to sign an "against medical advice" form...or just go in the bathroom and chow down. Best of luck! |
Anonymous
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Agai, I don't think the rule has to do with vomiting in general -- like you said, vomit happens. I believe it has to do a fear of complications if they have to put you under. I think this is a legitimate concern; I've had other surgeries before and they always want you to stop eating however many hours beforehand. And sometimes you can't control if you'll need emergency surgery during a birth, despite your best efforts.
But I still plan to labor at home as long as I can. And I don't *think* I'll be hungry -- I've run a marathon, and though that's not the same, I didn't feel like having a meal at any point during the race. Hmm, I wonder if I should bring some of those "Gu" gel packs, though... |
Anonymous
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Definitely do not sneak food. The reason it's clear liquids is in case you need anesthesia (like for an emergency c-section). If you have food in your stomach it can come back up and get into your lungs and make you VERY sick.
Do not sneak foos! I had dinner at 6:30 pm Water broke 1:00am Baby born 8:00 pm No food until 11 pm. Almost 30 hour of not eating, and I was pretty hungry by 11, but not during labor. They give you an IV of sugar water. |
Anonymous
| Another benefit of only clear liquids is that you have a lower chance of pooping during labor. |