Why just clear liquids during labor
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Anonymous
From my knowledge, it's just clear fluids once you're admitted. |
Anonymous
I think they are bound by hospital policy, but turn somewhat of a blind eye to it. They really want you to be able to eat or drink, they just can't tell you to or know about it. What a bunch of ridiculousness - midwives sell out by agreeing to these antiquated rules. |
Anonymous
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if you have an epidural, isn't the vomit risk during anethesia much lower? Isn't the vomit risk if you have a general, and there is a tube in your throat?
I didn't feel like eating during labor, but did bring white grape juice was tasted great. The hospital policy was ice chips / water. |
Anonymous
Well, that's not exactly right -- if you have an epidural you are still likely to vomit; however if you have an epidural in place (that is working correctly) then you wouldn't need general anesthesia at all if you do wind up needing surgery. Epidurals or spinals are the anesthesia of choice for c/s; GA is only used in an extreme emergency for a woman who had been totally unmedicated and there is no time to start an epidural. This in itself is extraordinarily rare. Also it should be noted that one can still vomit stomach bile, even if the stomach is otherwise empty. Many women vomit during cesareans, but because they have an epidural in place they are awake enough to turn their head and/or not inhale any particles. By the way, there has been some research showing that women tend to vomit more frequently if they have had food and drink withheld from them; that the vomiting is (in part) due to imbalances caused by lack of nutrition during labor. |
Anonymous
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As PP said, getting an epidural doesn't necessarily guarantee that you won't get general anesthesia for a cesarean. It is possible that someone would end up with general anesthesia if their epidural hadn't been working properly. Often in this case, they'll try a spinal, but if that doesn't work either, a general anesthesia might be used. As PPs have said, needing general anesthesia for a cesarean birth is very, very rare, though it does happen. My understanding is that anesthetic techniques have changed such that the risk of aspiration is very low, even if a woman has eaten recently. I find this all very confusing though, because some anesthesiologist seem to feel that the risk is still there, while others do not. I tend to trust the research studies though, and the ones I've seen all suggest that denying food and drink is not beneficial.
With regards to MCA, I've attended a fair number of births with them as a doula, and have had clients eat and drink as much as they wanted, and no one has ever said anything to the clients. I don't know what the policy is officially, but they are supportive of women eating and drinking during labor.
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Anonymous
I asked about it at a prenatal and the answer was "eat as much as you want at home but when you come to the hospital, it's just clear liquids, jello, and popsicles". |
Anonymous
| I worried about this with DC#1's labor. I ended up eating a little at home and nothing at the hospital for 10 hours. I was happy it worked out this way since I ended up throwing up everything I ate during labor, which isn't uncommon. You will likely have so much adrenaline you won't notice |
Anonymous
Look up the evidence. There is no evidence to support this widely held misconception. |
Anonymous
Tell your husband to look at the research on this. the risk of aspiration is the same regardless of whether or not the patient has eaten. |
Anonymous
Thank you - YES - a patient could vomit bile and aspirate that, which might even be more harmful than whatever it was that she wanted to eat. The truth is that the risk of aspiration is extremely low, regardless of whether or not a patient has eaten. And, again, a woman needs to be having one of those extremely rare births that require GA to begin with. Ladies, ask your OBs - how often does a woman need an emergency c/s under GA? How often does that happen with someone who has eaten recently? Have they every personally seen aspiration in these situations? If so, what were the outcomes? |
Anonymous
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Also, think about how many people require general anesthesia after a traumatic accident, like a car accident. Do you think the ER empties each patient's stomach before surgery? No, because the risk of aspiration is so low and it is truly an emergency. They are comfortable with that risk. There is no such thing as a risk-free birth. You could also get in a car accident on the way to the hospital. Does that mean you should take public transportation instead? No, right? Taking the metro has its own risks and would totally get you out of the labor zone. I think restricting food in labor is just as crazy as taking the metro in active labor.
That said, dont drink red liquids. If you vomit (and not everyone does) it could look like blood. |
Anonymous
| i wonder if the women talking about the low risk of aspirating are the same women who are not willing to "take the risk" with a glass of wine during pregnancy. |
Anonymous
| Nope, drank wine during pregnancy. |
Anonymous
No, but maybe it does mean that you should fast every single night, so that you drive to work on an empty stomach. That way you can be in the comfort of your own car, but you can have the peace of mind that you won't aspirate food if you wind up needing GA that morning. Heh - someone ought to compare the statistics here. Are you more likely to unexpectedly need GA during you pregnancy from everyday risks, or are you more likely to unexpectedly need GA during labor? Would be an interesting risk-assessment. |
Anonymous
| Op I ate throughout my short (10 hour) labor. Then I puked it all up during transition. Nurse was annoyed/annoying for many reasons but nobody said anything to me about it. I did my research and concluded the same as many pps have stated: the policy is not based on science and the science supports keeping yourself nourished. |