Snacking during labour

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Can you eat while you're in labour? Yes, but stick to small amounts. 

Your grandmother was probably told: "Don't eat anything!" when she had her children. The reason then was not only tradition but also the large amounts of painkilling drugs given during labour and the general anesthesia often used for birth. When women were heavily sedated or unconscious, they were unable to control their breathing and swallowing. If a woman ate just prior to labour, she ran the risk of vomiting and then aspirating the stomach contents into her lungs, which could be very harmful.

 Today: Similar Advice, Different Reasons

 Foods You Can Safely Eat During Early labour

Today: Similar Advice, Different Reasons

Things are different today. Doctors no longer give women such strong drugs for labour, and general anesthesia is rarely used during birth. Women are alert and responsive and have full control over their breathing and swallowing. Nevertheless, you will probably be advised to avoid most foods during labour, mainly because of the discomfort that can result. As labour progresses, some women experience nausea caused by their painkillers or by the mere intensity of labour; if their stomach is full, the nausea may lead to vomiting. While this isn't dangerous, it is an added discomfort to deal with.

Also, digestion stops during labour. Your blood flow is directed not to your stomach but to your uterus, where all the work is being done. As a result, foods you eat during labour, especially high-fat foods like meat and dairy products, simply sit in your stomach. This can be uncomfortable, and it increases your risk of vomiting if you do become nauseous.

Foods You Can Safely Eat During Early Labour

That said, you don't have to cut out everything. In fact, new research has shown that fasting can actually cause the existing stomach contents to be more dangerous if aspirated, because they are higher in acid. If you become hungry during early labour (you probably won't feel like eating anything when you're in active labour), you can safely snack on low fat foods that are therefore quickly digested. The following are all good choices: 

  Clear drinks (apple juice, cranberry juice, tea, soda)
  Clear soups, broth
  Ice lollies
  Toast (not buttered), crackers
  Plain pasta

If you think labour is starting, resist the urge to eat a big, heavy meal. The payoff for enduring hunger pangs is a more comfortable labour. So munch on the safe foods listed above, and celebrate with a pizza after the baby is born!

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