How to avoid throwing up during labor?

[HoneyTree]

Is this a silly question? Silly like, "how do I avoid being thirsty during labor?" or "how do I avoid feeling pressure?"

I'm guessing this is just some women's basic biological response to labor, and it certainly was mine. I'm a puker in a lot of situations, and it's never pleasant.

However. Puking was the single most difficult and distressing thing about my early labor. I couldn't eat or drink anything without puking it up. And my labor, from start to finish, was 42 hours, so this lack of fluids and nutrition seriously hindered me during active labor. Also, it's not like the puking timed itself to avoid my contractions--I could be puking and full on doubled over with a big contraction at the same time. Plus I had a bad taste in my mouth the whole time, the "relief" between contractions was waves of nausea...you get the picture.

I hated it.

What's your best, best suggestion, idea, or guess about how to safely forestall the throwing up this time around?

[paintedbison]

Sniffing peppermint oil helped me fight the nausea during labor.

[StarMama]

Do you think that perhaps different foods/drinks might help? Like more 'sick' type foods that are easily digested? Maybe even honey sticks so you could absorb some of the sugars?

I threw up in labor too, but that was because of mag sulfate, not (as far as I know) just because my body reacted that way..

[kangaroomum25]

kombucha really helped with the nausea for me. If you're not used to drinking it I wouldn't start during labour though.

[MsElle07]

Another vote for essential oil: I used tangerine oil, because I hate the smell of peppermint. Any kind of citrus oil should help.

[paintedbison]

Originally Posted by MsElle07

Another vote for essential oil: I used tangerine oil, because I hate the smell of peppermint. Any kind of citrus oil should help.

Ohhh... I didn't know that. I will definitely have tangerine oil and peppermint oil on standby next time!

[MsBlack]

I puked at least a little with all of my labors--and puked nearly continuously for one of em, about 20hrs worth. Not fun at all! And I was definitely worn out and near dehydration by the time my son was born. We just kept trying different things, different beverages to see if anything would stick--it finally turned out to be a soft drink, sort of a fruit spritzer. In my case, it was grapefruit flavored: carbonated but barely sweetened. I still puked, but not nearly as often and it seemed I was absorbing some because I did start to feel better to some degree.

[Patchfire]

I just had my first puke-free labor (Yay!) and the only thing that I did differently was that early in pregnancy, I used the hypnobabies "Eliminate Nausea Now" CD, and despite NOT doing it for the past six months, I remembered the cue during transition, used it once, and it went away. :

[dancindoula]

Oddly, crushed ice or popsicles may be a good choice for you too so that you can stay hydrated without really stimulating your stomach to respond like it would to larger volumes of food/fluid. Dehydration greatly exacerbates nausea so the more you can do to keep your fluids up, the better.

I agree, too, with pp who suggested experimenting with different types of drinks until you find the right one for you. For me sometimes it's a Coke, of all the random unexpected choices!

[AutumnMama]

Good advice here. Just wanted to say that there definitely is a chance that you won't throw up this time. I did with my DD, but I didn't with either of the other two.
I thought I was with DS1, but it turned out that my body was just starting to push instead!

[LorenaAZ]

Chewing on a small piece of fresh ginger root. It's very hot for the first few moments, so I chew it with my mouth open and blowing out. Somehow it gets rid of nausea every time. May be worth a try for you?

[paintedbison]

Originally Posted by dancindoula

Oddly, crushed ice or popsicles may be a good choice for you too so that you can stay hydrated without really stimulating your stomach to respond like it would to larger volumes of food/fluid. Dehydration greatly exacerbates nausea so the more you can do to keep your fluids up, the better.

I agree, too, with pp who suggested experimenting with different types of drinks until you find the right one for you. For me sometimes it's a Coke, of all the random unexpected choices!

Oh... I just remembered. My midwives recommended bringing coke to the birth center to drink during labor!

[paphia]

With my 1st (girl) I was puking up my popsicle and gatorade and water. It just didn't matter, I was going to puke. With my boy I never even felt sick. It'll probably depend a lot on how each pg/labor are different.

[HoneyTree]

I'm going to be self-absorbed and update my own post, but I wanted to share that my midwife just suggested these acupressure bracelets, which I picked up at the local birth center for $11.

[MittensKittens]

Originally Posted by HoneyTree

Also, it's not like the puking timed itself to avoid my contractions

That sounds so funny... very true, unfortunately. I just wanted to say that, if you are going to be puking, I found gatorade (the lemon one) to be OK to puke up, under the circumstances. I just comes out, not leaving a horrible burn or taste on its way out. Even better than having to vomit just plain water. Vomiting really ruined my first labor, and made it had for me to push. I just gave birth yesterday and again, as the baby was crowning the vomiting started. It was fine though, not nearly as unpleasant as the first time and I had been drinking gatorade throughout labor.

[HoneyTree]

Originally Posted by MittensKittens

...if you are going to be puking, I found gatorade (the lemon one) to be OK to puke up, under the circumstances. I just comes out, not leaving a horrible burn or taste on its way out.

Now THIS I had not considered! Good, good point--if the puking is going to happen, what's the least offensive thing to see and smell in the toilet in front of you? : Thanks for the suggestion!

[treespeak]

Originally Posted by HoneyTree

Now THIS I had not considered! Good, good point--if the puking is going to happen, what's the least offensive thing to see and smell in the toilet in front of you? : Thanks for the suggestion!

Watermelon is also pretty decent coming up.

I experienced hyperemesis gravidarum in my first pregnancy, and so was very prepared for throwing up during labor. As it turned out, I threw up just three times, so it wasn't a big deal. My plan was, if things got bad, to take a zofran--I'm not into pharma drugs at all, but I figured if I was becoming dehydrated it was better than having to transfer to a hospital and risk a lot more interventions.

You might check out the HG support thread in the pregnancy forum for more ideas of combating vomiting and nausea. I've heard some women use marijuana medicinally, but I don't have first hand knowledge of that

Also, this may or may not be helpful in your case, but I found that throwing up actually helped me progress in labor...I just had to completely surrender to it, and see it as a friend rather than as an enemy. My water broke right after my last vomiting session, and shortly thereafter I was pushing out my baby.

[nighten]

I totally sympathize. I puked nonstop in my first labor once active labor hit, and it destroyed my chances of using any techniques I'd learned and practiced ahead of time. I think it was less that I was nauseated and more that it was simply my body's way of reacting to extreme pain. I'd never felt such pain before and it started a domino effect: puke, contraction, contraction -- lie on floor and tense, anticipating it: puke, puke, contraction....puke contrax, contrax, and so on.

It was hell.

I ended up going into the birth center and getting an epidural. Immediately stopped puking. Glorious relief. Epi wore off, contrax/pain returned, but NO vomiting. That's how I knew -- I just had needed something to break the cycle.

So this time I've hired a doula, who's very aware of my history and fears, and am listening to the Hypnobabies home study CDs. I will also have Nux Vomica on hand, Seabands, Phenergan, and various essential oils, including peppermint and orange.

[TzippityDoulah]

well if you're going to puke b/c your body's response to labour is by purging, it's just going to happen. it's not fun, but it has a point.

if it's just queaziness and you think you could avoid the barfing by easing the queaziness, then I would vote for eating light things (or things that sit well with you whenever you're feeling sick to your stomach), drinking enough, and sniffing calming smells.

everyone says smell lavendar, peppermint or vanilla... for me those things smell terrible though haha... so whatever works for you. make a little sache.

[L&K'smommie]

I just wanted to add to the you never know if it will happen again. I puked with my first labor and not at all with my second...we'll see how the third one goes.