Latest Research: Eating and Drinking During Labor OK - Page 2

[crunchy_mommy]

Originally Posted by MegBoz

I find that extremely hard to believe. How about prolonged labor or more need for instrumental delivery from the "nothing by mouth" rule (uh, running out of energy!)
How about the increased discomfort from the deprivation?
How about the increased fluid retention from delivering IV fluids instead of letting a woman hydrate <gasp> from drinking?
How about the blood sugar drops of the baby? (from the IV glucose solution [or whatever it is] being given to the mama, & blood sugar subsequently dropping for both?)

OK, I wrote the above, then I continued reading the article, here's the very next paragraph:

Uh, but there is "no harm" from the restriction. WHAT THE ???????? How ironic that longer labor is considered a big problem, even with an official medical name, "Labor dystocia" that they give drugs to fix. But yet when longer labor is an iatrogenic, doctor-caused thing, it's "not considered harmful."

I was in labor for 40+ hours total and I have hypoglycemia. Due to reasons I've explained elsewhere, I was in the hospital for about 3/4 of that labor... so needless to say, I was weak & starving after just 12 hours. I had lots of issues with my OB but I have to admit she really came through for me when she came up with the idea to admit me as a regular patient instead of maternity. I stayed in the same room & everything and they brought me up a tray of food! Of course eventually they decided I had to be "maternity" instead and bye-bye food... I do think that next time I will be sneaking my own food in!!

[umsami]

Every hospital that I've delivered at has had a no food policy. I just got smarter as time went on. For DD1s birth, I packed a giant cooler filled with snacks for "my husband." He (an MD) was my lookout while I sneaked food and stuff. I entered the hospital at 6 a.m. (after a stop at Dunkin Donuts for a bagel)... and DD wasn't born until 2:00 a.m. the next day. I can't understand how they expect anybody to survive on a glucose IV drip that long... especially a woman in labor.