Labor food « Back to Group Discussions

[sallyrae17]

I don't know if a thread like this already exists, but I didn't see one of the first page of threads. I'm starting to compile my list of labor foods and am wondering if anyone has any suggestions or things they are planning to eat/drink or bring to the hospital for energy. My first labor was so intense that I didn't really eat or drink anything during the entire labor (25 hours) and that led to a ton of problems. This time around, I'm going to make sure that I have things on hand that will nourish me and that I'll want to ingest. I would only drink a sip or two of water between contractions and definitely needed something with more energy. Here's my list so far:

chia seeds with juice

coconut water

honey sticks

popsicles (some made with RRL and nettle tea)

energy bars

ginger ale

trail mix

watermelon

laborade (1/3 cup honey, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1/4-1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1-2 crushed calcium/mag tablets, enough water for one quart)

I could add chicken broth, but that doesn't sound appetizing to me at all. I read somewhere that you should think of things that calmed your stomach during the first trimester when you were sick....which I was. :)

[Lizbiz]

Hi - I don't eat that much during labor - I try to have a decent meal when I first go into labor - whatever I can manage!  Like a Veggie Burger or eggs - something with protein.  I have so far had longish labors though.  

Once I'm in active labor - it's my husband's job to make sure I'm eating bits here and there and staying hydrated.  I drink Gu2O - it's what I drink when marathoning and it's an electrolyte replacement drink.  I also eat cookie dough Balance Bars and bananas - really just a bite here and there whenever he can manage to get it in me. And that's it!  I just can't eat anything more and I usually do throw up when I go through transition anyway.  For me, it's really just like a marathon - I'm eating to stay sustained through the activity - my body won't let me eat much more!

Afterward though - I typically eat a couple of buttery scrambled eggs on a big bagel.  Good quick carbs and protein to replenish!   

[ithappened]

I usually find Im not hungry during labor but as soon as its over I am STARVING.  . and starving for the entire day which follows the birth! I also really want juice to drink and lots of it but I am wondering with a c-section if I will be 'allowed' to eat after..

anyhow-

I plan to pack the following:

energy bars (granola and these dried fruit bars I like)

trail mix and maybe cereal

chocolate

nuts (salted and unsalted)

dried fruit (so I can pack it this week and not think about it spoiling-- but watermelon sounds SO good)

[DesertSunsets]

I just started this list yesterday, so I'm happy to see other people's ideas. 

Fruit (we've been pretty good about keeping some fruit in our house, so we'll just grab what we have)

GF crackers

Tea (my favorite is spearmint and chamomile, but I'll probably bring some raspberry leaf, too)

honey sticks

Apricot nectar

Chocolate

popsicles

Maybe a sports drink

I was also planning on bringing single serving freezer meal for afterwards and maybe some muffins. 

I tried to think of things that have been appetizing when my stomach has been upset during pregnancy and things that I liked to eat when playing sports. I want to come up with a few more things.

[sallyrae17]

Originally Posted by ithappened 

I usually find Im not hungry during labor but as soon as its over I am STARVING.  . and starving for the entire day which follows the birth! I also really want juice to drink and lots of it but I am wondering with a c-section if I will be 'allowed' to eat after..

anyhow-

I plan to pack the following:

energy bars (granola and these dried fruit bars I like)

trail mix and maybe cereal

chocolate

nuts (salted and unsalted)

dried fruit (so I can pack it this week and not think about it spoiling-- but watermelon sounds SO good)

I was on liquids only after my c-section. Due to all of the drugs they pump into you, you can't actually eat anything. I can't remember how long it was, but it was absolutely horrible. I didn't eat anything during my labor (25 hours) and then couldn't eat real food for another day or so. I remember being given chicken broth and maybe some juice. It definitely did not satisfy. So...if you have a c-section, try to eat really filling foods beforehand (if it's planned, that is). On the other hand, if you have a planned c-section, you probably won't be as hungry as if you'd gone through labor beforehand. In any case, no real food right afterwards. :-(

[ithappened]

oh that sounds horrible salley I can't imagine. I am sorry.. yuck. How horrible!!! My birth with DS1 was 7 hours of labor and I was starving by the time he came out, I remember I had to wait an hour until they could get me food and I thought I was going to die..  :( 

I plan to have a HUGE 'last meal' before the c-section (I assume dinner the night before?) and then the c-s is scheduled for the next morning super early (7am)  so I am hoping that will be enough until I can eat again.. ugh.
 

[Tizzy]

Last time I had a full fish and chips meal while in pre-labour, as usual I puked during transition and it was actually a pretty good choice of food lol!

I like to drink lots of iced RRL tea with honey and eat basically whatever's in the house.

I also bake a "birthday" cake to have after the birth.
 

[Ninetales]

I didn't eat much at all during my labor before.  I'm sure it was a contributing factor to my later exhaustion, but I just didn't want to eat anything.  As soon as the section was over I was starving and was told by a much too perky nurse that I could have "clear liquids in about 3 hours."  Yeah....

As soon as that three hours was up I was demanding popsicles, chicken broth, every kind of juice, jello - basically it was "whatever you have, give it to me."  It sucked.

[ithappened]

oh yeah- prelabor i had spicy indian food.. do not recommend
 

[KristyDi]

I remember being hungry early in labor but not being allowed to eat. (I did eat some of the chick-fil-a my sister had anyway)  Then not wanting anything later.  I also remember being Famished pretty soon after birth and being really upset at being told there was no real food available at the hospital. (It was about 3am)  I very nearly sent my exhausted DH on a Taco Bell run because it was the only place I thought might be open.  I think I ate 5 or 6 boxes of raisins and a bag of sunchips he scrounged up for me.  I didn't get any real food till breakfast the next morning around 9ish and I was still starving.  In fact I was starving pretty much the whole time I was in the hospital (2 nights after the night DD was born.  I wanted to leave much sooner, but that's a whole other post)

I'll be much better prepared this time.  I'll make sure to eat something filling early in labor and have some snack both for if I'm hungry during labor and for after.  we'll be at a different hospital this time and should have better access to other food too.

I think cold watermelon sounds like it might be good during labor.  But that may be because it's my major craving right now.  

[Lizbiz]

Originally Posted by KristyDi 

 I also remember being Famished pretty soon after birth and being really upset at being told there was no real food available at the hospital. (It was about 3am)  

Seriously, I would sue over something like this! :) WHAT????!!!! You just gave birth - dang hospital should have at least the ability to scramble some eggs and throw in some toast for you.  3am or 3pm... shouldn't make a lick of difference.  That is INSANE.  I would seriously lose it over this ;). 

Food is really important to me.  That would be a total deal breaker and I might have just walked to the nearest Taco Bell myself!! :)  

[Tizzy]

With my first, DH hadn't had supper by the time we got to the hospital at 6ish pm, so by 8 he was ready to pass out. No food available at all! We didn't pack anything either because we thought it was just an NST, didn't even have the camera with us. Fortunately one of the midwives brought him a sandwich, but I didn't get anything until the following day because 1. They didn't tell me I had to actually GO to the cafeteria (hello, my spinal took forever to wear off and DH had to be at home), and 2. When I asked for food, the nurse said she'd bring me something but totally forgot. It was not cool.

Brought back memories from my appendectomy earlier that pregnancy, I hadn't kept anything down for 3 days prior to surgery, then 3 days after theY kept forgetting I existed down at the end of the hall. When I finally got a tray of food, it was cream of broccoli soup, coffee, meat chilli and melon. I begged DH to sneak me out so we could grab a sandwich from the vendors downstairs LOL

[sallyrae17]

Originally Posted by KristyDi 

I think cold watermelon sounds like it might be good during labor.  But that may be because it's my major craving right now.  

Oooh! Maybe little frozen chunks of watermelon. I think that would be incredibly refreshing!

[rebecca10]

I ate tons of jello last time. This time I might make some of my own fruit juice jello so it's not quite so many chemicals.  And my mom's chicken soup she brought over (just broth) was amazing.  Also crackers.  I'm also going to bring a trail mix, nuts, dried fruit, and energy bars.   I was very happy last time that I had just finished a large Thai dinner when my water broke and we had to rush to the hosptial. I'm hoping this time, I'll actually start labor before my water breaks (and not have the worry about cord prolapse I did last time if it does), so I'll be able to make sure I get a good meal in right before heading to the hospital, espeically since I have to sneak anything besides clear liquids to avoid a fuss.

[ithappened]

so I'll be able to make sure I get a good meal in right before heading to the hospital, espeically since I have to sneak anything besides clear liquids to avoid a fuss.

yeah- I need to decide what my 'last meal' will be... already planning it.
 

[srtacoche]

I'm planning on having a lot of lemonade and iced RRL/nettle ready.  I've also found these great chewy granola-like bars at Costco that have flax, dried fruit, etc and no nasty stuff. Frozen grapes and popsicles will come along too. I'm also going to make mini pumpkin muffins with coconut oil to snack on too.  I know I'll be starving afterwards (I've always been a big eater) so we'll make sure there's something to nosh on then.  Luckily, the birth center is in a college town, so there's a lot around and most stuff is open late.

[iixivboots]

It's weird, the "late pregnancy" sheet I got from my doctor said "do not eat anything when you go into labor, it will only make you sick later." This is contrary to everything I've heard and even with the L&D nurse who did our hospital childbirth class told us, she definitely recommended eating and drinking a lot while doing early labor at home.

[LilyTiger]

Originally Posted by bootsvalentine 

It's weird, the "late pregnancy" sheet I got from my doctor said "do not eat anything when you go into labor, it will only make you sick later." This is contrary to everything I've heard and even with the L&D nurse who did our hospital childbirth class told us, she definitely recommended eating and drinking a lot while doing early labor at home.

That is weird.  Everything I've read from our childbirth class to Ina May says that eating some protein, etc., while in early labor is really helpful for energy levels.  It's like a marathon, after all, so while you probably don't want to eat 5 lbs of fettuccine alfredo, a well balanced meal with protein and slow-burning carbs will really help you through it. 

On a side note, as someone who gets massive motion sickness, there's nothing more annoying than people who tell you not to eat before a flight or whatever because you'll throw up more.   A full stomach settles nausea, not the other way around.  I picked up some Lara bars and some other decently tasty protein bars to have in my hospital bag just in case, but since we're planning/hoping to labor at home for as long as possible, I'm hoping we can get a good meal in before I go in.  Maybe an egg scramble of some sort.  

[Ninetales]

It may be the cynic in me, but I read that statement as "do not eat anything once you go into labor because we do not want to clean up vomit or poop."

I really think it's because it's easier for them, nothing to do with you.  It makes no sense otherwise.

[pennywhistle]

Originally Posted by Ninetales 

It may be the cynic in me, but I read that statement as "do not eat anything once you go into labor because we do not want to clean up vomit or poop."

yeah, me too.