Suggestions for food during birth

[mommyammons]

I'm 35 weeks with my 5th baby and gearing up for birth.  This will be my first natural experience though and I am delivering at a natural friendly hospital with a midwife.  She told me that I can bring snacks if I want to munch on through labor.  I've never been allowed to eat during labor before, so I have no idea what to bring.   Any suggestions?

[womenswisdom]

Most women who want to eat during labor like things that they don't have to chew, like applesauce, smoothies, that kind of thing.

[JamieCatheryn]

I liked snacking on cheese and crackers, nuts, apple juice, and early on regular meals others could prepare for me.

[CoBabyMaker]

I liked plain yogurt with peanut butter and honey. 

[CountryMommy]

I usually don't have an appetite in labour but in early labour I think plain apple sauce.

[CountryMommy]

I like not I think lol

[Lazurii]

My go-to labor food is a banana-peanut butter smoothie.  My midwife made me one with my first labor and I craved it for my second.  Easy to digest and comforting.

[phathui5]

I had a chicken quesidilla from Chipotle an hour before our latest baby was born :)

[Quinalla]

My labor was so fast last time, I didn't even think about food at the hospital, but I think easy to eat things would be good: soup. smoothies, applesauce, etc. I did have some excellent pad thai at lunch the day I was in labor and the baby was out by 6:20pm, but that was early labor when contractions were barely noticeable.

[MrsGregory]

I'm in awe of all the ladies that can and want to eat during labor.  I labored for 24 hours (not counting the contractions I'd been having for weeks, I started labor already 100% effaced and fairly dilated), and let me tell you, I didn't want a single, solitary thing to eat.  Not so much as a Jolly Rancher (which my husband had lovingly purchased and had ready for me, since they're my #1 garbage candy to eat). 

Right afterwards though?  Ha.  My breakfast order was literally "one of everything".  (No, I didn't actually manage to eat it all.)

[cocoanib]

crackers, almond butter, chunks of fruit(watermelon), tea

[SplashingPuddle]

I associate birth with cravings so its hard to predict what would appeal to others. For me, I suddenly craved grape juice.  No other juice would do, and I had had no similar craving for grape juice in pregnancy.  

[mommyammons]

mmm...I'm thinking that fruits sounds really good and also the smoothie, but I don't think that will travel well :) 

And I may not even want to eat...I was just so excited to be "allowed" to!

[LeighPF]

With both of mine I had no desire to eat once I was in active labour, but ate normally in early labour.

This time my plan includes the fruit puree freezies from Trader Joes.

Make sure you have good access to food post partum. With my second, the first thing my nurse brought to the post partum room was a sandwich. I loved him. It was 1 am and the kitchen was closed.

With my first the next morning my breakfast order was pretty much "one of everything" too, and I ate it all (best bacon ever).

[Oliver'sMom]

I loved naked juice's "green machine" when I was in labor.  Make sure you bring straws!  For some reason it is absolutely impossible to drink normally from a cup when you are in labor :)
 

[amlikam]

Eggs, popcicles, juice, soup, stew, fruit, veggies, rice & beans (I'm latin), toast, broth, tea, honey, applesauce (those little pouch applesauces are something I keep in my doula bag and mom's are always stocked to see them), miso soup, yogurt, cheese, crackers....