[runner29]

Last time in labor I drank a lot of gatorade or powerade - for the hydration and the energy.

There is brand-new research that might suggest another way that these drinks can help you in labor - and this doesn't even require drinking them! (Just swishing them in your mouth is enough to have the effect!!)

Here is a link to a summary of the research:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0415075142.htm

Basically, they found that even swishing those drinks caused athletes to have increased brain activity in the areas associated with pleasure and rewards, and to be able to outperform those swishing drinks that tasted just as sweet (but had no real sugar). They basically had less pain/discomfort and produce more power, but didn't feel like they were working any harder than the other group.

Remember that none of the people DRANK the drinks, just swished! (Not to say you can't drink them, but if you don't want to or can't keep anything down - just swishing and spitting could help too!)

This of course wasn't done on laboring women, just endurance athletes, but as someone who has experienced both types of exertion, there are definitely similarities!

Just an FYI - sports drinks could help decrease perceptions of pain and exertion during labor!! It might be worth trying!

 

[triplembride]

sure couldnt hurt to try!!

 

[Kelly1101]

*puts some bottles of gatorade in labor bag*

 

[trauerweidchen]

My midwife recommends Recharge for labor (it's a sort of natural-foods version of Gatorade, though I've never actually tasted it). Guess I'd better get on buying some of that!

 

[lotus.blossom]

I bought a couple bottles of recharge for my labor box, I ended up breaking into one of them for my son when he was sick and needed hydration. It was the fruit punch flavor. And it tasted yucky to me. Kind of like thin prune juice. My other bottle is lemon (which you can't really go wrong with)

I might just throw a bottle of gatorade in though, just to test the research!

 

[j_p_i]

I've been thinking about this too, I need to pick some up before I start packing my bag. Which I really need to do. Meant to do it today... got busy and forgot!

 

[scrappingmom]

interesting info.. worth trying for sure for those who can drink(or even swish) it! I might try that recharge though, i cant stomach gatorade but maybe that i could?! would be great now too where ic ant seem to feel hydrated fro anything

 

[LiLStar]

Hmm.. can't hurt might help! electrolyte drinks are on my birth supply list, with recharge and emergen-c suggested. i might have to go try a few bottles in advance to see which flavors I like best.

 

[mynameisMom]

I wonder if Propel would work? That tastes good to me, or at least used to, they changed it recently to HFCS instead of sucrose but besides the fact we avoid HFCS in the house, it's too sweet now anyway. But I know my store still has some single bottles of the old formula.

 

[LiLStar]

propel ditched the artificial sweeteners? Nice! I used to really like it before I swore off artifical sweeteners. Although.. hfcs is a pretty small step forward, lol. We avoid that, too! Keep trying, propel, you're almost there.

 

[Full Heart]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrappingmom interesting info.. worth trying for sure for those who can drink(or even swish) it! I might try that recharge though, i cant stomach gatorade but maybe that i could?! would be great now too where ic ant seem to feel hydrated fro anything

I can't stand gatoraid so I drink powerade. I think it has a better flavor. Its the only thing that keeps me hydrated. I could drink 2 gallons of water and it does nothing for me. I swear there is a water slide in me, in one end right out the other. Right now I drink a big bottle of powerade a day, a glass of juice and gallon of water. It took me a long time to find that balance.

I am making powerade ice chips for labor, and will have bottles for labor as well. I was really concerned with staying hydrated but a reduced perception of pain sounds good too

.

 

[JamieCatheryn]

I'm making my own when labor starts, they call it laborade:
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup honey
2 cups water
2-4 cal/mag tablets
big dash of salt
dash of baking soda

Blended in the blender, then with water to make 1 gallon added to it. Don't know about pain perception but you need energy, hydration, and electrolytes during strenuous activity. And calcium and magnesium help cramping type sensations hurt less.

I'll also be drinking 1/2 strength grape or apple juice, Recharge is pretty much juice, water, and salt if you want to mix that up.

 

[LiLStar]

Jamie thats really similar to what I made today. Same ingredients, except no baking soda.

 

[burm_keep]

Interesting! I had planned on making a laborade and then found Recharge for .79 cents per 32 oz. at the store! I took it as a sign and got 4 bottles (2 lemon, 2 orange). I've also stocked myself up with coconut water in case I need a different taste.

 

[lotus.blossom]

.79! I dropped 3$ and change on my bottles of recharge. Grrr.

 

[mamayarn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiLStar propel ditched the artificial sweeteners? Nice! I used to really like it before I swore off artifical sweeteners. Although.. hfcs is a pretty small step forward, lol. We avoid that, too! Keep trying, propel, you're almost there.

It seems they switched from sucrose to high fructose corn syrup and left the sucralose (aka Splenda). Booooo.

Where can I find this Recharge stuff?

Health food stores or somewhere less specific?

 

[trauerweidchen]

I'm thinking I'll have to go to our co-op for Recharge; our local grocery stores don't seem to have it in their natural foods sections (I should be going to the co-op more often anyway

). I might just mix up my own laborade (thanks for the recipe!) and buy some Gatorade instead, though. I don't usually drink Gatorade or Powerade, but they taste alright to me when I'm dehydrated. I don't think I'll be worried about avoiding some food dyes when I'm in the middle of labor...

 

[CookAMH]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamieCatheryn I'm making my own when labor starts, they call it laborade: 1/3 cup lemon juice 1/2 cup honey 2 cups water 2-4 cal/mag tablets big dash of salt dash of baking soda Blended in the blender, then with water to make 1 gallon added to it. Don't know about pain perception but you need energy, hydration, and electrolytes during strenuous activity. And calcium and magnesium help cramping type sensations hurt less. I'll also be drinking 1/2 strength grape or apple juice, Recharge is pretty much juice, water, and salt if you want to mix that up.

I plan to make some of that too. How long should it keep?

I may just bend and buy some bottles of gatorade or the like.

 

[JamieCatheryn]

Laborade should probably last about a week or so after it's made. I like the idea of making it fresh when labor starts because it gives me something to do. I did write the recipe for DH in case I can't do it myself though.

 

[mamayarn]

So calcium/magnesium tablets - what familiar brand name is that code for?