Ok, so you might not want to eat a burger and chips but it is a really good idea to eat little and often during the early stages of labour!
Keeping yourself well fuelled and well hydrated is really important during labour. It helps your body to work more effectively. Labour is hard work and it uses lots of energy. Your uterus is a muscle just like any other muscle in your body and it needs to be well fuelled in order to work efficiently. If you’re dehydrated and hungry the muscles of the body can’t work effectively. This can slow labour down which can then lead to interventions.
There are no real rules as to what you should eat, but from personal experience, snacks were definitely better than anything too heavy.
In my labours I enjoyed eating:
- Cereal Bars
- Toast
- Biscuits
- Dried Fruit/Nuts
- Porridge
Many women don’t feel like eating once they go into active labour, however, it may be helpful to have some of the below to hand just in case you need an energy boost:
- Ice Lollies/Ice cubes made with fruit and honey.
- Coconut water.
- Jelly.
- Honey – either alone or in warm water.
- Miso Soup.
Make sure that you have lots of snacks and drinks ready for when you go into labour, eating is still important. Make sure that your birth partner knows how important it is to ensure that you drink and eat during labour and also remind your birth partner how important it is for them to keep well fuelled too!
It’s much easier to drink from a bendy straw than a bottle or a cup when in labour so make sure that you have a couple to hand.
For more birth-related advice, please visit my website JustExhale or my Facebook page: Just Exhale | Facebook
