09/09/2024
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Going into labor nourished and hydrated is often critical to a smooth and uncomplicated labor and birth.
If you’re in early labor or are showing some signs that labor might be starting soon and can eat something substantial, always choose that option first. In more active labor, usually when surges are getting stronger and closer together, many women don’t have much of an appetite at all. However, getting bites in here or there of snacks she can stomach can be important for keeping energy up especially for a longer labor.
Run far, far away from any birth place or provider still clinging to the dangerous and ridiculous idea, one that has been disproven over and over again, that women should not eat or drink in labor. If they don’t know that, they shouldn’t be trusted with the rest of your pregnancy, labor, birth, or postpartum care. Denying food or hydration to women in normal labor is abusive, counterproductive, and it is a sign that a place or provider does not understand physiology or even stay up to date with all the evidence showing how important it is. (And no, just “allowing” clear liquids, ice chips, or dye-filled corn syrup popsicles is not enough.) It’s common sense that nourishment and hydration are necessary for such a physiological feat.
Full article on the site today with our list of the best snacks and drinks during active labor!
https://www.madeforthisbirth.net/post/snacks-for-labor
