Eating And Drinking During Labor

There are some laboring mother's who do not want to eat or drink while some do. Most women lose their appetites during active labor anyway, but still may be thirsty. So why do some care providers, more often obstetricians than midwives, not allow their patients to eat and/or drink during labor? Traditionally, laboring women have been told to avoid food and drinks due to concerns that they may aspirate or inhale food or liquid into their lungs which can cause pneumonia. However, with the advances and improvements made in anesthesia care today, laboring women are less likely to have this problem. Researchers have noted that with these improvements, risks are reduced related to eating during labor. ANESTHESIOLOGY 2015 presented at the annual meeting that most healthy women can skip fasting and would benefit from eating light food during their labor.

In the United States, there only was one case of aspiration associated with laboring mothers between the years of 2005 to 2013 according to the American Society of Anesthesiology's Closed Claims Project Database, which involved a complicated situation of an obese laboring mother who was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia.

Christopher Harty, BN, said, "Physician anesthesiologists and obstetricians should work together to assess each patient individually. Those they determine are at low risk for aspiration can likely eat a light meal during labor. This gives expectant mothers more choices in their birthing experience and prevents them from being calorie deficient, helping to provide energy during labor." Harty also said that the energy and calories required of laboring mother's are much like to those of marathon runners. Without proper nutrition, women's bodies will begin to use the fat from their bodies as an energy source which increases the acidity of the blood in the baby and mother. This gives the potential risk of reducing uterine contractions, leading to a longer labor and lower scores in the newborn. Keep in mind that some care providers are not patient with longer labors and opt for a cesarean birth.

In conclusion, healthy women that are not high risk still should consult with their care provider about eating light foods and drinking during their labor. Light foods could include a smoothie, fruits, light soups, breads, etc. Women deserve and should have a choice if they want to eat and drink during their labor. Generally, the mother carrying and laboring for the child is the one person most concerned about her and her baby's health.