Eating And Drinking During Labor May Ease The Process

Every woman who’s been pregnant has a unique experience of a natural phenomenon. So, you childbirth needn’t be like Mrs. Murthy’s or Mrs. Banerjee’s – you get the point. You need to practice Da Lama’s advice: don’t dwell too much on what people tell you. It can not only ruin your mood, but can also aggravate your stress for no reason. Listen, smile and do what you must.

If doctors in the UK were to be believed, all that hype about restricting certain foods during childbirth is little more than a case of perspectives.

The Cochrane Library published a study in 2013, which concudes that food and drink doesn’t have any effect on labor, and does not lead to problems for such moms. Most healthcare institutions practice restrictive policies and regulate fluids and food once a pregnant woman goes into labor. While these systems are viewed as critical in the case where anesthesia is necessary, i.e. a C-section, many experts believe these very policies are unfounded. University of Liverpool’s research team stated that such procedures were “unwarranted”.

The Cochrane Library Study researchers collaborated on a detailed analysis of five studies from all over the UK, involving 3,130 low-risk pregnancy (ones who wouldn’t need anesthesia during labor) women.

The study aimed at reviewing a few outcomes for women:

  • C-section
  • Natural birth
  • Mom’s satisfaction of birth

The research team examined the APGAR (Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration) score. The APGAR test is designed to evaluate how well your baby tolerated the birthing process and how well it is doing outside the womb. The results were also based on heart rate, muscle tone, reflexes, breathing pattern, glucose levels, and skin coloration.

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No Recorded Benefits

The results, much to the surprise of all doubters, and in contrast to the restrictive hospital policies, didn’t reflect significant changes between moms who chose to drink and eat during labor, and those who didn’t.

Gillian Gyle, Liverpool University Department of Women’s and Children’s Health representative said, “Our study found no difference in the outcomes measured, regarding the babies’ wellbeing or the likelihood of a woman needing a C-section. There is no evidence of any benefit to restricting what women eat and drink in labor.”

So, where does this crucial piece of information come from? Well, seems plausible to accredit this information to old wives tales, but according to the study, the answer may lie in the 1946 American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. The 1946 study concluded that women were contracting infections, and in some cases dying because the contents of the stomach were entering the lungs. However, with advances in technology and the option of a local anesthesia, the risk “has become slight”.

You Get To Choose

So, what does all this mean for all you mommies? Well, it means that you can tell people off for giving you lessons about what to avoid and what to eat during labor, not that you’d want to eat in the first place, with so much going on.

According to the study, some women undergo “harrowing and unpleasant experiences” on food restriction. So, women should, most definitely, have a choice, especially when it comes to eating and drinking whatever their hearts desire, even if it is a candy or a mint.

Therefore, these archaic hospital policies needn’t be enforced.

In fact, Mayo Clinic states that eating healthy snacks, and drinking fluids during early labor may ease the process.

So, the next time someone tells you, “My mom told me not to eat this during labor,” you know what to say to them.

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