Go Ahead. Eat During Labor.
A new article published today on Reuters’s website begins, “There is no reason why pregnant women at low risk for complications during delivery should be denied fluids and food during labor, a new Cochrane research review concludes.” The entry, titled No Need For Pregnant Women to Fast During Labor cites the new research findings that show that there aren’t any adverse outcomes by allowing women the option of liquids and/or a regular diet in labor.
It has long been hospital policy in many places to only allow tiny sips of water or ice during labor in case a woman has to have an emergency c-section, but anesthesia practices are much improved since the 1940s when this trend began. The doctor’s conducting the study found that “evidence showed no benefits or harms of restricting foods and fluids during labor in women at low risk of needing anesthesia.”
So, if you’re at low-risk of needing anesthesia during birth, bring a copy of the Reuter’s article to your doctor and the hospital staff and let them know you’ll be in charge of deciding if you’d like to eat during labor!
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