Eating and Drinking Safe for Labor

More evidence that childbirth professionals see benefits to both eating and drinking during the long hours of labor.

If you are the average mother today, you will be in the early part of labor for many hours. Even active labor can be on average 4-6 hours, not to mention pushing for another 2 hours. Mothers often find that their stamina quickly diminishes and motivation to keep going becomes harder to find. One thing that makes a long labor harder is not being able to eat or drink during labor.

The American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) has recently released a clinical bulletin that says that restricting a mother's intake of food and drink does not always benefit her. In addition to hydration and nutrition, knowing you can drink and eat as you please provides the mother with a sense of control and can decrease her stress level.

Even many anesthesiologists now recommend that clear fluids should be allowed for women during labor.

ACNM does recommend that the woman's health status be considered in whether or not it is advisable to eat and drink.

Be sure to discuss the option of eating and drinking during labor with your caregiver prior to your due date.

Brenda