Eat, Mama, Eat!

***ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER REGARDING YOUR DESIRE TO EAT DURING LABOUR. There are some medical situations where eating is NOT recommended.***

Labour and delivery is all about honing in on your Mother’s instincts and allowing your body to lead the way. So if you are hungry, EAT!

Having a good sized snack or a light meal - however you want to think about it! - as you enter into the early stages of labour, is a great idea.

You may not want to eat anything, and that’s okay too. But having foods on hand that are dense in nutrients and protein, yet easy to digest, is very important. Avocados, nuts, bananas, yoghurt, wholegrain toast, peanut butter, energy bars, organic juice, coconut water, bone broth, and water are all great things to have ready to eat.

“But won’t I throw up?” Yes, it’s likely you will vomit during the later stages of labour. (Sorry about that…) Vomiting is a normal, expected part of labour, and more often a reaction to the body's shift in hormones as well as all the hard work your core is doing, and less about what you have or haven’t eaten.

Labour is challenging, hard work, and you NEED energy to keep your strength and stamina up. Especially if labour has begun in the late evening, and you are down on sleep.

Also, be sure to keep your fluids up! Even when you don’t feel like eating, continue to sip on water, (coconut water, gatorade, etc) between contractions. Having a water bottle with a straw, or using a straw with a regular cup makes it easy for your birth partner to offer you a drink and keep you well hydrated during birth.

Avoid sugar-free sports drinks. They do not have the energy boost you need to manage through labour and postpartum

ProTip: Pack snack foods into your hospital bag! And a couple extra for your birth partner, too. You’ll thank yourself, especially after the birth!