Ep. 115: Friday Free Talk, Eating + Drinking during Labor

Studies show that, on average, 80% of laboring people don’t eat the entire time they are in labor and 60% don’t drink during labor! YET, 95% of them would have chosen TO eat and drink during labor if they had been given the choice!Are you shocked? Honestly, I couldn’t imagine being asked to run a marathon without carb loading the night before or not being allowed to drink any water during the marathon! “Allowing” birthing people to eat and drink during labor is as controversial as it gets and some providers get really heated about this topic. The truth is, the research is clear that we should be able to have access to food and drink while birthing a child, yet so many hospital policies don’t match up with the evidence—what gives? There’s real risk associated with it like aspiration, but we know this “rule” came about in the 1940’s when most cesareans were done via general anesthesia. Now only 6% of c-sections are done using general anesthesia. Death by aspiration during labor happens in less than 1% of births. It would take 1.4 MILLION births to have one death caused by aspiration. A few contraindications to be aware of include eclampsia, pre-eclampsia, a BMI over 40, and using IV opioids as pain relief. This episode dives into why you should be educated on knowing your rights when it comes to eating and drinking in labor and advocating for the care you deserve to achieve your ideal labor. 

 

Brought to you by: Primally Pure, https://primallypure.com/collections/deodorant?rfsn=1858854.1b9773

 

Resource: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-eating-drinking-labor/