Why you can't eat in labor will SHOCK you...
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- Опубликовано: 28 авг 2024
- Let's talk about forcing laboring people to have no food, sometimes for DAYS, during labor admissions. Why do they do it? Is it dangerous to eat in labor?
Resources
Mendelssohn’s Study: sci-hub.se/10....
Oral Intake in Labor: pubmed.ncbi.nl...
Evidence on Eating & Labor: evidencebasedb...
Survey on Practices: pubmed.ncbi.nl...
Eat, Drink, and Be Labour: www.ncbi.nlm.n...
ARDS Data: sci-hub.se/10....
Restricting Oral Intake: www.ncbi.nlm.n...
Eating in Labor: www.ncbi.nlm.n...
No Routine Interventions: www.ncbi.nlm.n...
UK Data: pubmed.ncbi.nl...
Cardiac Arrest: pubmed.ncbi.nl...
American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Statement: www.asahq.org/...
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** The information in this video is intended to serve as educational information and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/advanced practice provider. **
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#pregnancy #labour #obgyn
I live in rural Oregon. I was encouraged to eat in early labor and offered food in later labor. They did ask that I not chug my entire water bottle at one time, to just drink normally. I really didn't want food or water when things where really going, but I still remember my nurse calling to order me dinner after the birth of my first. She ordered me chocolate cake, and told the person "not a little piece, a big one, she just delivered a baby and she had GD so she hasn't had sweets in months so she deserves a good one.". It still makes me smile.
Bless your nurse 💖
@@calliemyersbuchanan6458 She really was the sweetest.
Aww that's a sweet nurse :) I'm glad your delivery went well!!!
Mine brought me a salad after birth who wants a salad!? I made my husband go get me something else
Where in oregon ? I practice in a small unit in The Dalles. We give great care.
food denial during a very physically demanding birthing process is just mind blowing to me
Me too! My first birth experience I was in labor over 24hrs and got so weak and dehydrated. It was maddening. So glad Dr. Jones is tackling this--I always thought these food policies were insane.
@@AB-mx1de i haven't any children so i don't have personal experience. but i can only imagine! same goes for the policies not letting mom be in what position works for her.
Well ya know the US has the highest maternal death rate among developed nations so not shocking news
I red a birth story where the woman wasn't allowed WATER during the 30 hour long birth (she had an IV). She begged for water and they used refused to give it to her.
@@tuffsmurfen96 as someone who has literally almost died from dehydration (I was hospitalized 3 days) this is terrifying
My first labor was FOUR days. I was not allowed to eat in that entire time. I was low risk and didn’t sleep that entire time.this video is so important, you down play it as silly but I was exhausted and my recovery was horrific and I went to the hospital multiple times during my recovery. And I was incorrectly administered my epidural so it was ineffective so I basically spent FOUR DAYS without eating ,sleeping or pain medication. This video will help things change.
I had a similar experience, (no pain relief, no food, no sleep), but only for 30 hours. I was lucky, and they redid a 2nd epidural, which worked, and labour lasted only 6 more hours, most of it I spent asleep.
I'm so so sorry that yours lasted 4 days. 😢
Sounds terrible.. epidurals are not common were I live in northern europe.. so we know the pain!
I'm glad you are alive.
I feel four days is too long tho there obviously time to eat and to active birth that's crazy
That’s pretty much exactly what I went thru, it was a horrific experience.
The birth of my son was so traumatizing, I refused to have more children. Even when I got baby fever and truly wanted to give him a sibling I would cry and have panic attacks from my first experience. I’m equally heartbroken and grateful to know that I wasn’t alone in my experience.
A bit of my birth story:
I had a perfect pregnancy, healthy, no complications, not even morning sickness! I was 41 weeks when I was told my amniotic fluid was low and they wanted to induce. I was admitted to the hospital, hooked up to pitocin and they refused to let me get up and move around. Starved me all day and came in at all hours to preform exams with half a dozen students watching.
After 2 days of this I said I was done with the students, I wanted privacy. They refused.
After 3 days I went so stir crazy. I hadn’t set foot outside in the fresh air, seen the sun and continued to basically be physically assaulted with half a dozen people watching despite me begging them to stop and often saying no to an exam because they were coming in nearly every hour even in the middle of the night.
On the third day I began removing everything I was hooked up to because I NEEDED to move. My body and my mind couldn’t take being in bed another moment. They finally allowed me to use portable monitors so I could walk the halls and my labor finally began to progress.
On the 4th day they took away the portable equipment, broke my water manually and I was pressured into an epidural that immediately stopped my labor. I’m not even kidding when I say it INSTANTLY stopped.
On the 5th day my baby’s heart rate was dropping and they sent me for a c section. In recovery, my vagina was so swollen and sore from the constant exams over the course of 5 days that despite never pushing even once I still needed ice.
They wouldn’t let me leave for another 4 days, wouldn’t let me shower for another 2, despite asking for privacy and no more students they allowed a student to make my incision and stitch me up (with more watching of course), they wouldn’t let me outside, wouldn’t let my son stay in my room for much longer than feeding and on several occasions during the NINE DAYS they kept me they threatened several times to have me sent to psych if I kept making a fuss and being difficult. I was starved, assaulted, denied privacy, threatened, my wishes were blatantly ignored, and I was labeled as difficult. It’s been almost 11 years and I still can’t even briefly talk or write about it without losing my breath and sobbing.
Despite having poor experiences or complications with every birth control option you can bet I’ve stayed on it anyway just to avoid that experience again. I opt for Mirena only because it allows me to go 5 years without visiting my OB. I have a wonderful and kind OB, but I still can’t bring myself to do an annual because of just how traumatic it is. I have 2.5 more years on my current IUD and I’m desperately hoping she can just tell me I’m no longer fertile because I will be approaching 37 at that point.
This sounds truly awful 💔. If you are interested, there are some wonderful and effective treatments out there for PTSD, such as EMDR that you might look into. I'm so sorry.
That's terrible 😢😢😢. Thank you for sharing your story 💙💙💙
I am SO sorry. They treated you much worse than a prisoner. I think there’s a wide range of treatment between hospitals. I hope you have an OB who’s sensitive and caring, they definitely exist.
One thing you might think about is asking for a prescription for xanax or similar for your appointment. Tell them you have sexual trauma and need it, and they should be able to help you. And if not, know that there are others that will. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried it but it can be hugely helpful. I’ve experienced sexual assault and also struggle with pelvic exams, and this makes all the difference in the world! I hope you can find something that helps!
If you have a significant other that is permanently in a relationship with you, they should be more than willing to get a vasectomy to spare you all this. I'm so sorry that happened 💔 That was truly abuse and they shouldn't have gotten away with it
Don’t know if you need to hear this from an internet stranger, but your choice to have only one child for your own protection is reasonable and justified. I have a friend who made a similar decision (less medical abuse, more severe pregnancy complications) and the amount of shit she has received for it is mindblowing.
I gave birth in Scotland and they were trying to get me to eat. I did not feel like it, upset stomach. They kept bringing me meals and begging me to eat but I just couldn't. Eventually we discovered that I could handle grapes. They brought me a lot of grapes. That helped a lot actually.
Now I'm just thinking of Ross and Rachel.... Chicken Dinner for the one who knows why. 🤣
The image of nurses sprinting in and out of the room with plates of grapes is somehow hilarious to me
"Do not come at me... unless it is with data" should be new merch😆
9/30/23: Edited to fix the quote since it's been six months and people are still commenting to correct me 🤦♀️
Yes do it MDJ!!
I’d buy 😂
I’m not even from a medical background but a lover of research nonetheless - this would make amazing merch!
Data👌
Didn’t she say data. Sounds better imo
I’m Scottish, i was encouraged to graze as long as I wasn’t in active labour. They wanted me to have energy for the hours to come ❤🏴
Edit: I’ve birthed 4 healthy boys, so I think it’s a bit 💩 to deny energy to someone going through one of the most energetic things a human can do
I’m English couldn’t think of anything worse than food during labour but drank lucazade the whole way through the midwife never tried to stop me
I am Zambian woman, this is shocking to me that not eating is actually a topic of discussion. Once you go into labour, you are encouraged to eat, heavy actually and am glad i did eat. I needed the strength when pushing my 3.8kg daughter out tearing me up in the process
How people react is different, better you are given the chance to eat if you want to and throw it up. A lot worse happens when giving birth than just throwing up
I am Zambian too and this is very true for us. My shock was giving birth in a certain country in Europe and being given laxatives to make me go to the toilet and remove everything in my stomach so that I would not "poop" while pushing out the baby. Apparently, this is common practice for them. But they still gave me food and drinks all the same. The not eating policy is interesting to me.
@@Blissful8640 you're so right, as if dying in birth or going for DAYS without any food or water is not worse than throwing up if that ever happens !
@@irenezulu4437 would you mind saying which country it was, if you remember ?
@@FruitsChinpoSamuraiGI’m wanting to know that as well.
I begged for a bite of a pop tart in labor because I have a high metabolism and usually eat something every couple hours. I was given ice chips. I passed out while pushing and the labor team got mad at me! 🤦♀️ I told y’all I was hungry!
They got mad at you for passing out? That's seriously violent 😢
Girl I eat like a bird all the time bc im hypoglycemic and in my 1st 2 labors they wouldn't let me eat.... My 1st one my son's heart rate started dropping and it was terrible my 3rd and 4th labors my Drs were indian and iraqi and fed me through my labor my indian Dr even ordered me a meal. My labors were GREAT! My babies were much more alert and seemed less tired post birth. I felt much better and had much more energy. Also produced milk much faster.
This happened to me too. They were so mad they pulled out a pair of forceps..just chose the worst option and my OB’s decision making has ruined my life ever since. You can’t reverse nerve damage.
Every time I think “maybe I’m being too much” I read these and I’m like “NOPE I’m a self advocate and everyone else can fuck off!” Doctors here make me so pissed on their holier than thou bullshit, I’d have tried to piss on them to calm myself down.
If anyone yelled at me while in labor that room would become a battle royal. I have no patience when I'm in pain. They would regret barking at me thats for sure 😖
When I gave birth for the first time in China I took my little American list of questions to ask the doctor- the first one was “can I eat during labor?” They looked at me with huge eyes and said, “why would you not eat?! You need your strength!” Hahahaha thank you MDJ for addressing this as an OB. It’s widely known in Doula circles but frustrating it’s not better supported by hospitals.
I suspect refusing to allow birthing parents to eat, along with some other "norms" that are contradictory to evidence based birthing practices, drives the unassisted child birth movement in certain countries that don't practice evidence based maternity care.
@@THandP_org id be inclined to agree, I had an unassisted birth due to the many ridiculous hospital policies at the time especially during covid when my husband wasn't allowed in with me, I said no thanks I'm not doing this alone and birthed at home just fine. Mind you I did a ton 9f evidence based reasurch and was very prepared and that option is definitely not for everyone but hospital practice outdated not even evidence based things are definitely what is driving the new unassisted birth movement and I'm totally on board. I'm hoping it'll help get more information out there for people to challenge these ridiculous policies and educate those poor parents that don't know any better.
@@littlewondershappenhere wow you’re kind of badass huh 😂 question…did you do the whole thing at home? Like cut the cord and everything? If so, where?? It’s got to get pretty messy w/the blood. The bath? How did you control your pain?? Sorry im not trying to be rude, I’m just fascinated.💙
But China also goes to c section too quickly. My son was breech at 29 weeks and none of the hospitals would deliver me unless it was a c-section. He flipped by my next ultrasound at 29 weeks.
@@muppetsrule1143 I suspect it depends on which province one is in.
A friend's wife had home births with both of their children, in a rural area (USian couple teaching English and I believe, chemistry). She wasn't going to travel to the hospital, it was too far away.
I have heard from another one of our friends, that the local hospital in their province had a cesarean rate 2x that of the US. So just like living in the states, level of care varies from hospital to hospital and province to province, I am guessing?
"You're about to go through the most physically difficult thing in your entire life, so no food." No one has ever been able to tell me WHY though! Thank you for posting this!
I'm about to have my 4th and I live in the U.S. My husband just gives me food that I always bring when the nurses aren't there. IF I feel like eating. Because the staff freaks out if I ask for anything to eat. So we skip that and then I just do what I feel is best for my body.
That is as it should be. If you’re hungry eat…if you’re not hungry don’t eat…if you vomit it up after eating so be it your body still got some of the nutrition it needed!
Yep, my hubby did that for me, too!😊
I swear the US healthcare system just has a goal to make women as miserable as possible. It’s probably written in some secret bylaws somewhere.
Yeah, I just brought food in my hospital bag. The nurses don't need to know that the wrappers in the trash are from me and not my husband.
I ended up having a cord prolapse (in ireland). I had been in labour for about 12 hours when my waters broke and I got to meet a lot of people very quickly. My husband had to sign the consent forms, I was on my hands and knees, still in my own clothes, brought to the OR and given a full anesthetic. I had been given food during labour and they encouraged it to keep strength up. The anesthetist was amazing knew I had eaten and when I spoke to them after I woke etc (still in mybown clothes in recovery) they said they are trained for this situatuon and after the amazing emergency treatment i received and everyone was so quick to get the baby out and kept us both safe I hate hearing about how awful women are treated in the US. Maternity care is completely free here for every single pregnant person and they are underfunded but amazing humans
im currently pregnant and we are debating on where we want to have the baby; US or Ireland.
Did you only have the 1 child?
@@cour2knee lmao is that even a question come to ireland
@@helixxia9320 yes. its a serious question. We live in the research triangle. The chances of having a specialist within the hour if anything goes wrong is 90%.
Also, I am not Irish. I don’t want to burden a health care system I have not paid in to.
@@cour2kneeyou wouldn't be able to just come here and have a baby. You'd need to have lived here for some time. Unless you went into labour while on holiday but you wouldn't be allowed to fly that close to your due date.
Why say women then say pregnant people in the very next sentence? Please stop with this nonsense. Only women have babies. Being a woman is not a feeling.
Blows my mind. I posted somewhere on the interweb that you can eat during labor and you'd think that I posted that I had punched a baby. The backlash was nuts. I go to the quote of "if someone came in with a broken leg from a car crash and needed immediate surgey, but had just eaten a burger, would they to go immediate surgery?" YES!
I'm so mad that you got backlash for that,I had six babies most babies were induced because my water would break..I was begging for a sandwich first baby ..of course no..I smartened u p.next baby I ate before going to hospital third and subsequent babies I always had high risk because preterm labors etc but as I moved to Boston and my Dr was great,told me I could drink coffee within reason,dye my hair and told me at last appointment to come next am and bring a toothbrush lol my platelets were changing she said to insurance co.to approve being induced so I knew to eat well before going in,I'm saying this because there was no assuming that I'd need emergency C-section so risk of aspiration want there and sometimes women eat something and suddenly hello contractions ,soI truly believe eating while in labor if desired should be allowed some women get nausea and don't want to eat.labor is a huge physical feat you'd think we would eat a pasta dinner before labor set in lol we need the sustinence.. humans have been pushing out babies for long time ,I'm guessing the earliest moms to be didn't refrain from eating deer fish bear meat out of fear of aspiration. suctioning is also available and antibiotics and really cool breathing aparti to help if food gets into lungs which could happen at a barbecue or in a diner,not just from labor..if I had the appetite while in early labor especially why not eat...if I puke later still drs can intervene and give anti nausea meds or acid reflux too...Jeez.Ive seen hungry patients thirsty and hungry begging to have a sip of water or ginger ale and it's suffering when your lips are cracked and dry..ice chips don't always cut it .
@@marylabelle803ohhh I was born in Boston Brigham and women's Hospital, my mom said its the best hospital in the country ❤ is that the same one you were at???
My total thoughts exactly!!!
Exactly!!!!
I gave birth in hospital (Germany). I asked the midwife and doctor if I can still eat while on labor ( pain that time 6/10) and they said YES!! so I ate 😆😆😆.
This practice of not letting someone eat during labor almost put my mom into shock. She has diabetes and they starved her with one of my siblings. It was awful and her blood sugar was dangerously low. Atop that, the sibling where it was the worst, also got stuck in the birth canal.
As a type 1 diabetic myself, I do want to point out that she would absolutely fall into a high-risk category for C-section (although I don't know her history with epidurals and non-general anaesthesia).
Nowadays glucose is usually given through an IV, which brings up blood glucose faster than by being able to eat or drink.
I'm so sorry for what your mom went through, though. If she was having a low blood sugar that is literally an emergency; I am appalled that they didn't let her resugar herself.
@@sarahberlaud4285 Thank you. It was really scary. I was about 10 at the time in 2004. My last sibling was born in 2010. She was treated similarly in that case to and they royaly screwed up her tubal ligation and epidural. Apparently I was the only birth where she wasn't grossly mistreated and even then there were issues. The US 🇺🇸 Healthcare system is an unholy nightmare.
@@sarahberlaud4285 They probably "forgot" like they "forget" to give post-ops pain medication.
@@Morna777 A family member was recently in the hospital. The amount of things they "forgot" for both her, and her roommate, was astounding. She had to repeatedly point out the omissions for BOTH of them, because the roommate was too weak to advocate for herself.
Oh my goodness
They told me that I couldn't eat/drink when I gave birth 13 years ago (in the US). I told them nonsense because I knew why they were saying it; I had looked at the literature. I ate. I eat during my Ironman triathlons and I thought that giving birth is likely an equally hard athletic endeavor, so I was going to eat! I had a healthy baby (and didn't need any interventions). So glad you addressed the issue. Medicine should be evidence-based! (Could it be liability-based?)
Bravo 👏
These stupid policies are why after the first kid I didn't go to the hospitals till I was fairly sure I was close. I got a little to close with the third one though... I got there at 9 popped her out at 9.40, and they let me go home by 2.30 I picked my Kindergardener up on the way home and brought the baby into share... Teacher thought I was insane.
I am one of those rare peeps that can NOT have a spinal tap though (learned it the hard way with the 4th kid), so when I thought we were going to have to do another C-section with the 5th one I went in without eating, cause I knew they were going to knock me out.
@@Cynthea_Lee my ADHD ass is definitely going to be like this. My husband is going to be like, you should go to the hospital and I'm going to be like, no, we should go celebrate with a pizza first, the hospital will still be there and then I'll have warm gooey pizza in my tummy 😅
@@Cynthea_Lee you just exposed your newborn to a bunch of germs. and you’re proud of it… crazy
I’m late to this video, but this is one of the MANY perks of having a baby in a birth center. The whole pregnancy/labor/postpartum experience was wonderful. The hospitals need to change a lot of their policies, and let mothers have more control over their birth. Eating and drinking during labor is probably the only thing that kept me going through 17 hours at the birth center.
Do they have birth centers in the US?
@@starlingswallow yes
@@starlingswallowYes we have lots of them!
Yes, they do. Had a wonderful birth with a midwife 31 years ago. Had to petition my insurance company to pay for it at the center instead of a hospital (a great hospital was 4 blocks away, just in case.) The insurance fought us even though the entire thing was A QUARTER of the cost of a hospital delivery! I was home eating pancakes and walking around (slowly) six hours after giving birth. Hurt like a mutha effer during because no epidural available, but was SO worth it! I LOVED being back in my own home so quickly. I laugh when I hear women now say they love staying in the hospital and getting pampered. Huh? Who pampers you more than your own mom, dad, in-laws, sisters and friends??? My in-laws stayed with us for 10 days after the birth and it was the most luxurious thing! Nurse baby, hand him to a pair of loving arms then bugger off to my bed to SLEEP. Wake up to a gorgeous meal.
This is extremely important. I was not allowed to eat or drink anything per the nurses and doctors I had during my labor and delivery. The only thing I was allowed to have were ice chips. After a whole night of laboring, the following morning I just needed something to keep me going but kept getting told that it was dangerous 😩 I was so exhausted and hungry. The afternoon rolled around and my partner had left twice by this point to go eat and I was so upset. I wasn’t upset at partner for eating, I was upset by anyone who mentioned food at this point. It felt so wrong that the one person in the room going thru all the labor was being denied anything of sustenance. I was denied a sip of soda when I told my partner to bring back his drink ☹️ All I felt I needed was just a sip of something with sugar or a bite of bread to give me some energy to deliver my baby but I ended up opting for a c section because I was so tired and hungry I didn’t have the strength to push 😢 these videos are so important for new parents to have. I wish I had someone I could to turn to that advocates for our rights.
I snuck snacks in during my labors. 😞
I cant imagine how terrible that was, i cant do ANYTHING when i'm hangry, let alone chilbirth 😱
So sorry you ha to go through that! Yeah, lets use the interwebz to educate an advocate, hope this vid en our comments help more ppl💚
They do that to get c sections have a baby at home and you can eat whatever
So sorry you had to go through this
Exactly! If you can't eat your body cannot produce energy and you cannot labor. Simple as that
I was in labor for an entire day and it started at 3 am so I hadn’t eaten since dinner the night before. I remember feeling so shaky and weak after labor from being hungry. I do think not allowing a pregnant woman in labor can do harm to her and her baby. My friend was in labor for 36 hours. Most people don’t do well going without food for that long, especially pregnant women. This is a great topic and I’m glad you’re bringing it up and starting a discussion. Hopefully hospital policies will start to change.
I usually get a migraine after 6 hours without being pregnant. XD
No surprise w9men are choos8ng to deliver at home after these horrible experiences
I wasn't even allowed water ,by the end of it all my lips were cracked and bleeding and I was so dehydrated
I was allowed broth and jello and other such "liquids", just no solid food. I can't imagine going completely without any nourishment at all. I get faint and weak after fasting for 15 hours when I'm not pregnant.
My water broke without any contractions during my 2nd pregnancy after a previous c-section. When I called triage, they told me not to eat anything. After finding out I needed pitocin, and a balloon to open up my cervix, and even then the baby may not come for another 24 hours, I opted for another c section even though I was hoping for a vaginal birth. That burger after the surgery was worth it. I felt like I wouldn't have the strength to push if I had to starve for a day.
As a person with an eating disorder the idea not being allowed to eat during many many hours and potentially up to a day or more sounds like a really great way to trigger me and lead to a horrible situation in the following few days or weeks. (Also just to be clear I would not intentionally get pregnant without being fully in recovery but even in recovery that would trigger me for sure). If I am told this during labor I will not shut up until I’m given food and I’m sure my partner will help advocate for me as well.
ALWAYS get a patient advocate there with you, and discuss ahead of time the most important lines in the sand for your particular case. You need someone to be handling those matters when you're out of it.
I didn't mind not eating, but I was sooo thirsty, and the nurses didn't even allow ice chips. I was in labor for over 14 hours and had to get my mom to sneak me a little water. Its insane!
what the helll
That was the same for me. I wish someone had warned me to be mega hydrated - it was hell. From midnight till the birth at two in the afternoon I was not allowed water and I begged.
I was in labor 52 hours n in hospital at hour 38. No water no food. So weak and dehydrated. Idgaf now. I'm eating and drinking as I want while I birth
how can you not drink!!!!! You would get dehydrated 😮
@@claireconolly8355 yeah but it's okay if you're dehydrated because then you won't throw up and make a minor inconvenience for the nurses. Everything in ob/gyn is there to make the doctor and the nurses lives easier.
It really is insane. I didn’t question it when I gave birth, and I did okay, but after my child was born I was dissociating a lot and could barely understand what the nurses were saying. I think I was dissociating because I was sleep deprived, food deprived and lost a lot of blood from tearing.
It was kind of scary to have nurses saying stuff like, “Hey, you need to keep an eye on your baby all night and make sure they are breathing,” when I was so out of it and could barely process what they were saying. It definitely would have helped if I had been able to eat. I don’t do well without food under normal conditions and generally have to eat every 2 or 3 hours even when I’m not pregnant.
There is clearly a case to be made that not allowing women to eat can cause harm.
The fact that being in the hospital is more demanding than being home alone is alarming. Nurses are supposed to help. Instead, they actively sabotage recovery by inviting themselves in during the only times the baby let's you sleep, AND purposely waking the baby with pokes and prods too. I get it, they need to fulfill their duties, but they need to let people sleep. I strongly considered a home birth for this reason alone. Sleep deprivation, for me, is detrimental.
These nurses need to have more empathy. Like, being a nurse working crazy long shifts does not compare to giving birth while being starved and sleep deprived.
Every pregnant person needs an attorney present in the room with them to make sure mistreatment like this goes on record, just in case.
Ma’am what hospital did you give birth in them telling you you have to make sure your baby is still breathing 🥴
In Austria they allowed me only a glucose IV when hunger and thirst were killing me. And after a midnight birth,, no food till breakfast! (I finally got a little potted apple.)
@@indigobunting2431 that’s horrible. I was given one cup of ice and when that was finished was told no more. Was another 6 hours of extreme thirst. But was able to eat right after
This is nice to know, I was soooo thirsty when I was in labor with my son and when they told me I couldn't have anything but ice chips I cried. The next nurse that came on shift asked me if I needed anything and I told her they said I couldn't have anything. She brought me a huge cup of grape juice and I cried. Funny thing, she said the drs always wonder y the mom's and babies are dehydrated.🤦
Big oof
On a serious note, medical professionals can definitely have tunnel vision and not treat a pregnant person with dignity.
@@borkbork4124 yeah definitely tunnel vision on this one. Surely there are medical risks associated with withholding food/water from laboring patients. So there doesn't seem to be much weighing of relative risk here.
@@advena996 Could it possibly be the hospitals not really wanting to have to provide food for labouring mothers? American hospitals are all about saving money right...
@@fransmith3255 I think it's more about reducing chances to sue. Sigh.
@@qynoi42 Yeah, probably more that too. Definitely about money. I'm amazed to hear that health care in America, where people actually have to pay for it, and ridiculous amounts too, that the service is so bad, that people are still dictated to like children. We don't get that in our country where healthcare is free. That's kind of beyond rude...
I had my son at a Birthing Center where I was allowed to eat, drink, walk around, dance, watch tv, sit in a tub or balance on a yoga ball!! Thank you to my nurse midwives!! They said that labor is WORK & one gets hungry when you work hard and expend that much energy!!
I hadn’t ate in over 48 hours between being in labor and giving birth. My son ended up having low blood sugar when he was born. He’s never once had an issue again in his 12+ years of life. We ended up having to stay at the hospital for 5 days. It wasn’t a good experience, and I’ve always felt these 2 things must have been related.
I'm hypoglycemic and they kept having to pump me full of sugars through an IV line cuz they wouldn't let me eat and my daughter was born a high blood sugar never had that problem again and we had to stay in the hospital for almost 6 Day s
Both of your stories are truly pathetic. On the hospitals that is. Instead of giving you all nutritious snacks and broth and energy bars to sustain you through labor, they deny food and then are shocked when baby has low blood sugar and cost you days in the hospital and don’t let you eat an apple and energy bar but pump you full of sugary liquids in an IV and are shocked when baby has high blood sugar. Just pathetic on them. This is why mothers should fight back against the system and do things their way. Sorry that happened to you both.
@@anitathompson326 exactly. It may not have been able to jump my sugar the way it was supposed to but it sure as shit spiked my baby’s blood sugar. I mean what did they think was goi to happen? The baby is fed off what’s in my blood and if mom can’t metabolize it fist of course the baby is gonna get hit with a lot more of it then they should be. It puts more sugar in my system yeah but it’s not the same as giving my body food to break down and use over time and 💩 out the extra/absorb and use what I need before it goes into the baby. What did they expect after giving me 6 rounds of glycogen in an IV over the course of 3 1/2 hours? Like the fuck? Of course her blood sugar was 398 and mine was 67🙄 the baby was getting all the shit they were pushing in the IV AND they put extra in the IV bag to try and keep my sugar up. The problem with that is my baby did have the same issue as I do so my body doesn’t process sugars right it breaks them down REALLY fast or just doesn’t absorb them well they aren’t sure which so the problem with pumping ME full of IV sugar is most of it didn’t hit MY system it hit THE BABIES SYSTEM. It’s a known thing that hypoglycemic people do not break down sugars the same as other people and orally is the best and most effective way to stabilize our sugars IV solutions often don’t work the best for us because the way our bodies process it. Skipping the digestive system for us is not a good solution 😅
It only works as a partial band aid
How mad does this make me? Very. I labored for 20 hours and tried to stay home as long as possible because of this insanity. My mom actually snuggled food and a juice in for me because she said she was so hungry when she was in labor. We need to trust women in general. We've been doing this for *literally* as long as there have been people, we've got it. 🙂 thanks for your content, you're doing a great service!
Me too! I was so weak, hypoglycemic, had a migraine and dehydrated by the time I delivered. My over 24 hr labor was so physically demanding. Wish I had smuggled food/drink in too, or at least on the way to the hospital!
Because of experiences like hours, I will smuggle food in for my daughter too if this is still commonplace then
This! I trained as a doula and worked alongside other doulas and midwives and the general attitude is that women deserve and have earned far greater trust and autonomy than they're given. Yes, things can go sideways, but that's true for anything in life. Birth is a natural process, not an illness or disease. Trust women and their bodies, and be ready to jump in and help where needed, rather than take over and make her feel as if labour is just something that is happening to her instead of something she's doing.
After 3 hospital births that were all horror stories, I chose homebirth with my last two. My midwives were livid about the treatment I had received, and we had long discussions about why so many OBs and hospitals seem to actively undermine any woman who comes in educated and demanding informed consent to their practices. I was never allowed food or drink in labor at any of my hospital births- only those nasty lemon flavored glycerin swabs and maybe a few ice chips. My midwives, on the other end of that spectrum, not only advocated eating in labor, but brought along cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon, which they cut into cubes for me to snack on, made me sandwiches and peanut butter crackers, and put together something called 'labor-aid', which was basically lemonade with added calcium, a pinch of salt, and honey, to not only keep my hydrated, but help keep the electrolytes balanced. Guess which labors were the quickest, yet easiest?
And guess which ones were the most dangerous all because you felt “undermined.” ? More like you wanted to do dumb shit that would have resulted in the death of your baby and you’re mad the hospital wouldn’t let you.
Love this info
I stuffed my face and waited until the last moment to go in because of this stupid shit. My first one sucked :( i had no say and my doc kept threatening to c section me. For hours. Like blah
"The midwife considers the miracle of birth as normal, and leaves it alone unless there's trouble. The obstetrician normally sees birth as trouble; if he leaves it alone, it's a miracle." -- Sheila Stubbs in Birthing The Easy Way
I'm screenshoting this so I can remember what to make for my next delivery.
When I went to our prenatal class at the hospital, I asked the nurse doing the presentation about this. I told her I had a super fast metabolism and ate a lot! I was very thin, and had only gained 25lbs. during pregnancy even though our baby was 8 1/2 pounds. I'll never forget the cold stare she gave me; telling me not to worry-I wouldn't feel hungry anyway. She was very,very wrong 😡 The day I went to the hospital, I had slept in and ate a quick yogurt as my husband and I were going into Chicago to have lunch. I called my ob about some leakage and she told me to get it checked at the hospital saying they would probably send me home. Instead, I was kept there hooked up to monitors and was induced. I remember dinner time the first day. Some family members were going out for burgers. I wanted to cry when I was given a sticky, stale tasting popsicle with freezer burn. During the first 20-24 hours I WAS HUNGRY, frantically hungry. I ended up having a c-section (only epidural ) after about 30 hours. Believe me, I'm beyond grateful for my perfect child. I was weak and hungry though. The nurse tried to deny me food the next morning as well-as if I'd had abdominal surgery- and luckily I dragged the doctor into it. Got my bagel and Starbucks!! It took several days though to regain my appetite fully after 2 days of nothing and I think that impacted me some.
Yes thank you!! Delivered my 1st baby over 13 years ago and having traumatic flashbacks of how hungry I was after 24 hours of being deprived. I felt like a truck hit me, I lost so much blood and they continued to deny me food hours after baby came. They made me learn to breastfeed and got mad at me for being too weak to even hold him, I couldn’t process anything the nurse was telling me. I had to change rooms after delivery and passed out on the way, had violent shakes, and was supposed to believe this was all “normal”. It was the most horrible thing I’ve ever been through! I gorged myself the moment my water broke with my 2nd baby and puked the entire labor, but at least I had strength. So stupid! 😅
I had a scheduled c-section with my last baby, and went into it having fasted overnight. The spinal made me nauseous, and I spent 5 minutes on the table vomiting while the surgery team stood and waited for me to be done.
So, even with nothing in your stomach, you can still vomit. The risk of aspiration is technically still there.
Nausea and vomiting are extremely common with spinal anesthesia, regardless if it's a man or woman, or why it's administered.
I threw up straight stomach acid with my 2nd and they wouldn't let me have ice chips either. This was before my spinal too. My 2nd delivery was brutal.
I've never been pregnant but having had numerous migraines I will concur that you absolutely can vomit without having either food or water in your stomach. It often feels so much worse that regular vomiting because you are throwing up only acid so it burns all the way up, and if it goes up your nose(!) you feel like your eyes are going to explode. Your teeth feel a lot more sensitive too. Aspiration is always a possibility with any surgery but unless they are putting you under (not very likely for a c-section) it's a very minimal risk.
I also vomited with a spinal after only having water - when they push up on your stomach while putting your guts back together, you are going to vomit. The medical staff got me a basin and my husband held the babies and no one was shocked or all that worried that it happened
@@NotAFanOfHandles I learned from lots of vomiting during my pregnancies that you can firmly pinch your nose shut when you're going to vomit and nothing goes in the nose. It does not impede the vomiting process at all. Doctors should give this simple advice. It was a blessed discovery!
Also, consume some sort of calcium antacid chew tablet when you know you're about to hurl - it nearly instantly neutralizes the acid so it's fairly benign coming up. It only needs to be kept down for a minute or so to do the trick.
Lastly, 'the experts" always say eat something "light" for morning sickness, like saltines or fruit. Blech! That stuff would always come right back up. But if I ate something super greasy like a bacon egg & cheese biscuit with lots of butter I would immediately feel great and not vomit for hours!
After my two pregnancies I feel like I'm a bit of an expert on the subject 😂😉 (at least an expert for my body)
When I was a kid, some women were sitting around swapping birth stories and one of them said something to the effect of losing all her dignity and bodily autonomy when she went into the hospital. (She used different words but that was the general idea.) I decided then that I wouldn't have kids and I've never changed my mind. Being robbed of dignity and choice terrifies me. I wonder how many people would be more open to having kids if medicine treated pregnant people like rational adults instead of robbing them of their agency every step of the way.
This makes me sad. Did you consider home birth?
There really other options. I'm sorry your friend went through that.
this comment made me realise that it's the fear of lack of agency or choice that's made me hardcore against the idea of having children (for myself, not others)
Probably me. The biggest factor is just the general expense of well, everything right now. Two jobs and I care barely afford me. No way would I try to afford a child. And how broken the healthcare system is? Nope. I noped right out of the US but I'm still not sure I'll have kids. Maybe adoption? When I'm 40? If the world isn't burning down then?
Yep, basically everything in regards to the way pregnant people are treated by society and the medical institution scares me. Worse, I’m pretty sure I have GAD on my records, which means people already won’t take me seriously. So yhea, in the interest of not being treated like shit, I won’t be getting pregnant.
Absolutely agree. Also, the agency and autonomy of women in US hospitals needs to be taken more seriously in general.
this is one of my favorite videos!! I had an induction with my first baby and the hospital staff at the time (11 years ago now) tried to tell me I couldn't eat. I ate solid foods anyway. There was no way I could have made it through 37 hours of no food-27 of which with a pitocin drip in my iv. It figures that a lot of the policies surrounding pregnancy were founded by men, including the old due date calculations over 50 years ago...
I tried to advocate for myself during my 36 HOUR LABOR to get something to eat. I was so very hungry. I told them I had done the research and was comfortable eating, but all I got was ice and non-vegetarian broth (I'm a vegetarian). Having an empty stomach when they take your baby to the NICU after pushing for what feels like a thousand years really enhanced the feeling of not really being a human anymore. ugh.
Counter-intuitive, isn't it? "She's been labor for over an entire day which is burning up tons of energy but nah...don't feed her so she can keep her strength up. She has a 1 in 22,000 chance of asphyxiating during a procedure we aren't doing". Frankly, it should be the mother's choice, regardless of what anyone else says.
That is so incredibly wrong. I have no idea how you got through that, I could never make it five hours without eating, let alone 36! That's horrible! I hope that you are okay!
I wonder if the births may even be over a lot faster if women were allowed the nutrients their body needs for hard work... Either way it should be illegal to BAN someone in labor from eating, unless there is a genuine good medical reason in that case
I'm so sorry you went thru that! Just ugh 😢
This video IS super important. The hospital where I had my first born had a lot of teen moms. I was a young mother but I was married and was somewhat informed. They laughed at me when I was in terrible pain because I didn't want an epidural. They told me I wasn't "allowed" to labor in different positions. I am convinced I did not progress as quickly because they were stressing me out. I got myself to relax in the shower and went for a 7 to a 10 in 45 minutes. That is when I realized what was going on and completely said, "screw you people" I didn't wait for the Dr start pushing and I didn't labor how they wanted me to. The last nurse I had was great. I was so thankful the other ones left. I could go on and on how awful the Dr and staff were to me simply because I didn't want to do things their way, even though I was well informed.
Good for you!!!
You rock! for doing things right for you.
I'm sorry 😞 you went through that.
Ugh, yes. I'm convinced they kept us on our backs like turtles precisely because it's vulnerable. I didn't have the guts to call them out until my third baby came along. Doctor didn't make it to the delivery. Ask me if I cared.
By 7 to 10, you mean cervical dilation, right? Because if you’re talking about the pain scale, that’s VERY concerning.
Canadian Mom here. I remember exactly what I ate for both of my births. For my first it was an eight hour labour. I remember not feeling like eating at all until I smelled my Mom's cinnamon raisin bagel and ate a couple bites. Then a couple sips of water later on. My mom said not to chug it which I didn't feel like doing anyways. For my second it was 12 hour labour. At the beginning I had a huge craving for a big plate of Chinese food so I went to the mall and ate that and drank some Raspberry leaf tea Lemonade (My youngest loves Chinese food so no wonder she wanted to get her last fix in 😂). I then did a little shopping and freaked everyone out when I told them I was in labour. Then I got to the hospital and they broke my water and the real pain started. Near the end I didn't eat anything because I was focused on giving birth. I didn't throw up and nothing bad happend while giving birth to both. After both births I was famished and my amazing sister brought me a big bacon cheddar burger with fries. I don't remember the doctors or nurses putting any limits on what I can or cannot eat/drink. By the time you are 8-10 centimeters dialated you aren't really thinking about anything but giving birth. It's important to have a spouse/mother/friend/dula etc to advocate for you and what you need if you are worried about your agency being taken away. Overall I had a good experience with both my births at the hospital mainly because I had my mom and husband with me. I'm sorry for those that had a negative experience at the hospital. Giving birth is hard enough as it is. ❤
You forgot to mention that this is a well-known policy that inherently makes people somewhat non-compliant because they decide they are going to eat before coming to the hospital. I've known of several patients who went into labor, decided they were going to EAT because the hospital wouldn't let them, and delayed care. To me, that's the bigger issue. I've personally had to deal with two 'car' births in the parking lot (luckily outside of the ER doors) because women were determined to eat before coming to the hospital.
I had a 58 hr labor that ended in c-section because I was too exhausted to push, and I definitely believe that outcome was influenced by my not being allowed to eat or drink anything but water. It was hell, and learning that other countries no longer hold that policy is infuriating.
Oh my goodness. Why would they let you labor for more than 24 hours?
@@Maya-ln1os Honestly, that's a good question. I wish I knew.
Ooof! That is super rough. Im UK based and had a 53 hour labour. I was allowed to eat until 6-8 hours before the end (timing is hazy), then clear liquids after. Reasoning being they suspected I'd need an emergency c-section, which I did.
I can't imagine no food or drink at all. I'd have passed out. Well done Mama.
Exactly same experience here! After about a 70 hour induction/labor without food and limited water, I ended up with a c section delivery. I pushed for almost 3 hours with little to no progress and begged for a c section, I just wanted it to be over. I slept through the second half of the surgery as well 😢
wow - I knew it
This IS important! I am SHOCKED of how mothers in America are treated and how primitive the American health care system is (in regards to this).
When I was pregnant, I read a lot of pregnancy books, because I was so nervous and scared of labour, and most of the books were by American mothers who basically described how traumatic their births were. To come to the hospital and be a prisoner until you can go home. They had to do exactly what the OB said, or they wouldn't "receive the babies" (as if their jobs were more important than the person in front of them who was about to explode a baby out of them). No food and water in some cases, only a little water in other cases. Having no choice or say in anything and not being asked if something was OK, the OB would just do whatever gott the babies out fastest.
I was SO relieved when I found out that we don't do things that way at all in my country (the Faroe Islands). Mothers in labour don't even see an OB unless something is wrong. Midwives help you birth your baby - they don't use the phrase like "I receive the baby" because they know that the birth is not about them but rather that they are there to help the mother.
When I was in labour, my midwife massaged me, gave me facial pressure therapy, used a rebozo on me, and several other holistic things to relieve my pain. Mothers are not given medicine to make it go faster unless something is wrong. Mothers are allowed to go 2 weeks over the due date before being given medication to "make it happen" and we can still opt out - it is our choice. They made it clear to me several times during labour that they were there to help me in this powerful event, and that they were not there to take the control away from me. We can get epidurals if we ask for it but they always offer holistic choices first, like acupuncture (which I was surprised by because it doesn't seem like a very doctor'y thing to offer lol, but many mothers say that it helped them) because they know that a woman can do it without medication and because all interventions can have side effects (like slow down the labour/birth). And we can choose whatever birthing position we want.
Ok, I'll stop rambling now. It's just that I felt that the labour and birth was such a positive experience for me, and I'm so sad for American mothers to be treated like animals 💔
It is extremely sad. I'm American, when I got pregnant I did all the reading and knew I was not going to hospital. I actually planned an unassisted home-birth and was supported by my husband in that choice. One month before delivery my mother begged me to hire a midwife and she paid for that. I had insurance that would cover the expense of a hospital birth but NOT a midwife (even though here a midwife is AT LEAST half the cost). So I did hire someone who made me feel valued and comfortable and empowered. I had the best birthing experience despite having hemorrhaged after. My midwife said she wouldn't have transferred me to the hospital just for that but decided to anyway because I am very small (I was 22 when giving birth the first time) and had lost a lot of blood. All that happened at the hospital was, they gave me IV fluids (no blood). They wouldn't let me leave for 3 days, during which they continuously tried to admit my baby but I refused. She was my "visitor" and never a patient. My midwife cared for us both in the hospital (also as a "visitor" because they aren't allowed as a practitioner)
The system here is very concerning and aims to remove the power of the mother overall (of course different hospitals and doctors may be better or worse)
In one of our states (Florida), the governor is about to place a ban in schools that girls can’t discuss their periods. Our reproductive rights have been taken away. This country is fast becoming fascist!
Who wouldn't want a doctor present instead of a hack midwife
@@skyhightabby Midwifes aren't practitioners. Nor should they be treated as such.
@@NoThankUBeQuiet They are licensed and certified in primary maternal care, many are also certified Nurses. I won't go any further with you.
More than a decade ago a librarian I worked with gathered all the research showing how low the aspiration risk was and took it with her to the hospital when she gave birth! I can't remember now if they let her eat, but because of her I have known about this for a looong time.
I'm from the Philippines. My OB told me to eat for strength. I eventually ended up throwing up during active labor, but I was so thankful that I ate because it gave me the energy throughout labor.
I gave into my OB’s push for a c-section only 18 hours into my first uncomplicated pregnancy/labor SOLELY because I was starving and they wouldn’t let me eat. I’m still heartbroken about it. Thank you for advocating for the future of L&D ♥️
😢
💔
Wtf that's actually really messed up :(
How evil of them! I’m so sorry
Boy is that infuriating! I'm so sorry that was a situation you were put in.
I am an L&D nurse in Texas currently on a soap box about changing the culture in my hospital about NPO!! As well as informed consent during labor. I LOVE THIS VIDEO
Good luck & good on you 🏆
Good for you!! I was not allowed to eat in my 1st 2 labors and stalled out and had complications from weakness though ultimately 2 vag normal natural births... My 2nd two both Drs (one Iraqi Dr one Indian Dr) both allowed me to eat also one ordered me a meal and my labors and births were MUCH smoother and stronger and my babies were stronger and more alert at birth as well. Definitely. The latter two Drs said "you need fuel for the marathon".
Girl you in Texas, you need more miracles then a god I don’t even believe in could provide. Good luck, hope the miracles happen, I know them kids in Texas need it.
Thank you. I was as*aulted during the birth of my child (forced positioning into lithotomy during frank breech delivery) causing shearing of muscles/connective tissues from pelvis and sacrum. No medical practitioner would address the ab*se i experienced. And 5k signatures on my petition to my local D.A. to pursue charges proved fruitless. The USA needs more professionals like you. A movement needs to happen.
Yes, informed consent is important. When I go to to the hospital or ER I always inform the staff that it's gonna be my way or the highway and if they don't consent, I'm outta there!
I re-read my diary from after my first childbirth experience and I had written about how hungry I was in the hospital both during dilation and in the days after the birth. I wrote ‘I don’t know why they bring me so little food and so infrequently’
My daughter is 19 years old (I was in active labor at the hospital 16 hours, then had a C-section when her heart rate dropped). I now feel validated for sneaking that burger in the hospital cafeteria at the start of it all. 😂
I went into the hospital at 11pm to be induced. My nurse the next morning gave me chicken noodle soup and said I needed it so I could have energy to deliver my twins. She said "I know that you've heard you can't eat, but I don't agree, so I'm getting you soup" 😂 (I did eventually throw it up but I still appreciated her)
I also threw up but don't regret eating and drinking for the energy it provided! I also probably shouldn't have drank to thrust bc all that mouth breathing meant my mouth would always feel dry 😂
I was ok without food during my induction. It was the lack of water that killed me. Even on an IV and with non-stop ice chips fed to me by someone who knew they were skirting the rules, I felt dehydrated. After the birth they let me drink Gatorade, and let me tell you, I had never been so thirsty in my entire life before or since. It was like running a 10K in the Sahara desert after 48 hours with no water. Absolutely insane.
22 hours of labor 3 hours of pushing i was so hungry, thirsty, and exhausted! The closest I felt to death ever!!
Unless it was expected that you would need surgery, that’s so messed up
The thirst is REAL!! I wasn’t even allowed ice chips by the evil head nurse anesthetist. But the night nurses would sneak me a few. 😂 I was induced on a Wednesday morning. Son wasn’t born until Friday afternoon. That first glass of water after getting stitched up was HEAVEN!!
No joke. I wasn't too hungry but I was thirsty! After 3 kids, each time I kept asking for something to drink non-stop for about an hour. The nurse for my last baby gave report and said I was doing well because I was drinking and peeing like a race horse LOL. She also caught my baby on the way out while the doc was on the way. Older nurse and rough around the edges but damn she was good! I'll take her over a smiling sweet baby nurse.
I never got an IV during almost 24hrs of labor, nor liquid orally. Insanity!
As a dog breeder, we give them goats milk, liver, raw egg, yogurt as ways to help aid their labor and stamina... & I've never had one take 24 hrs to finish; the closest was ~16 hrs, and she gave birth to 15 pups!
Agreed, with the huge blood loss I sustained, I also felt the closest to death ever.
One of my nurses snuck me food when I was in labor. That woman was an angel since I had severe pre-eclampsia at 32 weeks, covid, a failed induction and emergency c-section all in a 72 hr time frame. It was a rough go and the food helped me get through it.
All turned out okay and my little baby is now a sturdy toddler, but to this day I think about that wonderful nurse who snuck me food during one of the hardesr times of my life. ❤
Learning about hospital birth experiences in the US give me the same feeling as reading about Unit 731.
Even "good" experiences sound like just below bare minimum.
Thank you for speaking out about this. My SIL went into labor with her second child on a Friday evening and didn't deliver the baby until Sunday. She wasn't allowed to eat for almost 72 hours. It just always sounded insane to me to deny food to someone that needs that energy to push out a small human. I'm not currently pregnant and I don't really plan on becoming pregnant, but if I wasn't allowed to eat for 72 hours while I was already uncomfortable from being in labor, heads would probably roll because I can get pretty hangry lol
I'd struggle with that even if I wasn't in labor...
I went through that but then did have to have a caesarean in the end! I had a very miserable labour.
That just sounds like torture! I couldn't go a normal 72 hours without eating or I would just faint. Why would anyone do this to someone going through the most painful and exhausting moment of their life??
If she has th3 money, they should try to make a lawsuits over it under these grounds, maybe she can change this for women.
@@batcat3660 I know, right... more than 16 hours and I start getting light headed. 72 hours, I'd be snapping people's heads off, in labor or not!
This information is awesome! I gave birth in the late 90's and was in labor for over 30 hours!! I was so hungry and the medical staff wouldn't let me eat. Had I known the statistics, I would've ordered a pizza! I didn't even have heartburn during my pregnancy.
Hubby snuck pizza up to our room...hid in the bathroom to eat it! Everything turned out just fine 😊
I had my babies during the time of nothing by mouth (NPO) and only a local where the episiotomy would go. My third baby was a precipitate labor, we barely made it to the hospital. The doctor was at home, he came in just to catch him, so no episiotomy that time. I was so sore.
My mother is still annoyed that she was only allowed popsicles with me and my brother.
Thats a long time to go without food! And its not like youre just chilling on the couch, you actually need all the energy you can get. I bet the first bite afterwards tasted so good..
@@janemiettinen5176 5 minutes apart almost the entire time! I needed calories for energy! It took forever to dilate. My nurse was an angel! They didn't allow liquids either, so after my son was born, I was asked if I was ready to hold him, and my response was, "I've been holding him for 9 months, give me a soda"! Once he was placed in my arms, I never let go!
I don't remember ever being told I couldn't eat while in labor. My first was born in 1990 and my husband and I took a birthing class (not Lamaze, but learning to breathe and knowing what to expect and whatnot, also stressing it's fine to get an epidural) and we were told to pack snacks in our hospital bag because labor can be long and it's hard work. I ended up being sent home the first time I went to the hospital because labor wasn't progressing and the baby looked good, so they told me to come back when something changed. We left, went straight to the nearest drive-thru, then went home until she decided she was ready to come. Second kid, I barely got to the hospital in time to get an epidural so food was the last thing on my mind. The nurses were trying to tell me to wait because the doctor was still at another hospital, and I told them somebody better be down there to catch, because this baby doesn't care where the doctor is. LOL
With my second child I had midwives and loved it! They let me eat and choose the position most comfortable for me to push. The best experience, then my insurance changed and I wasn't allowed them with my last baby and it was an awful experience, treated like an animal and literally yelled at because she was coming out even without my pushing. 🤷♀️
Yelling at you for the baby deciding to come out?? What were you supposed to do, cross your legs and suck her back in? This is really horrific, how did people like that ever think it was appropriate for them to become doctors?!
This is important! I'm 4 months pregnant and am continually baffled at how infantilizing pregnancy can be. I know I may not want to eat during labor but I would love to have the option if, by hour 24, I'm starving and still working hard.
It really can be. After being treated like a non-entity during my first two labors...ending first in a Cesarean and then a horrible forceps delivery, I had my last at home and did what my body told me to do. I ate....and then I threw up during transition. I was fine....cannot say as much for the water in the tub I was in :). My daughter was born very quickly and I had absolutely no medical intervention. Turns out that being starved, strapped to a bed with your feet in the air, and jabbed with a ton of monitors isn't how women were meant to labor--who knew (well, actually everyone knows....those things aren't done for you, they are done to limit the hospital's malpractice liability and to make it more convenient for the doctor to deliver). A good, professional midwife can monitor you safely while allowing you to move, eat, and do what your body is meant to do. I honestly thought there was something wrong with me that my body couldn't deliver a baby without intervention. Turns out I wasn't the problem. Fortunately Mama Doctor Jones sounds like one of those very very rare obstetricians who understands labor....as she has been there herself. When a man is standing there telling you how your labor is supposed to work--sorry like how the hell does he know?
I agree! and the idea that the world feels like they have the right to tell you what you can and cant do while you re pregnant is crazy! I had a lady not let me carry a box of TOILET PAPER while I was pregnant. like...uh...no? I was working a pretty physical job at the time lifting 40-50lbs several times a day during BOTH of my pregnancies. the dr. told me I could do whatever I was doing before on a regular as long as it wasn't hurting. people are crazy, and women don't stop being their own adult person once they are pregnant ( except legit my husband had to check on me early in my first pregnancy cause keys in the fridge and leaving the stove on the brain fog
wasn't great...)
Congratulations, research like mad, everyone will offer you opinions and stories, but research and make informed decisions about what is best for you and throw the rest of the well meaning advice out of the window. This stands for pregnancy, birth and raising your baby. Make a birth plan so the medics know what you want but also be prepared to throw it all out of the window at the time because no-one knows how it will be for them until the time
I would totally grab a bite to eat on your way to the hospital.😂
The way pregnant people are treated is the main reason why I'm considering sterilisation. I have medical trauma from having a ischemic stroke and being treated like an object while I was feeling like I'm dying in hell, and if this happened again (being helpless, in pain, treated like I don't exist), I'd off myself.
I loved the passion in this. My mom always likes to say, no burden is too great for those who don't bear it. It's easy to tell people not to eat at hour 22 of their labor when they've never had to fast for more than a day while doing one of the most physically intense things of their life.
Thank you! That is the truth. Why would I listen to a team that “fits me into their schedule” and makes me hurry up and wait for them, when I could listen to my body and fuel it when it needs fuel!
when my mom went into labour on me she insisted on eating before going in and proceeded to eat 3 4 egg onion omelettes lol, she didn`t even like eggs and never ate them normally!
@jess gunn after how horrible my first was every one after i stuffed a full course meal in my face before going to hospital. I also waited until i couldnt bare the pain. I got forced on pain killers the first time and hated it. After the food my body always wrnt into over drive and an hour later baby
@@FuzzyGecko i was my moms favourite birth i was only 4lbs lol, i practically fell out! she told the nurse it was time and was told not to be silly she was barely dilated at which point the nurse realised my head was out hahaha
Right? Like fast for 24 hours and go run a 5k and let's see how you do. 🙄
THANK YOU for explaining this and standing up for women's right to make our own informed decisions. It always seemed like a crazy restriction when labor can drag on and the laboring person needs to keep their strength up.
My favorite of your videos - and that is saying a lot! You hit the nail on the head about why the eating ban is ridiculous but also the underlying patronizing of pregnant women. Thank you!
When my first baby was born, my contractions just stopped as we were getting ready to go to the hospital. So I just went to my regularly scheduled OB appointment that morning, and found I was dilated to a 6, so they sent me on to the hospital...by way of Panera.
My doctor's specifically told me, "they probably won't let you eat, so stop and get a big lunch. We'll let them know you're coming and to just admit you." It was really weird to be hobbling around a restaurant knowing I was heading off to the have a baby, but since I was in the delivery room until evening, I missed ordering dinner, so I'm glad my doctor made sure I stopped and ate! All that was available until morning was, like, jello and ham sandwiches.
That last bit is the part that baffles me most, that they don't have better food options for laboring mothers even after the fact when they're "allowed" to eat again. Babies come at all hours of the day, but the hospital kitchen runs strict hours, and after hours you'd better hope that the L&D wing has cold food stashed somewhere or that someone can spare time to run to an all-hours convenience store or fast food place for you. One of my kids arrived late into evening, and one of the nurses handed me a menu while they were off measuring my new baby and said, "The kitchen will close before we get you to your room, so pick out what you want for dinner, and order doubles if you like. We'll make sure it gets to you." True to her word, it was too late to "properly" order dinner by the time we were released to the maternity wing, but because of her forethought, there was still a tray of food ready for us (and the nurses kept it hot).
With my youngest, I developed cholestasis, and my bloodwork came back with my bile levels were just too high, so I had to be induced. When I went to check in at the hospital, they told me to go down to the cafeteria and get myself something to eat first and then come back and check in because once I checked in and got things started I wasn't going to be allowed to eat again. It was definitely surreal knowing I was about to go up and have a baby.
Yes my indian Dr ordered me a meal in labor. He said I needed the fuel and told the nurses to LET ME EAT. They were pissed but guess what? Labor lasted 2 hours and was great.
Stopped at Culver's drive thru last time I was in labor 😂.
‘Obstetric paternalism’ is SUCH a great term for a lot of the BS that happens in medicalized birth settings. I fully believe that birth can be a medical event when things go wrong and that’s why I will be giving birth at a hospital. But the amount of condescension and infantilization pregnant people experience at the hands of some providers is sickening.
Pregnant people 😂?
@@michellelansky4490 yeah, we're talking about humans here, MDJ is not a veterinarian lol
@@alinashirinian2485 i dont think its to the exclusion if animals but the inclusion of deviants.
@@michellelansky4490jokes aside, it's a great reminder that women are, in fact, people. Issues related to the female reproductive system have been historically pushed aside as 'niche' despite the fact that there are more women than men. So yeah, I'm perfectly fine with referring to pregnant patients as 'pregnant people'. Also, it's not our place to judge whether someone is a deviant or not in this regard. Human biology and psyche is more complex than we think.
@@alinashirinian2485 calling women 'people (of course theyre people) only furthers the problem youve pointed out. That we are now catering to people who want to be women bec theyre in the mood to be women but have nothing to do with women. Pregnancy is a womans experience not a PEOPLES experience (physically that is). With re to deviance.....anyone with a mental illness that is seeking help deserves to be treated with sympathy and respect as we do for anyone bipolar or schizophrenic or etc.....but when you shove 'your' reality into the world as THE reality and try to make others validate your fantasy you become someone who corrupts society as opposed to someone needing sympathy.
My daughter just turned 17 this summer and I am in the UK. I had a natural birth in the hospital. As I was being shown round the ward the nurses even said if I was able to be up and about feel free to put the kettle on and have some biscuits! Have to say eating was the last thing on my mind while delivering but as soon as my daughter arrived I was so hungry. The midwife came to the bedside and said oh your baby looks like she might take a feed and I was like OK but I have to eat myself it's been nearly 24 hours! I was so supprised with how much the birth was put in my hands so far as choices for what I really wanted. Loved the whole experience :)
Paternalism isn't just an obstetrics issue, it's endemic in all female medical care. It's why i get so anxious about annual check ups cause I'm always worried about having to argue for care or against unnecessary procedures.
Someone told my sister that in the US, people in labour aren't allowed to eat and she decided that this person knew better than her own highly qualified doctor. She was in labour for nearly 32 hours and she fainted from exhaustion seconds are giving birth. She still regrets that she couldn't see her baby for hours because of that. She's pregnant again now and has decided to have soft foods if her doctor gives the go ahead
That’s so sad… I guess at least it was her own choice?
that's exactly what i thought could happen 🤦🏼♀️ i even eat before i exercise so i have the energy. (I'm quite skinny so I'm kinda prone to fainting). i can't imagine not eating for something like labor
@@vt3039 yeah agreed
@@selyndaariel4609 It is brutal, and when you're pregnant not eating feels like 20x worse than normal.
I'm Canadian so I was at least allowed to have water and apple juice during an induction (if I was not being induced they would have let me eat. But they figure inductions are more likely to end in C-sections. In my opinion they are *making* that more likely by letting you get exhausted and out of energy)
But 2 days of only water and apple juice is absolutely not okay.
On day 3 of labour, day 2 of the induction, I requested an epidural NOT because of pain but because of exhaustion. I couldn't sleep through contractions and I had no other way of re-couping my energy because I wasn't allowed to eat. (Not even smoothies, I asked) I slept 1h then pushed for 3h, kid was born... and I begged for food because I was starving. They gave me peanutbutter toast, and it was some of the most amazing PB toast I ever ate. lol
I really think they should let labouring people eat, at least have soup or something. I did throw up, but I'm more prone to throwing up on an empty stomach, and tbh I'd eat anyway, f* it sounds worth the chance!
I put this up there with all the diet restrictions imposed during pregnancy... it's mostly over reacting to the slim possibility that something might happen, and yes I get the anxiety of that, but come on. No chicken or salad? It's dumb
My weird experience: Unplanned homebirth (precipitous labor) - was transported to the hospital. They they put me in a delivery room for afterbirth and stitches, but wouldn't let me DRINK WATER until I'd been moved to recovery - then they wouldn't let me move to recovery until I'd urinated (which I couldn't do because I was dehydrated.)
I had a precipitate delivery, they are scary! Everything happening so fast, I was at the hospital earlier that day, my doctor sent me over, the nurses sent me home. My water broke when I rolled over in bed and it was game on! I was in so much pain, my husband had to dress me.
Wow, I wonder if there's some medical reason for this, cause it just seems ridiculous
@@sssophie9292 There’s not, really, they’re just dumb AF and terrified of lawsuits in the 0.00000001% chance that you aspirate.
@Sssophie I don't know, but it wasn't something I would want to do again. My son had respiratory issues even though he was full term, he had to be placed in an incubator the first 24 hours to give him extra oxygen.
what a lovely Catch-22!
My 1st pregnancy, was in labour for 18 hours where I wasn't allowed ANY *FLUIDS* or food orally due to this theory. It was stated I'm getting sufficient fluids through my IV, which also ran dry at one stage. I swear the bubble bath water I was in looked so tempting, told my husband. I wanted to take a gulp I was so so so so thirsty!
I totally appreciate this video! I had extremely long labors. And was induced with bothof my kids. With my first child I pushed for just under 4 hours and had been in labor in the hospital for more than 24 hours at that point. I was tired and hungry. I could barely even enjoy seeing my daughter for the first time because of it.
I appreciate that you advocate for evidence based medicine.
Thank you for talking about this- my first pregnancy I was tortured with being starved and dehydrated-then I learned my rights and why they made me go through this torture. I absolutely ate and drank as I wanted my second pregnancy. For a developed nation, we sure do have some archaic practices!
I really appreciate this video. I had a really bad miscarriage where I was obviously hemorrhaging. And Instead of rushing to get me in for the D+C, the OB and surgical team decided to have me wait 6+ hours because I had eaten an english muffin within the last hour...and then another 3 on top of that because they only had one surgeon. I lost an estimated 3 units of blood, received no transfusions, and would suffer for the next 9 months from anemia and rampant migraines all because of this overly cautious approach around food and pregnancy. There really needs to be better risk-benefit analysis around this.
Wow, that's terrible. A reason to sue.
I'm so sorry you experienced that. And angry for you.
I went through the same thing!!!!! I had a miscarriage and was given pain killers so I can pass the baby at home. You HAVE to eat before taking a painkiller so I had a handful of crackers when my contractions started. I started hemorrhaging and passed out. An ambulance came and picked me up, and while I was laying on the table still hemorrhaging, a doctor was screaming at me saying how dare I eat food when I knew I needed surgery (which I didn't. I was suppose to pass at home only). He wouldn't let me get the surgery for hours while I was still hemorrhaging, they wouldn't give me a blood transfusion because "I'm young and will recover", and my health suffered for YEARS after that.
@@Brenesee Thanks for sharing your experience! It was strangely comforting to know someone else gets this experience. Though my doc didn't yell at me, he also shamed/blamed me for eating an english muffin before having an emergency....like I was planning to need a surgery that day. This stupid view needs to die. The research is so flimsy it would be better defined as a medical myth. It's causing more complications by making it the default policy and leaving us women to pay the price.
@@Brenesee that’s so horrible 😢and you could technically sue right? what hospital was this? Or at least what state?
I had a baby in an Air Force hospital and they refused to give me ICE CHIPS. I started yelling- " I've given ice chips to patients on their way to open heart surgery!" Nope. My husband had to write an order to get me ice chips
I'm from Ireland and I was induced for one of my babies, and breakfast was brought to me as soon as they could get it in the morning and I was asked a few times if I was certain I didn't want to eat more of my breakfast before we walked to the labour and delivery room. Unfortunately the contractions were too strong and I couldn't even look at the food tray. But immediately after birth the policy is to bring in a tray with tea and toast for mom and her birth partner.
It's important to every woman who has ever been treated as a means to an end. My first pregnancy i was treated like i was an incubator. I was grabbed, touched and my body manipulated without explanation or consent. I had panic attacks for years and probably PTSD because i had flashbacks daily. Thank you for explaining these topics and educating people so that the system can be improved and we know how to advocate for ourselves.
Use the phrase "I do not consent." Those exact words. That forces them to admit to themselves at least they're assaulting their patients.
Yeah the amount of random ppl just coming in shoving their fingers in my vag. Not even talking to me about what they were doing or why. Not responding to me talking to them. Just treating me like an animal and then leaving and not seeing those people again still really bothers me
I was the same way with my first. Every friend who has been pregnant since gets the “you do not have to let them touch you or give you things you don’t want, it is still your body and you are allowed to say no or stop”.
It severely impacted my ability to be seen by a doctor or even be intimate with my husband afterward. Having been a very modest person and very private and only having one sexual partner, I was not prepared for the constant checking, attempts to stretch me, women randomly grabbing my nipples and helping my baby latch when it was time for me to nurse…no time was given for me to know what was going on or for me to attempt this on my own. I would be bare chested nursing and have people just barge in. It may be normal to come folks, but to me it was traumatizing. My husband finally began standing outside the door and refusing to let people in while I was nursing. Which by the way, they really don’t like and threatened to remove him…
@@mrs.stocky2445 "no, you are not removing my support person. I have a disability and require his presence under the Americans with disabilities Act. If you continue to try to remove him I will be contacting a lawyer."
I am now 60 years of age and the birth of my son was long and brutal. After hours of this torture, I began to bear down, they told me to stop and prepare me for a C-section. How do you stop bearing down? I was even yelled at.No, they couldn't get me into surgery right away. By the time they were wheeling me down to surgery I was in crippling pain and hyperventilating and asking them to put a gun to my head and just shoot me. I believe I was abused in this way because I was an unwed mother. No doubt in my mind.
My first, I wasn't allowed any food. The second, I said I am hungry and I want lunch. I got a sandwich and stood up with contractions then carried on with labour and I had my second much faster than I did my first.
Food was essential for me as I wasn't going to starve myself and face hours upon hours of labour.
I also had both children in the UK.
I was thinking, if the mother has the need to eat, then shouldn't she eat? .it takes A LOT of energy to give birth. If Her body is saying she hungry let her eat something she probably needs it. If she doesn't want to eat that should also be her choice. If she doesn't want solid food, herbal tea, fresh juice or smoothie should also be available. Especially for women with long labors. Women can die from the exhaustion of labor, even having some fruit could make a huge difference for some.
@loryndabenson2118 exactly! My first was about 30 hours of labour, and I was so weak and exhausted in the final stages of pushing that I almost fell unconscious with the head poking out, which could have killed my baby. My doctor had to give me glucose filled saline to give me the energy to finish pushing him out. I am relieved I live somewhere where they don't deny you food. It's harmful to mother and baby.
My hospital still wouldn't let me eat when I had my first child in 2021. No matter my wishes, they just cited "hospital policy" and that was it. My labour slowed down considerably in the hospital, I didn't stop shaking from low blood sugar for days after the birth, and my baby was struggling to get up to birth weight, causing me to have to supplement with formula for the first few weeks. I never did have a ton of milk, just barely enough for my baby. This time I'll go to the hospital when I'm a little further along than last time- I was 7 cm & 4 mins apart -and just stuff myself at home until then. I'm just a few minutes' drive from the hospital anyways. I really need that food!
@songpoetry1 That is wrong! I am so sorry they didn't let you eat. It is ridiculous.
This was in a major city centre in Canada. 30 hours of labour, 2 hours of pushing with no food. When I tried to eat I was threatened/bullied into believing that I was putting my child at risk by eating! My husband snuck in broth for me I was so exhausted. I was further bullied into only following their directions only and that included laying flat on my back and not removing the monitor strapped to my belly (it was too small and hurt like hell) So many other things happened but he's a teenager now and I am only now starting to look for a therapist to deal with my PTSD from what was supposed to be a beautiful experience, that turned into the most traumatic experience of my life.
Your “it’s important to me!” Makes me smile because it feels like you have gone through this and/or really care to make patients as comfortable as possible.
I’m an expecting first time mom in Sweden and recently attended a course on labor 101 done by a midwife. She said it’s important to stay well nourished and hydrated during labor because it requires the same amount of energy to bring a baby into this world as it does to run a marathon. My aunt is an anesthesiologist in Germany where they practice the same thing. In general labor here is led my the mother, she tells the support personnel what she needs. Women often come in with a short labor plan and an active partner who communicates for her when she can’t.
Oh I suspect it takes a lot more to deliver a child than to do a marathon unless you're one of the few serious competitors who actually does *run* the entire way.
I recently gave birth in Denmark, and we also view it that way! The mother is the one doing the work, everyone else just has to support her the way she needs it. Eating and drinking is encouraged and mom gets to be in whatever position she wants and has access to whatever pain relief she wants - it's offered but not pushed onto you
European Healthcare isn't perfect (as every person who argues against single payer Healthcare/Medicare for all will bombard you with reasons), but from everything I've heard it's so much better than in the US, at least unless you're stupidly wealthy (and unfortunately the people in charge who insist we have the best system on earth are stupidly wealthy, so nothing ever changes 🙃).
I agree with German part, I had the best birthing experience in Baden-Baden. I could eat and drink whenever I needed to. Quite terrified about my upcoming labor in the US to be honest
Canadian here- Thank you for this! I was hospitalized due to high BP for 4 days before the OB team decided baby wasn't coming and wanted to break my waters. The nurse came in to get me before breakfast and the OB on duty said I could have one piece of plain toast, but nothing more because if needed, the anesthesia team would have her head, lol. I had GD and watched as my sugars dropped all day. I kept telling my nurse those numbers were low for me and she brushed me off. I asked for food and drink repeatedly... I was just laying in bed because I had no energy. I knew I had to move positions and try to get baby engaged, but could hardly find energy to talk by the afternoon. At shift change the next nurse immediately started me on a sugar drip which finally brought my sugars up so I was able to chat and be myself. By this time, it was too late and I hadn't progressed significantly, so my team was seeking a c-section. I still threw up in the OR thanks to nerves, haha. I wish I had been allowed food or drink! Especially seeing these stats... That is a risk I would be happy to take! Better than nearly passing out due to low blood sugar 😅
I was thinking about this. I feel like the risks of not eating for multiple hours during labor is clearly more likely to be dangerous than such a minuscule risk of aspiration.
Thats terrible, i’m sorry that You experienced that
Giving birth is the single most exhausting thing I've ever done.
If you go into labor at night, after eating all your meals, then this is not so bad.
But if you go into labor in the morning and have a long labor... And are going on 24hrs + of not eating... It gets really difficult to find energy and stamina.
Starving people will create more problems than it solves.
We left the first practice we were with because they didn’t care about what we wanted. Well actually we were kicked out because I refused to consent to a hypothetical intervention. We were only allowed to want to give birth how they were comfortable with. They were very coercive.
Anyways we ended up having an amazing (and fast) labour without much stress, with midwives who supported us and our wants. Pregnancy is not a medical condition. Of course doctors and surgery provide life saving support at times but if we focused on supporting what women and their partners want during birth.
Crazy. Here in Brazil they not only allow you to eat, they tell you you NEED to eat (especially if you're in labour for a long time). Sure, eating something like a McDonalds would not be allowed (you need to eat the hospital food), but still... I always found it weird when I heard labour stories from the US and heard that the woman was not allowed to eat, and it's sad to know it's based on basically nothing at all. It's like there is no pressure to change that (or at least to do more research on that) because it's an issue that concerns women. I can't imagine what it would be like to be in labour for I don't know how many hours (and having to push a baby out of you by the end of it) with a hungry, empty stomach...
I think it has been changing. I'm currently pregnant in the US and just wrapping up a childbirth class. They encourage moms to snack early in labor and include snacks in the hospital packing list twice!
I grew up in the US so even when I was little, I knew that eating during labor was a big no no for some reason. There are even shows (the episode of Friends where Carol has Ben comes to mind) where they talk about how most places only allow you to have very very small pieces of ice called ice chips and turn it into a joke. Now that I'm older and understand birth and labor and women's bodies more (I haven't had children myself though), I definitely don't find it funny that they only allow ICE CHIPS. Also now knowing that there's very little risk for a lot of people and that it's also the norm to eat at least a little outside of the US, I am even more sad that it's like this here. Hopefully things change here eventually, and hopefully it's sooner rather than later.
@@stadot1427 Oh this makes me happy! And good luck to you!
@kathleenuclear my SIL ate a nice lunch after she was in labor, (before getting to the hospital), with #2
Wasn't going to go so hungry again. #1 had taken quite a while. 😳
See now this surprises me as Brazil has the second highest C-section rates in the world! (55.6% as opposed to 32.2% in the US)
I have had 4 kids, for 3 of them, I was not allowed to eat in the hospital. My first birth took a very long time because I was induced at 37w due to preeclampsia. I had lunch on a Thursday, had baby on Friday evening, and was not able to get a meal until the AM hours on Saturday. That is a LONG time to go without eating when you need to push out a human and need energy. 10 years later, I had my last baby. I was able to get a meal during my induction, and was so grateful for the energy. She was posterior so I really really needed that extra energy to get her out! I was shocked that they let me eat, and SO excited about it!
That's ridiculous that they starved you, I would've had my husband sneak in some food lol.
Whaaaat? How is that possible? How have you done that without any energy?! I'm sorry that happened.
If that happened to me I couldn't have eaten from Thursday early in the morning until Saturday evening. I'd probably have eaten a nurse or something by then.
I had my son in 2010 and they did not let me eat anything besides ice
I'm sorry you were treated that way. I think it's cruel to withhold food during labour unless there's a high risk of needing a C section with general anesthesia. I live in Aotearoa and it's very different here. With my first baby my induction began on a Friday evening. I had a meal before I got to the hospital. I had breakfast and a light lunch on Saturday. I was in established labour from about 12 noon on Saturday and had a light lunch at 1pm. Baby was born at about 7.30 pm. The midwives on the ward made me toast and a hot drink after the birth.
I'm also a RN. If I was caring for a woman who'd just given birth, I'd make sure she had something to eat asap. Not eating for that that long can cause low blood glucose, delayed healing and be a factor in milk supply taking longer to become established.
@@kathyryder828 I also had my babies here in Aoteoroa New Zealand, and they are now in their late teens. I had independent midwives as lead maternity carers, and my first Labour was very long and ended up with a ventouse delivery in hospital, while the second was a home water birth. I recall that the information I was provided with consistently compared childbirth with running a marathon, and that it was important to eat and be prepared with snacks to keep up one's energy levels as it's such an exhausting process. I never heard of any rule forbidding food or drink while in labour, and it just makes US hospitals sound really backward.
I was nauseous because I was hungry. I was given no food but nausea medication… which I threw up a little bit later. That was one of the many reasons I went to a birthing center with a midwife my second pregnancy. I love the liberty of choice I had during my labor.
I want to thank you for shedding light on this topic and providing a comprehensive, well-researched video. Your commitment to ensuring that expectant mothers have access to accurate information is invaluable. I'm certain that your work will help alleviate fears and empower women to make informed decisions regarding their nutrition during labor. Keep up the fantastic work!
I am so glad SOMEONE in the medical community is finally speaking up about this. Honestly. So much of the advice given to pregnant women (especially first time mothers) is more for the doctor's benefit than the mother or child. Because one huge aspect of this that makes when to stop eating so important is to understand that active labor can take DAYS. That is, assuming it is still defined as "having regular contractions" regardless of how far apart they are. By that reckoning, I was in labor with my 1st child for 36 hours (1-1/2 days). With my 2nd child I was in labor for 3-1/2 days. Fortunately, I learned the reason for the 'no eating' directive after my 1st child was born and completely ignored it with the 2nd.
You hit the nail on the head
You made an informed decision for yourself. Which is what it should be.
I gave birth three weeks ago in Italy. I was induced and my labour was quite a long one (22 hours). My midwife encouraged me to eat the whole time. Since I didn't really feel like eating a meal, she brought me tea with biscuits. In her opinion it was really important for me eat and drink something sugary to get some stregth back to get through labour
I was just wondering whether they do this in Italy or not, because I actually never heard of it, but I also haven't spoken with many people who have been in labor.
Same in Germany! I was offered me every meal and tea, water and toast was available always.
Same in the Netherlands!
I bet it’s the whole of Europe or at least the EU
Nope, not whoke Europe. The East Block still carries on with these horrible communist practices 😡 unfortunately
I’m so glad to see this video- it’s a standard that has always bothered and concerned me, especially when I hear of many who are in labor for many hours or days.
I’m also concerned with epidurals too early- as one can no longer be ambulatory - which can slow labor.
It amazes me how different pregnancy and labor is for every individual. I was never sick while carrying all three kids and had to stop myself from becoming as big as a house with as much as I enjoyed eating. But I had zero interest in food during labor.
I was in ACTIVE LABOR for 55 hours and had been in the hospital 3 days before that being induced. I had hyperemisis my entire pregnancy and threw up up to 50x a day. I was 19 and exhausted. By 20ish hours in labor I was crying and I’ll never forget the lovely nurse that brought me popsicles, juice, and allowed my mom to sneak me a little of a lemon bar from the cafe downstairs. Also ended up emergency c section which I had begged for 28 hours before. 😢
My mom, a type 1 diabetic, had an extreme low blood sugar when she was in labor with me. My dad asked for food for her, but the nurses refused, even though her contractions had stopped and she was almost fully dilated. Thank God my dad was there. He rushed to the cafeteria to get some chocolate, specifically those nasty cherry blossom truffles, and gave them to my mom. I was born like 5 minutes later lol. I think there's certain scenarios, like this one, that should really be considered.
Now when you have diabetes you are usually advised to eat during labor
Your dad listened to his gut and saved both you and your mom. Awesome dad/husband.
I aspirated without having had solid food for two days, and only water about 6ish hours before my procedure. My team was fabulous, I had no idea until I got the report back. I'm still kicking. I couldn't have done anything more to prevent my vomiting, and neither could my team. ❤
Water 💦 was what I wanted so desperately after 23 hours of labor. It was my first baby and overdue so they gave me pitosion. I had already started natural labor about five hours before. It turned into a nightmare with contractions two to four minutes apart for 14 hours with almost no dilation. My second child I did all my labor at home and barely made it to the hospital to deliver. The doctor said it was the easiest delivery ever. All he did was catch my son. It was so much better at home even without pain medication.
Personal story: I ate in early labour with both my children (both times bacon and eggs) because I knew hospital policy was clear liquids only. Both times, I didn't have the urge to eat anything until baby was out (30 hours of active labour with baby 1, 2 hours with baby 2). People who are hungry in labour should be able to eat though. And definitely people who are thirsty should be able to drink.
I feel pregnant/labouring/postpartum people are treated like mostly only a vessel way too often, and it's scary. I definitely sometimes felt treated like a vessel. It does nothing to improve mental health outcomes in pregnant and postpartum women, it actually worsens them.
My doctor told me I could eat whatever I wanted, but cautioned me that a lot of people vomit in labor, so she recommended things that are easy to vomit up 😂. Turns out I was grateful for that advice because I couldn't keep anything down when in labor with either of my babies. Not even popsicles 🤷🏼♀️.
note to myself: get Gatorade for the labor to vomit fun rainbow colors
Exactly!!!
@@CristalianaIvor taste the rainbow 🌈 😂
This was me with my son! I had some jello and a juice while they induced me, later on it all came back up and then some. I had really bad Hyperemesis gravidarum throughout my whole pregnancy. God it was awful.
I strongly recommend bananas. It took at least a year before I could drink fruit punch again with how much I vomited it in my third birth, so also try not to consume anything that you would miss if you couldn't consume it without psycho somatic nausea afterwards!
Thank you. As a Doula turned RN I have always advocated for evidence based practices and pregnancy autonomy. There are a lot of pregnancy and labor rules that have been created and perpetuated that are outdated and not beneficial in most cases. This is one fantastic example. Thank you for your professional insight. I kind of want to ask some of my anesthesiologists their opinion at work this week.
I puposfully waited at my home (5 minutes away) from the hospital until I felt myself going through transtion. I was a "high risk," as I was attempting a VBAC and knew from previous experience that as soon as I went in, i would have all my choices made for me. Essentially i waited to go in until they had no choice but to give me the labor i wanted. My poor husband had to drive me screaming in pain LOL. And yes, I shoved food in my mouth just before we left.
I was in labor for 66 hours!! They served me every meal while I was there and encouraged me to eat to keep my strength up.
I was dumbfounded when I had to SNEAK food during my active labor while waiting to progress. Mind you, I was still ambulatory and hadn’t even had my epidural yet, and probably 8 hours into the process at that time. 🙄 Luckily, as a nurse, I weighed my options and ate anyway.
This is an interesting topic and very glad she's discussing this. I will say, though, that after a certain time during my labor, they would only let me have broth and water. I was SO hungry, but out of nowhere at one point, I projectile vomited. I'm glad I only had broth at that point! Everyone is different during labor, but just sharing my experience.
Exactly, everyone is different during labor. And should be empowered to do it the way their body needs.
I had a water birth in an amazing place called best start birth center in southern California and I couldnt be more grateful for it because I was allowed to be in control of trusting my body and needs, I labored on a yoga ball and ate cold fruit and ice chips and then in the shower for a while to help with my back labor pains and then chose when I felt ready to get in the tub and labor out till I had my daughter. they empowered my confidence in knowing my own bodies needs and signs and it was a beautiful experience. I was unaware hospitals dont let you eat, I am grateful I could as I needed the energy from the natural sugars in the fruits and it was also comforting in a weird way to be able to eat and it curbed my urge to throw up as well so I dont understand the reason they dont allow it
My mom had a friend who made her husband stop in the Taco Bell drive thru on the way to the hospital while she was in labor with her second child because she hadn’t been allowed to eat in the hospital with her first child who took hours to come out and was so mad about it after the fact when she did the research and found out there was no good reason for it.
I have two kids and joked while pregnant with my 2nd that I’d make my husband hit a drive thru for me on the way to the hospital. 😂 I didn’t end up doing that but I did eat while laboring at home before we went in. I’d definitely consider swinging by somewhere for food if I have a third lol
@@ItHasChicken lol my husband took me to Taco Bell for some Cinnabon while I was in labor with our last baby. The cashier look terrified when I had a contraction at the window 😂😂
Isn’t the reason being that the Mom might need an emergency C-section? Never get to eat prior to surgery
When my mom went into labor with me, she made her SIL that she was out shopping with at the time, who had just had my cousin a few months beforehand, stop at McDonald's before going to the hospital because her SIL told her she wasn't allowed to eat anything until she gave birth. She was in labor with me for over two days and she said that McDonald's was her savior hahaha
It’s heartening to see a medical professional speaking out so passionately, even if it is over a “little thing”
So stoked that you are in NZ! I’m American and in Australia. Had both my babies overseas (AU’s and UK). I can’t get over things like this in US childbirth. I feel the same way as you do-want to scream into the void of logical thinking on issues like these. Please keep shouting loud about these things!!
I had two “text book” vaginal deliveries the first I was admitted when my water broke at 2:00am or so and had one contraction during admissions for the first. I needed some encouragement to get moving (Pitocin) and begged for some broth around noon given a cast iron stomach and then begged my now ex husband to put away the camera because I puked the nasty vegetable bullion - but uh yeah. I was hungry and going into some very strenuous work to deliver a healthy baby some 20 hours later after 2 hours of pushing - when I’d not eaten for 8 hours when my water broke. Fast forward 4 years, I labored for 2 hours and pushed for 2 hours and didn’t throw up, but defecated because I always poo in the morning. Seems to me that women know their bodies - or don’t and their bodies will school them if they make a poor choice. Though I was completely horrified that the “usual” pain relief in the US seems to be fentanyl as I move into potential grandmother range. Because yeah, that’s what every young mother needs - a raging opiate addiction.