Is Eating Really Discouraged While in Labor?For many decades now, eating was strongly discouraged by doctors when women went into labor. The women had to rely on ice chips alone to hydrate them and lessen those hunger pangs. Apparently, this was because many women in the past received anesthesia for pain during labor and delivery, and eating increased the risks of contents from the stomach being aspiration into the lungs and causing life-threatening breathing complications. This practice has become questionable in recent medical and obstetric practice. Find the truth by reading on. Today more and more women are savoring their labor experience – that means, months before they are due, they have already created a birthing plan wherein they decide whether or not they want anesthesia. This is perhaps why there has been a significant decline in women who receive general anesthesia over the years. This in turn reduced the risks of stomach content aspiration and its related complications to the mother. Because labor is a stressful time for the mother, medical professionals today are acknowledging her need to be comfortable and happy during this time. Therefore, eating and drinking is generally not contraindicated unless the woman will be undergoing C-section, wherein she will have to be placed under general anesthesia. To strike a balance between these conflicting ideas, it is recommended that women have light, easy –to-digest snacks, and fluids instead of whole meals. Doctors are responsible for letting a woman know her options, including the risks and benefits of her choices, in order to help her make an informed decision. Read more of our articles on labor and delivery
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