Should I avoid eating and drinking after membranes stripped?

Question

My obstetrician stripped my membranes this morning. Today is my due date. Should I avoid eating and drinking for the rest of the day in case I go into labor? Will eating and drinking hinder the progress of labor?

Thanks.

Answer 1

No, eat and drink. It won't hurt anything. It took me about 3 days to go into labor after mine were stripped. It takes some people longer. I would eat now and save the energy up, your body will need it later. If you're really worried, eat smaller light meals. Eating and drinking are only advised against once you are ready to go to the hospital and then it's just in case you have to have an emergency c-section. When I went into labor I didn't feel hungry at all. It was the sudden loss of appetite that made my husband get all jumpy.

Walking will help speed it up more than anything. :-)

Good luck! Hope you have a safe and speedy delivery! ;-)

Answer 2

NO WAY! Eat up girl. B/c you'll need the energy if you go into labor later on b/c during labor you won't be able to eat or drink anything. But don't get your hopes up as stripping membranes can put you into labor it might take up to a few days! Get rest and good luck!

Answer 3

Most definately not!!! Eat, eat, and eat some more. You will definately want to eat and drink to keep your energy up and once you get to the hospital you are allowed nothing but ice chips....nothing worse than a hungry woman in labor.

Also just because they stripped your membranes this morning doesn't necessarily mean you will go into labor today.

Answer 4

Good God NO! Don't avoid eating and drinking! You are growing a baby hon, you and your baby need food. AND if you were to go into labor, you need ENERGY! You wouldn't climb a mountain without food and drink for energy and hydration. You shouldn't have a baby without eating or drinking either. Most midwives will recommend (or INSIST) that you eat during labor. The reason some hospitals/doctors will say you shouldn't is the TINY chance that you'll need to be knocked out for a c/s. PLEASE go ahead and EAT and DRINK to satisfy your body's needs!

And you may not even go into labor today. It took me a week to go into labor after my OB stripped my membranes without my consent with my first. (And I was already 3-4 cm and 100% effaced when he did it!)

Answer 5

Definitely eat. Stripping membranes doesn't always work, and eating/drinking won't hinder labor beginning. They just recommend not to eat during the middle of labor, mostly so you won't vomit from any anesthesia or during transition, which is pretty common.

It might still be a few days. Good luck!

Answer 6

Good heavens -- eat eat eat.

And, re. "they don't let you eat in the hospital" is a good excuse to find an up-to-date hospital or have a home birth. It's nonsense.

"Be nourished. A hard-working uterus and the muscles around it need a lot of energy from food and hydration from drinks. Doctors used to discourage eating or drinking during labor in case the mother needed a general anesthesia for a cesarean delivery, relying instead on intravenous fluids to hydrate and provide energy. Since most mothers who end up with a surgical birth now elect to be awake and thus receive an epidural or spinal anesthetic, keeping an empty stomach during labor is not as important as it once was. In the unlikely event that general anesthesia is necessary for emergency delivery, the concern is that you might vomit while you are unconscious and then inhale your stomach contents into your lungs. For this reason, it is preferred that laboring women ingest small amounts of quickly digestible foods. Eating heavily is also likely to make you uncomfortable."

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/1/T010900.asp

Answer 7

I'd say eat light foods. They don't want you to eat because it may complicate things if something were to go wrong while you were in labor and you needed an emergency c-section. I hated not being able to eat with my first. With my other 2 I had a midwife so I ate while in labor. Every thing went fine. I did throw up when the labor intensified, but whatever. You'll get pretty sick of sucking on ice chips if you're hungry.

Answer 8

I'd love to tell you "today" but unfortunately there is just no way to tell. Trust me, I feel your pain. I am also in the last couple weeks of pregnancy and going crazy!! They say that all of those natural induction methods only work if your body is ready to go into labor naturally. I completely understand your desire to avoid a medical induction and I hope you go into labor soon. A few things you can try that are not on your list include eating tons of fresh pineapple and acupressure. Just do a google search on acupressure points to induce labor and you will learn where they are and how to do it. Good luck!!! Gestational diabetes is no fun!

Answer 9

Eat what you like... Labor is alot of work and you will need your energy... when in labor you dont have much of an appetite.. and drink extra water.. I always got very dehydrated during labor..

Good Luck and Congrats on the new little one..

Answer 10

Eat and drink. As a matter of fact, if I were you, I would go shopping! The labor will come, and you can't eat while you're in labor except for hospital jell-o.