Do all hospitals tell their patients that they can't eat before delivering a baby?

Question

My friend informed me today that the hospital where she stayed told her that she couldn't eat until she delivered her baby- which was a very long time. She said that she ended up feeling so tired and hungry when it came time to finally deliver. It seems illogical not to eat when your body needs energy to prepare for a major physical event like labor. Has anyone experienced this before? And does anyone know why? Any answers would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

i've had three kids, all by c-section; the first was an emergency section. had i eaten, there would have been even greater risk of what's called 'asperation' (which means after the woman vomits, she inhales the vomitus into her lungs. delightful, isn't it? if there is any chance that any intervention might be required, they try to keep the mother's stomach as empty as possible, to prevent aspiration.

the complications of aspiration would include: pneumonia, asphyxia, death, brain damage...

Answer 2

OK, these are the real reasons behind hospital policies.I worked labor and delivery for over 30 years.
They tell you not to eat, because
a] if they have to do an emergency C-section, it increases the chance of aspirating stomach contents into the lungs. This can cause a terrible type of pneumonia, that can be fatal.
b] if you are in true labor, your stomach/digestive system stops digesting. This is what causes the vomiting many women have - as well as the pain involved, and at time of "transition" stage of labor.
c] not eating has no effect on bowel movements, at least not the first day - people poop for days after not eating - it just gets more and more uncomfortable [ probably where the phrase "s**t a brick" came from ] because your poop turns into rocks.
d] most hospitals allow labor patients to eat clear liquids -
apple juice, jello, bouillon, and tea [ plain ], some have popsicles! These are easily digested and absorbed, so don't remain in stomach very long.
e] most hospitals quit giving enemas years ago - studies showed all that did was increase the diarrhea , making more of a mess during labor and the delivery [ God forbid a doctor gets s**t on his shoe! ]
f] after you deliver, you feel like crud for four reasons:
1] you are dehydrated - all that sweating, blowing, pushing
2] you have some blood loss, which decreases your blood count, making you tired [ some a lot more than others ]
3] you have low blood sugar, from not eating
4] you have just done the equivalent of running a marathon -
labor uses more energy than almost anything!
g] bring snacks for hubby during labor, and a special snack for you - with protein and carbs, please - in case the nearby
food places are closed after you deliver.
PS: if you do have a Csection, get up and get moving as soon as possible - any abdominal surgery interrupts your
digestive process, and the faster you move - the faster you pass gas [ fart ], and you can eat!

Answer 3

Yes it is common. The reasoning- if a need for an emergency C-Section- best to have an empty tummy. Also, women vomit sometimes in labor and they don't want complications with that.

What do I do??? Eat right before I leave. Hungry or not. I leave when the contractions are 3 mintues apart- and give myself an enema before I go. Done Deal!!!

I was furious- with our son, I had a 28 hour labor- LONG!!! No food in that time- and longer- since the afternoon I went into labor. Too long. The first thing I did after our son was born was send my husband to the burger joint across the street for something to eat- I was so hungry and tired I was shaky.

Answer 4

In general you can eat during labor. If you're not getting into active labor or in transition it's fine to eat and generally they'll send you home until your contractions are closer together anyhow. One of the main symptoms of transition in labor is nausea and trust me it's miserable to be sick with a full tummy while contracting! I know at my hospital I wasn't allowed to eat even in the beginning but I was also very close to needing an emergency c-section since my blood pressure was high and as soon as they started the pitocin(water broke with no labor and was induced) my son's heartbeat started dropping with ever contraction. There's always a risk of a woman needing an emergency surgery either c-section or other complications during birth and it's better to have an empty stomach for that.

Answer 5

oh gosh yes. I had to stop eating a 6am my daughter was not born until the next day early am I was starving.

I ended up in the OR for a c-section and I could not eat until I passed gas. That took like another 15 hrs. I so badly wanted to lie and say I did when I didn't for food. But they would listen to your abdominals/intestines to verify. It was a long hungry time!
When I did get to eat I ordered the hospital meal and 2 hrs later sent my husband for a sandwhich too. LOL

Answer 6

Some hospitals do and some don't and it depends on how your labour is going. I was allowed to "suck on an ice cube" which, in the nicest possible way was thrown against the opposite wall on numerous occasions....all I wanted was the can of Coke that my hubby had bought for me when we arrived 30 hours earlier. However, the reason (I think) is because if you should need an emergency c section then this would cause complications. Kinda good reason.

Check with your Unit though and eat all you can before you go to the hospital....like a little squirrel. lol. Good luck.

Answer 7

To all the people who say 'it's in case you need an emergency section' Firstly, the danger is only there under a general, not spinal anaesthetic. The chances of anything happening so dramatically that you need to be put under general for your section are very low - and usually things that can happen very suddenly even when not in labour, whether you've eaten or not. Yes, it's better to have an empty stomach when going under GA. But they don't say to car crash victims; 'oh, sorry we can't remove your ruptured spleen, you ate a Mars Bar three hours ago,' now do they?

Some people would have you believe that's why the IV line is in place - the same IV that restricts your movement, ties you to a bed on your back (one of the WORST birthing positions) and makes it really easy to 'pop a little something in to speed you up' so the docs can get home for dinner. Or to pop a little something in to make you a little more docile and managable ;)

A woman should prepare for labour like she does for a marathon and final exam rolled into one. She should be physcially and mentally prepared. And she should never be restricted access to the things her body needs! Whatever that girl's instinct tells her, she should do. Move, yell, squat, eat. She's grown the baby that far, listening to food cravings so her body gets what it needs.........she should never stop listening to that voice.

And she certainly shouldn't let the doctors drown it out.

Answer 8

I woke up in the morning and had to go to the hospital and i was in labor for 10 hours couldn't eat the whole time, didnt even eat dinner the night before, so when i was pushing i was so tired i couldn't even stay up... it was really hard though- i couldn't even drink water- i could only have ice chips!! It was rough but I hope everything goes good for you!

Answer 9

I checked into the hospital at 6PM at 3 almost 4 cm dilated. My Doc told me to have a good dinner, rest ,and get ready cause in the morning she was breaking my water. My Mother-In-Law went next door to Applebee's and got me soup and salad. It really helped because I had had contractions all day and my body was naturally doing its own enema (if you know what I mean). So, I had no food in my tummy and was really tired.

I guess it all depends on the situation and the hospital. Call your hospital, they usually have classes for you to take to get you ready for the big day. In my classes we talked about what expect with delivery and everything. I bet you would feel better if you took a class with your hospital.

Good Luck!

Answer 10

When my cousin had her son a few months ago, the hospital (which is the same one Im going to be delivering at) told her she had to wait until after she had the baby to eat just in case if she had to go in for a C- because your tummy has to be empty for that.

Answer 11

Just in case of an emergency such as having to rush to surgery for a c-section or what not, they cannot have the patient eating anything beause of the medication and what not. If they have to intubate a patient (which sometimes has to happen if allergies to medication occurs during surgery) it's extremely hard to do it with throw up blocking the throat...there's just so many risks involved. So all in all they say not to eat because they are being precautious of what might happen which is something medical personnel ALWAYS prepare for. They are just trying to do what's safe for the patient.