Eating, Drinking May Be OK During Labor
Eating, Drinking May Be OK During Labor
Researchers Say Eating and Drinking Don't Pose Risks for Delivery
Last summer, the nation's largest group representing obstetricians officially relaxed its restrictions on fluid intake during labor.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), women with uncomplicated pregnancies may now drink "modest' amounts of clear liquids such as water, juices, carbonated beverages, tea, black coffee, or sports drinks.
But the group still recommends against eating solid food during labor.
"Allowing laboring women more than a plastic cup of ice is going to be welcome news for many," Massachusetts General Hospital ob-gyn William Barth Jr., MD, said in a news release at the time. "As for the continued restriction on food, the reality is that eating is the last thing most women are going to want to do since nausea and vomiting during labor is quite common."
Ecker agrees that most of his patients have no interest in food during labor, but he says some do.
"A light meal early in labor may be appropriate for women with a low risk for obstetric complications," he says. "But nobody should be ordering a double cheeseburger from the cafeteria during labor."
The Cochrane Collaboration is an international, nonprofit group that assesses health care policy by reviewing the best available research.
Eating, Drinking May Be OK During Labor
Researchers Say Eating and Drinking Don't Pose Risks for Delivery
Obstetricians' Group: Drinking OK, Eating Isn't
Last summer, the nation's largest group representing obstetricians officially relaxed its restrictions on fluid intake during labor.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), women with uncomplicated pregnancies may now drink "modest' amounts of clear liquids such as water, juices, carbonated beverages, tea, black coffee, or sports drinks.
But the group still recommends against eating solid food during labor.
"Allowing laboring women more than a plastic cup of ice is going to be welcome news for many," Massachusetts General Hospital ob-gyn William Barth Jr., MD, said in a news release at the time. "As for the continued restriction on food, the reality is that eating is the last thing most women are going to want to do since nausea and vomiting during labor is quite common."
Ecker agrees that most of his patients have no interest in food during labor, but he says some do.
"A light meal early in labor may be appropriate for women with a low risk for obstetric complications," he says. "But nobody should be ordering a double cheeseburger from the cafeteria during labor."
The Cochrane Collaboration is an international, nonprofit group that assesses health care policy by reviewing the best available research.