# What food/drinks/snacks to pack for labour?



## youngwife20

Hey all! So I'm always hungry and I love my food , no doubt I'll be starving when in labour! So what food should I pack that keeps your strength up and satisfies your hunger? Food snacks drinks? Thanks!


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## cherryglitter

i just ate sweets and drank sqaush lol!


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## Meredith2010

I spent my entire labour throwing up everywhere, which is quite common so be aware that what goes down might just come back up again!!


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## tristansmum

i wasn't hungry at all. i took loads but neither my hubby or i fancied it. if you plan on using gas & air take lots of water though cause i found it dried my throat/mouth so much.


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## bigbetty

I went in for induction and had a ham roll quite early on. It came back up again and I didn't really fancy anything else. I did have a couple of dextrose tablets though for energy.

One thing I would recommend though is putting a bottle of water in the freezer. You will find in labour that you get thirsty but just want small sips not big gulps and the bottle will defrost slowly enough to give you what you need but keep it nice and cold too - I'm so glad I had one!


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## charlotte-xo

I didnt pack anything but made OH go out and fetch me a galaxy bar lol but id really recommend taking a big bottle of lucozade or get some lucozade energy tablets as they work wonders. I was so tired to the point i was just falling asleep when i needed to be pushing but the midwife told OH to get a bottle from the vending machine outside and wow it gave me sucha boost. 

<3


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## bigbetty

charlotte-xo said:


> I didnt pack anything but made OH go out and fetch me a galaxy bar lol but id really recommend taking a big bottle of lucozade or get some lucozade energy tablets as they work wonders. I was so tired to the point i was just falling asleep when i needed to be pushing but the midwife told OH to get a bottle from the vending machine outside and wow it gave me sucha boost.
> 
> <3

I was asleep all the way through labour and pushing - I would wake up for a contraction and go back to sleep again. When I was pushing DH told me I was snoring in between contractions lmao!


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## charlotte-xo

lol!! trust you :winkwink:

<3


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## bigbetty

charlotte-xo said:


> lol!! trust you :winkwink:
> 
> <3

:coolio:


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## youngwife20

bigbetty said:


> I went in for induction and had a ham roll quite early on. It came back up again and I didn't really fancy anything else. I did have a couple of dextrose tablets though for energy.
> 
> One thing I would recommend though is putting a bottle of water in the freezer. You will find in labour that you get thirsty but just want small sips not big gulps and the bottle will defrost slowly enough to give you what you need but keep it nice and cold too - I'm so glad I had one!

thank you so much! great tip!!! :)


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## Blah11

I was sick once then totally uninterested in food and drink, but had a can of full fat coke right after she was born and some sugary tea and toast! Best toast and tea ever.


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## bigbetty

Blah11 said:


> I was sick once then totally uninterested in food and drink,

That's how I was. Until I got to the pushing stage and got a bit thirsty but only wanted small sips.


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## youngwife20

charlotte-xo said:


> I didnt pack anything but made OH go out and fetch me a galaxy bar lol but id really recommend taking a big bottle of lucozade or get some lucozade energy tablets as they work wonders. I was so tired to the point i was just falling asleep when i needed to be pushing but the midwife told OH to get a bottle from the vending machine outside and wow it gave me sucha boost.
> 
> <3

 Thank you! thats a great idea! i love lucazade! and omg for sure will i have a choclate bar ready! ive been living choclate free since i found out i was preggers as i dont like cafienne now im preggers so il have lots after labour!!


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## youngwife20

bigbetty said:


> charlotte-xo said:
> 
> 
> I didnt pack anything but made OH go out and fetch me a galaxy bar lol but id really recommend taking a big bottle of lucozade or get some lucozade energy tablets as they work wonders. I was so tired to the point i was just falling asleep when i needed to be pushing but the midwife told OH to get a bottle from the vending machine outside and wow it gave me sucha boost.
> 
> <3
> 
> I was asleep all the way through labour and pushing - I would wake up for a contraction and go back to sleep again. When I was pushing DH told me I was snoring in between contractions lmao!Click to expand...

wow wow you must have a high pain thresh hold!! were you on any meds?? or epi or anything?


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## bigbetty

Not really - I had one shot of pethedine quite early on but that didn't really do anything, then I just had gas and air during pushing. The though of having an epidural never entered my head because I didn't think the contractions were that painful - I guess I was lucky lol!


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## youngwife20

That is so cool! im gonna hav gas and air i think! :)


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## bigbetty

I used it more to help me regulate my breating rather than as pain relief - the first puff gives you a bit of a head rush though lol!


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## bigbetty

I decided before I went into hospital that I was going to concentrate on my breathing to help me through my contractions. So I took big long deep breaths in and out during each one - it helped me to focus and cope with the pain.


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## youngwife20

I will try that! i just told my mum i asked a post about what people took into labour to eat she found it very funny as she thinks il probably be in to much pain to thinka bout food! which is probably true lol


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## xxEMZxx

Meredith2010 said:


> I spent my entire labour throwing up everywhere, which is quite common so be aware that what goes down might just come back up again!!

Same lol, I puked all over my room, poor person who had to clear that up!! :haha:


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## clarsair

I had several lots of toast (thick, white with proper butter, mom) at home, chocolate biscuits, lucozade tablets, isotonic drinks and plenty of water. I reckon flapjacks would be good as well.


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## sequeena

I was only hungry during early labour. Once I was established I couldn't eat so only drank x


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## youngwife20

clarsair said:


> I had several lots of toast (thick, white with proper butter, mom) at home, chocolate biscuits, lucozade tablets, isotonic drinks and plenty of water. I reckon flapjacks would be good as well.

yum i love flap jacks!


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## cherryglitter

Blah11 said:


> I was sick once then totally uninterested in food and drink, but had a can of full fat coke right after she was born and some sugary tea and toast! Best toast and tea ever.

the tea and toast didn't cut it for me!
i was on another planet still lol... midwife kept telling me to eat but i just couldnt... kept staring at jake!! :dohh:


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## fidget

i had a cuppa, slice of toast and a banana at home, struggled a bit as i wasn't hungry... but then when i got to the hospital i was 10cm so thats probably why lol, i felt sick just before i started pushing but i'm glad i ate. i didn't have time to even open my hospital bag, but i packed cereal bars, milkybuttons and snacky things lol

afterwards i drank the tea they bought round, couldn't stomach the toast, had a nibble but nearly threw up lol

on the way home i ate my milkybuttons :)


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## Blah11

I had a fatty chinese when i got home the next day too :rofl:

If this LO arrives during the day itll def be take out for tea again.


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## lynnikins

tea , toast and grapes for after labour during labour i tend to sip on water and eat Fruit rollups lol


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## youngwife20

fidget said:


> i had a cuppa, slice of toast and a banana at home, struggled a bit as i wasn't hungry... but then when i got to the hospital i was 10cm so thats probably why lol, i felt sick just before i started pushing but i'm glad i ate. i didn't have time to even open my hospital bag, but i packed cereal bars, milkybuttons and snacky things lol
> 
> afterwards i drank the tea they bought round, couldn't stomach the toast, had a nibble but nearly threw up lol
> 
> on the way home i ate my milkybuttons :)

yum il be eating choclate on the way home too! :)


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## youngwife20

Blah11 said:


> I had a fatty chinese when i got home the next day too :rofl:
> 
> If this LO arrives during the day itll def be take out for tea again.

omg tasty that sounds like a good idea ! :)


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## Seity

Nothing. I wasn't in labor that long. I sipped on water during the labor, but of course the hospital provided that.


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## clarsair

youngwife20 said:


> Blah11 said:
> 
> 
> I had a fatty chinese when i got home the next day too :rofl:
> 
> If this LO arrives during the day itll def be take out for tea again.
> 
> omg tasty that sounds like a good idea ! :)Click to expand...

You'd think so... I had Chinese after coming home - crispy garlic and chilli chicken - which the midwife later pointed out wasn't the best idea when trying to breastfeed!


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## youngwife20

clarsair said:


> youngwife20 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Blah11 said:
> 
> 
> I had a fatty chinese when i got home the next day too :rofl:
> 
> If this LO arrives during the day itll def be take out for tea again.
> 
> omg tasty that sounds like a good idea ! :)Click to expand...
> 
> You'd think so... I had Chinese after coming home - crispy garlic and chilli chicken - which the midwife later pointed out wasn't the best idea when trying to breastfeed!Click to expand...

im writing this down! i will be breastfeeding so if thats good for breastfeeding then il for sure get a chinese yum!! :) thanks!


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## Blah11

eating whilst BF is a skill we have to learn eventually, why not start on day 1 with a nommy take away?!


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## darsilver1

youngwife20 said:


> That is so cool! im gonna hav gas and air i think! :)

I have a question...dont mean to sound dumb LOL but what is gas and air? what type of medication is in the gas I mean? I have never heard of it over in the US but then again maybe it exists and no one told me about it...is the gas less harmful on the baby?


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## youngwife20

Blah11 said:


> eating whilst BF is a skill we have to learn eventually, why not start on day 1 with a nommy take away?!

:haha: I cant wait to give that a go!


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## youngwife20

darsilver1 said:


> youngwife20 said:
> 
> 
> That is so cool! im gonna hav gas and air i think! :)
> 
> I have a question...dont mean to sound dumb LOL but what is gas and air? what type of medication is in the gas I mean? I have never heard of it over in the US but then again maybe it exists and no one told me about it...is the gas less harmful on the baby?Click to expand...

Its not a dumb question :) I hear its not widely available in alot of hosp in the us. were as in the uk its everywere!

"Entonox, or gas and air, is a colourless and odourless gas made up of half oxygen and half nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, as it is commonly known. It has a calming effect and takes the edge off labour pain, rather than blocking it out completely. 

What are the advantages of gas and air? 

It is flexible and quick-acting. 


It is easy to use. 


It is under your control. 


It doesn't stay in your system. As soon as you stop breathing it in, the gas and air in your system is cleared by your lungs and any side effects will stop too (MIDIRS 2008, Millns and Eagland nd). 


It takes the edge off contractions. 


It's safe for your baby (NCCWCH 2007, Millns and Eagland nd). 


Your baby doesn't require extra monitoring while you're using it. 


If you want to labour in a birth pool or in the bath, you can use it while you're in the water.
What are the disadvantages of gas and air? 

It is only a mild painkiller. 


It may make you feel light-headed or sick (NCCWCH 2007). 


It dries out your mouth if you use it for long periods (Millns and Eagland nd). 


Keeping hold of the mask or mouthpiece may stop you from moving around and getting into a comfortable position (MIDIRS 2008). 


It may take a while to get the timing right so that it's effective at the peak of your contractions "


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## Mrshoffie

Lots of water!


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