Can you eat and drink in labor at a homebirth? 

During a homebirth, Midwives do not restrict eating and drinking, in fact we encourage it! Your uterus is mostly made of muscle, muscles need fuel to work. So, if you are trying to have a natural birth, your muscles (uterus) will work better if you feed them. We recommend quick and easy to digest protein and carbohydrates to help feed your body during labor. Hydration is also extremely important and water alone doesn’t always suffice. We recommend adding electrolytes to your water during labor to help keep you hydrated and your muscles supported.
Very little research has been published on nutritional needs during labor, but research in sports nutrition has found that ingesting carbohydrates during exercise improves performance and protects against fatigue and ketosis (Rodriguez et al. 2009). In a news release about research on eating and drinking in labor, one researcher in the field said laboring women’s energy/calorie needs are similar to those of marathon runners!
Evidence on: Eating and Drinking During Labor:
evidencebasedbirth.com/eviden...
Sarah Sorvillo, is a Certified Professional Midwife at Heaven Sent Homebirth, a maternity provider in Des Moines, Iowa, where she provides prenatal care, birth options such as homebirth and waterbirth, postpartum and newborn care. Katherine Ward is a Student Certified Professional Midwife, Doula and Licensed Massage Therapist. These providers also travel to provide homebirth services for the surrounding areas, up to an hour and a half from Des Moines.
At Heaven Sent Homebirth we incorporate our knowledge of herbalism, nutrition and the midwifery model of care to provide natural therapies for women's health issues. Our focus is on the health and wellbeing of women during the childbearing years.
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Des Moines, Iowa 50311
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