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Labor is defined as the process from regular contractions to delivery of the fetus and placenta, and Williams obstetrics describes this process in terms of labor, which usually takes 10-20 hours, or even longer. Another more common meaning of labor is labor, so it can be seen that giving birth to a child is manual work, and it takes a lot of energy for the mother to complete the whole labor. According to research, having a baby is equivalent to running a marathon, and it's a "full marathon", so it's important to replenish energy! Entering the delivery room, many pregnant mothers are nervous! After all, the long labor process (usually 10-20 hours, or even longer) begins, so what is the best food to eat for different stages of labor? How to manage your diet and preserve your strength during labor?
01 The first stage of labor: recuperate and replenish energy
The first stage of labor takes 11 to 12 hours, which can be described as a "protracted battle to open the door", and this stage is also the best period to replenish physical energy! At the beginning of the contractions, the pregnant mother will inevitably feel a little nervous, uncomfortable, or reluctant to eat, and even nausea, vomiting and other conditions. Don't be nervous, you need to have confidence and patience to give birth, I believe that every contraction makes the pregnant mother one step closer to seeing the baby, don't let the diet, rest, sleep affect and consume physical energy.
Dietary Essentials:
Pregnant women should try to eat normally as much as possible;
choose to eat between contractions;
You can consume some light and nutritious semi-liquid diets, such as porridge, hot noodle soup, small wontons, bread, etc., and you can also eat some fruits;
Adopt a varied diet to improve food quality and appetite;
Pregnant mothers with gestational diabetes can eat multigrain porridge, whole wheat bread, buckwheat noodles, cornmeal, macaroni, lean broth, and also prepare some sugar-free oatmeal to prevent hunger;
The abundance of sugar, protein and vitamins can effectively build a solid body energy mechanism for expectant mothers, replenish physical energy, and prepare for the second stage of labor.
Don't eat fried eggs, greasy foods, and foods high in sugar, such as chocolate, Red Bull, etc., which can easily cause nausea and vomiting.
Be sure to remember to replenish water, you can drink some electrolyte drinks in small amounts and many times to refresh and replenish energy, and replenish about 200ml of water per hour when entering labor.
If you vomit and can't eat, the pregnant mother does not need to worry too much, and the medical staff will replenish the pregnant mother's strength through infusion.
02 Second stage of labor: intermittent contractions to replenish physical strength
As we enter the second stage of labour, the frequency and length of uterine contractions peak, and pain strikes faster and more frequently. Severe pain increases the physical consumption of the pregnant mother. At this time, most pregnant mothers are reluctant to eat, but this is a critical moment to test their physical fitness, and they must be "recharged"!
Dietary Essentials:
1. Pregnant mothers generally don't care about chewing food in the exertion stage, sports drinks with a little taste and favorite juices are good choices, and you can also drink some vegetable soup and lotus root powder, which can effectively maintain water and energy. It is best to choose isotonic sports drinks (such as Pocari Water, Gatorade, Scream, etc.) and fruit juices are better than pure water, which can quickly replenish lost water, electrolytes and carbohydrates, and "empower" the uterus.
Tips: Please prepare at least 2 bottles of isotonic sports drinks when entering the delivery room, drink 300ml of sports drinks within the first hour, start from the second hour, and drink 100ml of sports drinks every hour thereafter until the mother successfully delivers the baby.
Pregnant women with gestational diabetes can consume sugar-free functional drinks, millet porridge and corn porridge, replenish water and quickly restore physical strength, and increase strength for childbirth.
Third and fourth stages of labor: Eat a proper diet at the end of labor
Finally meet the baby, high-calorie food is the best choice, can provide sufficient energy for physically exhausted mothers, conducive to recovery.
Dietary Essentials:
1. In the third stage of labor, the mother is generally not forced to eat. However, if the whole labor process is relatively long, you can drink some fruit juice or brown sugar water at this time to avoid dehydration or physical overdraft.
2. After childbirth, you should observe in the delivery room for 2 hours, avoid cold, spicy and greasy food, and eat some foods that are easy to digest and rich in nutrients, such as hot porridge, noodles, wontons, etc., to quickly replenish physical energy and prepare for getting up and urinating in the later stage.
3. Mothers with gestational diabetes, at this time, you should pay attention, don't think that you can eat and drink after giving birth, and you can't relax after giving birth, you should follow the diabetic diet and control your blood sugar, which is very important for the long-term impact!
In short, childbirth is a time-consuming and physically demanding task, and the mother experiences a huge energy consumption both physically and mentally. Therefore, expectant mothers should not be reluctant to eat because of contractions and fatigue, only when the body has enough energy, can they meet their babies faster in good condition!
Department: Department of Obstetrics, West Hospital.
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Article**: Anhui Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital.
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