Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night bugged by something, and my thoughts swirl all around and make it hard to fall back asleep. Writing down the thoughts can help, and granted, publishing such thoughts isn't necessary, but I figured in this case it might be helpful to others. So here are my insomniac-producing musings:
I ate--a lot--while in labor with that Lo. I think without food, my body would have never had the strength to press on through the two+ days active labor spanned. Yes, I vomited during transition. But I wasn't worried about it at the time, since I had read that experts don't really know why women sometimes vomit in labor and it happens with equal frequency for women who eat in labor and those who do not eat in labor. Vomiting at transition is suspected by some to be a way of preparing the diaphragm for the pushing phase. I recalled that factoid at the time I threw up and actually felt thrilled to be throwing up. I did not throw up due to pain, btw, because I certainly would not describe transition as painful. It was intense rushing, swirling, shuddering feelings all over in my blood stream, kind of like every cell had a mind of its own all of a sudden. A good loopy feeling, now that I think about it. Closest thing this happy Mormon girl will ever feel to being high? =) But I digress.
Back to the food issue. My friend Chelsea is being induced in a matter of hours. Not sure if she'll read this blog entry before then. But at any rate, I'm not writing for her, just mentioning her since her situation is relevant to my insomnia thoughts. She seems like the kind of person who would just let the doctors and nurses do their thing anyway, regardless of anything I put on this blog.
I learned yesterday afternoon that Chelsea is looking forward to having that dreaded intrapartum diet of nothing but ice chips. I truly believe it might take a decade or two to see change, but eventually that policy will be viewed as laughably archaic by the whole world. For a few years now already, the official stance in the United States has been to let laboring women at least have clear liquids like chicken broth, fruit juice, etc. And in other countries the position is more and more to allow laboring women to have simple foods like yogurt, bread, and so forth. Most interesting to me was this article I just came across that discusses the psychological effects of women eating while in labor.
Remembering my own experience, I totally agree that food boosted my mood a lot during a basically wonderful birth that nonetheless had some difficult moments. For example, one of my fondest memories of Lo's birth is being dilated to 8 cm. while lounging in a hot tub, licking ice cream, and surrounded by beaming nurses, my doula, and husband who I think were all also eating ice cream. And somewhere in the background was a scowling midwife, but we won't dwell on her for now. lol. I recall this as such a regal moment--and the vanilla ice cream was an important part of why I felt so celebratory. Then, later in the birth I used food to bring comfort. I ordered beef stew from the hospital cafeteria, and though it tasted nasty and bland per hospital food standards, just the thought of getting to eat it conjured a psychological warmth that combated the emotional struggle I'd been having with my midwife. Lastly, during the pushing phase, when I felt a bit sad at how the midwife had rather rudely taken the reins and had me pushing in the lithotomy position, I used my food choices to once again restore some emotional health. I told Jerry "I want cranberry juice now," and then, a few minutes later asked him to switch to water, and kept alternating between the two beverages thereby retaining some element of my own autonomy.
To sum it up, I am a big fan of evidence-based health care. Hospitals and doctors evidently have some delay in implementing the most updated policies. And that is unfortunate. Because laboring women and their babies benefit from having more options.
7 comments:
I always eat a big meal on the way to the hospital...not huge but I also stuff crackers and things in my bag because I know the nurses will only give me ice chips and popsicle. I threw up once per child during transition pretty sure no matter what I would throw up at that point anyways and like you afterward I smiled and said sweet it's almost time.
I think the whole Ice chips thing from a medical stand point is in case you have to go in for an emergency c-section. If you throw up on the operating table you could choke on it if you don't spit it out quick enough. But I do agree for those of us who don't have c-sections at the time it does sound pretty harsh not to be able to eat!!
You are right Anna, that emergency C-sec. excuse for ice chips is the reason most often cited for NPO policy. However, the policy is outdated. There have been changes in types of anesthesia over the years, and currently there is not a risk of choking with the localized anesthesia used for emergency C-sections. (docs used to widely use general anesthesia for C-sections which would have made a mother's face covered up by a mask, so nobody would have noticed if she had vomited/started choking...but only about 3% of emerg. C sec. are done with general anesthesia nowadays, if I recall that stat correctly...and I should think the hospital would be able to tell which their anesthesiologists prefer and then do NPO policy accordingly).
I see your point and I recall my main complaint during labor being that I was hungry and the first thing I wanted after giving birth was to eat--not hold the baby! The second time around, however, I did need a C-section and risk of choking or not, I think if I had vomited, that would have sent me over the top because the stress of the birth was crazy enough. Anyway, I have mixed feelings on this... I think doctors are doing their best and I respect them but I do think I should have been able to eat more during labor, even if all I wanted was more apple juice.
The no food is as someone else commented, in case you have to go into an emergency c-secition. HOWEVER- I was told to eat before going to the hospital to be induced, had it in my birth plan that I could have any clear fluids and even certain foods, and was allowed to. Went into an emergency c-section and was fine. I actually believe they say it is in case you have to be put under general anestetics (knocked out completely)during the c-section. It is actually the anestesia side that asks for the ban (at least that is what was taught in my birthing class). I wonder if it is due to the high rates of law suits brought upon the medical field in this country that they tend to always error so far on the side of caution.
Becca, take a look at the link I posted on the part about "official stance in the United States." It will take you to American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force report. So it is actually the ANESTHESIOLOGISTS suggesting to the OB's to let women eat!! The OB's are the ones being slow to respond for some reason. I agree with you though Cami that I do have respect for their training and believe the majority of them have good intentions. Sometimes I just don't understand why their policies seem unhelpful to the typical laboring woman.
I just wanted to clarify that I'm not anti-medical establishment, but I do see doctors as mere humans. Some are better than others. So it is important for women to search out the doctors who are committed to implementing the most current research/policies/etc. When I see docs do things that obviously are not in the best interests of the patient, I just have to ask why?
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