Evidence on Eating and Drinking During Labor

We know that women often complain of not being “allowed” to eat and drink during labor in a hospital. 

So, what’s the reasoning for this? 

Each woman in labor is assumed to be at risk of aspiration because they may end up needing a Cesarean under general anesthesia. However, aspiration death is extremely rare in the overall birthing population. This is because so few cesareans require general anesthesia, and when they do, failed airway management deaths are extremely rare. 

These policies (that are all a bit different depending on your hospital) started in the 1940’s, when anesthesia was much less safe, and aspiration was more common than it is today due to crude and unsafe practices. 

What are the risks of aspiration now?

In 2015 several researchers found only one case of aspiration in a laboring person in the US between 2005 and 2013. It was concluded that fasting is not necessary in low risk laboring people. This is including the fact that our cesarean rate has risen high to 32%.  

In the United Kingdom, they updated clinical guidelines to recommend that food and drink be offered to people in labor- and between 2000 and 2008 they had one woman die from aspiration out of more than six million births. This is relevant for those who may argue our aspiration rate in the U.S. has gone down because of the eating and drinking guidelines.

Here are a few organizations that publicly recommend low risk birthing people eat or drink as they desire during labor based on recent studies: 

-The World Health Organization

-The American College of Nurse-Midwives

-NICE Clinical Guidance for the United Kingdom

-The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DECIDE IF YOU WILL EAT OR DRINK DURING LABOR. Even if you are in a hospital. Even if you have an epidural. Even if you are high risk! 

Eating and drinking during labor will likely give you the energy your body needs! I believe that if you feel hungry or thirsty in labor- that is your body telling you that it needs more energy. 

I know women who were miserably hungry throughout long labors and didn’t eat because they did not understand what the risks were. (this was me in my first birth)

I also know it is common for women not to feel like eating after active labor begins- and I encourage them to listen to their body. My advice is to listen to your hunger cues- and if you feel labor is beginning or may be soon to eat a substantial nutritious meal. 

*Sources available upon request