healthy snacks for labour bag

[PsychedAboutMike]

So on the list that the hospital gave me for my birthing bag it has "energy drinks(caffeine free), low fat hi carb goodies" and "healthy snacks" for my partner.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can buy? Theres a suggestion here of sandwiches and fruit..but they are not the kind of things I can put in my bag now incase I need to go in a hurry.
I was thinking like muslie bars, dried fruit and nuts..although thats not to appealing!

What sorts of 'goodies' have other people packed?

[Me]

All i ate in my 21hr labour was honey flavored tiny teddy's. Was the only thing I could stomach and gave me a quick energy boost.

[FearlessLeader]

whatever he likes, why does he have to be 'healthy'? :p my DP had a gatorade, packet of salt 'n' vinegar chips, packet of BBQ shapes, and a big bunch of grapes. they were meant to be for me but he ate most of them :shame:

[Boobycino]

Can I recommend (if you don't already) juice box, like apple juice, because being able to open your mouth and say 'juice' and have someone just hold the straw to your mouth rather than you have to sit up and hold a cup is a MAJOR plus.

And don't forget a chapstick. All that mouth breathing and panting through contractions dries and cracks lips up terribly (wish id known!)

You may find your not very hungry, but dried fruit and nuts sounds good. :)

Also maybe put in some snacks for your support person, because the hospital will feed you, but not your partner (or mine didn't) so put in some extra snacks and maybe a caffeine energy drink ;)

[davally]

I ate early in my (induced) labor some sandwiches and soup (from the hospital lunch tray) but after that the thought of food was repulsive. Even with GD and becoming hypo I struggled to take in the apple juice. So I wouldn't worry too much, if you need food the hospital will help you.

For my DH I packed cuppa soup, muesli bars, lollies and cashews and he opened the lollies, had a few and then we polished the rest off after birth.
Good luck with it all.

[PsychedAboutMike]

great ideas guys! im adding them to my shopping list as we speak!

[Mollymoo]

I only drank water - wasn't interested in food, but I was only at the hospy about 6 hours before bubs was born. I did pack 'trail mix' (fruit and nuts), BBQ shapes and juice for my husband, and the midwives kept offering to get him a tray of food, but he didn't want to miss out on anything, so he just grabbed a bottle of water from a vending machine. We shared a rather enormous breakfast after bubs arrived.

[duckduckgoose]

We've got some "Up & Go" drinks (wanted Sustagens but couldn't find them), some rice crackers, cruskits and rice cakes (to have with peanut butter or vegemite or something), some lollies, dried fruit and nuts and maybe a banana or two. Nothing is packed in the bag yet - I figure it's unlikely we'll be in such a hurry that we don't have time to grab them on the way out.

The hospital will provide juice, lemonade, etc. They're apparently not real keen on eating during labour - I don't care, I've read about how beneficial eating can be and I will eat a little bit if I feel like it!! DH gets very grumpy if he gets hungry so it's very important that he have snacks too!

I really want to get some instant Miso Soup but couldn't find any at the supermarket - and can't face a trip to the Asian grocers at the moment.

[tinynosetinytoes]

I had water (the birthing centre had it, but I also brought my own), lots of ice chips (good to crunch on in contractions) and raspberry icepoles :)

Not exactly healthy snacks, but the sugar gave me energy!

ETA - oh and when my contractions started, I made myself a bowl of porridge! I think that gave me a ton of energy aswell

[Hera]

Healthy snacks for your partner? Lol. It's great they are being proactive about health, but surely he can eat whatever he wants. My OH would have been lost without his giant bag of lollies :laughing:

We had intentions to make sandwiches during the early stages of labour, but that flew out the window because I didn't have an early stage (went straight from saying "I'm in labour" to extremely intense, frequent contractions). So in the end we just threw a few muesli bars, some biscuits and some dried fruit into the bag on the way out the door, and OH's lollies of course :D

[krystallxx]

I didn't have a bag packed and has an elective c/s which I ended up going into labour spontaneously .. Dp got to the hospital with a crownie on the go and one for the wait whilst drs and nurses did their thing :| very classy lol. He managed to stay away for the following 12hrs lol.
I would go to the museli bar section and just get a few different preferred snacks.

[Just*Ace]

During my labour I was starving but was only allowed to have boiled lollies coz the midwife said if I didn't have an epidural I wouldn't have been hungry....weird!
But I did have food packed coz I assumed I would have been allowed to eat so I had: muesli bars, dried apricots, shapes, red frogs, cruskits with peanut butter and poppers to drink

[shadowangel0205]

Im taking 2 support people (mum and DF) We have an hours car trip BEFORE the hospital wait.

Ive got a large bottle of water, and 2 different flavoured 1L Just Juices packed...

2 bags of chips, a large packet of lollies and im going to get some musli bars, le-snacks, rice crackers and also make up some trail mix. I figure anything we dont use, we can snack on during my stay :) Also my DF loves to nibble on snack foods as opposed to eat a meal, so it'll suit him perfectly!

[Jamaica]

I would talk to your dr as you want to make sure, if an emergency Csection, is needed that anything you have eaten wouldnt cause an issue.

I personally cant fathom how anyone could contemplate food during labour, it was so intense I couldnt think of anything. But a guess other people dont feel like this.

[Bon4]

I never felt much like eating during labour, epidural or not. But I agree that having snacks and juice is a good idea. Labour is very physically demanding and some juice or even lolly snakes are great for a glucose hit. Not eating during labour because you *might* have an emergency c/section is not a good idea. Surgery can still be safely performed when a person has food in their stomach, surgeons do it all the time.

[duckduckgoose]

I never felt much like eating during labour, epidural or not. But I agree that having snacks and juice is a good idea. Labour is very physically demanding and some juice or even lolly snakes are great for a glucose hit. Not eating during labour because you *might* have an emergency c/section is not a good idea. Surgery can still be safely performed when a person has food in their stomach, surgeons do it all the time.

Yes and the evidence shows that people who eat during labour generally have shorter labours as well. It makes sense that you'll need some sustenance to keep going as it's so intense on your body!

[PsychedAboutMike]

Thanks everyone for your ideas! I went out shopping today and got a whole heap of stuff, up and gos, juice boxes, little packs of sultanas, vita weat biscuts, tiny teddies and little tubs of diced fruit. As well as small cartons of uht milk and I'll get dh a little pack of cereal..in case im in labour round brekky time. Its a lotta stuff, but i dont know what i'll feel like so i'll pack a little bit of everything and hope for the best! Hopefully i'll have some time to make a couple of sandwiches before we leave as well!

Thanks again for all the suggestions!

[goldencrumble]

In my ante natal classes, we were advised not to drink anything that wasn't a clear liquid (i.e - you could see through).

I cant remember what they said about eating.

[Leisa21]

Healthy :laughing: DH packed coke, red bull, lollies and mars bars lol. He was ready for a big long event but I had DD in 2 hours so we didn't even open the labour bag!

I would be packing quick energy foods, something like a mars bar to give him a quick energy boost and is quick to eat.

[Leisa21]

As for you I'd be getting some barley sugar lollies for a boost. You'll be lucky of you feel like eating during labour. All you'll probably want is water and ice!

[Hera]

I personally cant fathom how anyone could contemplate food during labour, it was so intense I couldnt think of anything. But a guess other people dont feel like this.

Me either. I packed snacks but food was the absolute last thing on my mind during labour. I had to be reminded to stay hydrated too, I was just so focused on birthing.

[babycart]

Hi

Like many others, I didn't eat during labour.

The toast DH made me eat for brekky came back up about 2hrs later, and the Gatorade I tried to drink in the afternoon just turned the :barf: pink (sorry, don't mean to scare anyone - just letting you know, as I was completely unprepared for the vomitting in labour part).

I was admitted to hospy just before lunch, so the midwives gave "us" the lunch menu, expalined that my lunch was covered, but DH's wasn't, and then they suggested that DH order "my" lunch :rolleyes: Of all things he chose Smoky BBQ chicken :barf::barf:( he was kicked outside to eat that :yes: )

Whatever you take, you'll be able to snack on it while you are in hospital. Although, from memory, I got so much hospital food I hardly had to go to my stash.

Good luck

AC

[xxkristyxx]

Orange juice was all that I felt like having.. U need to keep hydrated so any liquids are good :) I didn't feel like eating and what I did eat I threw up!