Another article on why women should be able to eat and drink during labor.. so that the labor does not outlast her blood sugar...
This was written in response to this article, put out by ACOG-- with the rest of us yelling.... DUH!
We know there are risks of mother's aspirating vomit while under anesthesia, however, NORMAL births are done without anesthesia, and this level of precaution for the 'just in case it's surgery' reason is not only ridiculous, but harmful.
If mother cannoe keep up her blood sugar, not only is she hungry, but baby is hungry. Labor is hard work for both parties, and to deprive a fetus of food while he is making the hardest trip of his life is downright cruel. Babies go into distress when they cannot cope with their environment, and it's not too much of a leap to assume that being exhausted and without nourishment for the hours long marathon of labor could add to a baby ending up 'in distress'.
Give the woman a cheeseburger! Or at least a bowl of fruit! I guarantee this will result in lower incidence of fetal distress, which will mean fewer interventions, fewer instrumental births, and fewer cesarean sections.
