What to Drink in Labour?

I recommend, in late pregnancy, to have a water bottle with you all the time and keep sipping on it. Make this a habit that will naturally continue when labour begins.

A dehydrated uterus will contract more painfully, and less efficiently. Staying well hydrated is a simple thing you can do to make those contractions as manageable and efficient as possible.

When labour begins - if it begins at night - go to the toilet. Make sure you have your water bottle or a big glass beside your bed. Go back to bed and try to sleep or rest as much as you can. Any time a contraction wakes you, breathe through it and then sip your drink.

If it begins during the day, keep your drink with you and sip from it after every contraction. Remember to pee often!

But what to put in it?

It is worth noting that in some hospitals, you might be discouraged from drinking anything other than water. Ultimately, it's your choice - a hospital cannot have a policy that governs your body. You are going to need fuel and fluids one way or another - your body is working very hard.

• Water - this is the obvious choice, but something that can give you energy as well is often better.
• Honeyed water - You might not feel like eating but you will need energy. Even if you have an epidural, and you are lying on a bed - maybe even feeling a bit bored - your body will be working very hard. An easy way to take in energy is to have a sweet drink. Adding honey to water is a good choice, because it's a natural sugar. Natural sugars are absorbed easily and quickly by your body.
• Squash - go for the full sugar option!
• Fruit juice - this is another way of consuming natural sugars. Some will be acidic, though, and this might not be a good option. Go with what you fancy - small sips.
• Sports drinks - like Lucozade, Gatorade. These are well-known for being used by athletes to help them re-hydrate. Not just replenishing fluid, but also electrolytes. The still option is probably better. Gatorade has the added advantage of being a weird colour. Nothing in the body is blue. If you vomit (you are probably going to vomit, sorry) nobody is going to worry that there is blood in it, as they might if you were drinking something orange or purple! You can also get tablets or electrolyte gel sachets - useful to have on hand, and they won't take up much space in your birth bag.
• Red Raspberry Leaf Tea - this is a popular drink for pregnant and birthing women. It is thought to be a uterine tonic. Check with your midwife before drinking it, especially if you have blood pressure issues. I don't personally like the taste, but sweetened with honey and then iced makes it quite appealing.
• Sweet tea or coffee - I remember my mum making tea for the midwives while I laboured, and I felt a bit peeved that nobody offered me one! Without milk is probably better.
• Ice/freeze pops/popsicles
• Coconut water - contains natural electrolytes. This is good for rehydrating your body can manage them better and discard what aren't needed. It's another one that isn't to everyone's taste, so try it while pregnant and see what you think.
• Foods with a high liquid content - like watermelon. This might not be feasible if you aren't eating, so I left it to last.

For your hospital bag: A lidded cup or sports bottle with a straw. Something you can drink from easily in any position without having to move. You may be lying down (on your side, hopefully) or (even better) you might be on all fours, or leaning forward on a chair, bed, or birth ball. Try out some of these positions antenatally. Imagine how tricky it would be to drink from a regular cup!

Important note: Remember to go to the toilet! In active labour, your contractions could be coming 3 in every 10 minutes. If you are sipping after each one, your bladder is going to be full after maybe 45 minutes. Try to pee at least hourly if you can. A full bladder will get in the way when the baby is trying to move down.

Birth Partner Role

Keep her drink topped up.

Be guided by her wishes and needs in the given moment. If she is too hot, offer a cool drink. If she is drinking plain water, but labour has been going on a long time and she's tiring... Or if the midwife mentions there are ketones in the mother's urine... then she might benefit from a sweet drink that will also give her energy.

If she's not reaching for the drink herself after a contraction, hold it out to her.

In active labour, a wordless offer is generally better to avoid activating the wrong part of the brain. The "wrong" part is the neocortex - the modern, human part. It needs to disengage so that the more primitive brain can take over. If she hasn't been drinking, you might need to encourage her a little.

You'll have to pay close attention to when her contractions begin, and when they end. If you disturb her while a contraction is still on-going, this could be irritating and distracting. I say "irritating" and "distracting" - imagine how irritated you've ever been and multiply it by 1,000. This is terrible for the labour process. Remember - you want to avoid engaging the neocortex.

Remind her to go to the toilet every hour or so.

Wise ones: what did you drink during labour? Do you think I missed anything out? What do you think are the best and worst choices?

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Thank you for reading!

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