# Why ice chips?



## musiclady (Jul 25, 2008)

So what is it with only ice chips during labor? I've been reading various birth plans, and several have a spot for eating/drinking as you wish... I don't understand what the deal is.

I have a dr visit tomorrow, and I would like to talk with her about the whole labor aspect. Just need to know what to ask, etc.

FIRST-TIME pusher and a little nervous about all that.


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## rivkah (Oct 9, 2008)

I think that in a hospital, they are always preparing for worst case scenario, which includes general anesthesia. Therefore, they limit food intake, just as they would anytime a person was going to "go under" (to prevent vomiting and choking while unconscious).

My M/W was very big on eating during labor, because she felt that women need energy. However, I was never able to. In fact with dd I threw up twice. Even swallowing water was hard. However, you really do need to keep hydrated, and having ice chips melt in your mouth, is much easier than swallowing gulps of water.


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## User101 (Mar 3, 2002)

Moving to Birth and Beyond, since this is a question all mamas on our boards can answer and not specific to your DDC


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## Rivka5 (Jul 13, 2005)

As rivkah said, the logic of hospitals denying food and water to laboring women is that you might need an emergency C-section, and they might need to do it by general anesthesia, and while you were under anesthesia you might vomit and aspirate (breathe in) your vomit. That's a lot of "mights."

The majority of C-sections are not so much of an emergency that there isn't time to do epidural or spinal anesthesia. And even if you do need general anesthesia, aspiration problems are very rare:

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=1366626

Here's a longer article explaining the problems and challenges with general anesthesia during C-section:

http://www.cja-jca.org/cgi/content/full/51/suppl_1/R5

...So that's what they're thinking when they tell you "only ice chips."

Some women really find it helpful to eat during labor to keep up their strength. Others can't tolerate food very well in labor. You don't know which kind of person you are until you're actually in the situation. I drank chicken broth and ginger ale early in labor, but found that later on I was too nauseated to do anything more than sip water.


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## Veritaserum (Apr 24, 2004)

If your labor lasts longer than, oh, two hours you're probably going to want/need some food.







I know I feel terrible if I go too long without eating during my pregnancy. Birth requires fuel/energy. Humans ingest fuel via eating. When a woman doesn't eat there's the possibility that she will feel hungry, cranky, tired, lightheaded, etc. and her labor could even slow down or stop.

Basically, there are no benefits to denying a woman food/drink and there are risks. If a woman doesn't feel like eating and she satisfied with how things are going, it may be that her body doesn't need food. I didn't feel like eating during one of my births (the only birth where I threw up). I did, however, drink water.


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## Devaskyla (Oct 5, 2003)

I thought this post was interesting/informative & says basically what I was going to...although a lot more wordy.







http://birthrhythms.blogspot.com/200...ing-labor.html

Nothing by mouth is completely non-evidence based, utterly ridiculous & causes more problems than it supposedly solves.


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## layla983 (Oct 8, 2007)

Ice chips...ugh...the most annoying thing ever. Sorry, I know it's just water, but it's just so gross to me to try to have someone feed me old, helf melted ice.

My last pregnancy, at 39 weeks, my doctor sent me to the hospital because I had a case of white coat BP & he said I'd need induced because I had pre-e if after a night of being monitered showed a constant high BP. I asked him, "Will I be able to eat? Because I've not eat all day & if not, I want to eat before going." I was told I'd be allowed to eat anytime that day plus in the morning, even if I needed an induction.

An hour later at the hospital I'm hooked to everything & I finally mention that my husband was going to get me food, when I was scolded & told I wasn't allowed to eat because I might get induced. So I went the entire day & night without food, with the promise of being able to eat in the AM, induction or not. Well, in the morning the girl came in to start my pit (please note, my BP was totally perfect the entire time but they just assumed since I was already there I'd go through the with induction) & I mentioned food, to which she told me no & she had the nerve to scold me that I should have ate the day before. When I told her I wasn't allowed, I was asked why I didn't eat before checking in, to which I responded, "My doctor said I'd be able to eat anytime last night & again this morning, only the nurses & hospital have said differently." Then I brought up how I didn't need induced obviously anyway, she went to told the doctor how "the lady down the hall is going to refuse her induction" which I never agreed to anyway, & soon after I was sent packing. Anytime I mentioned food though, I was offered plenty of ice chips. Because, yes, not eating ALL DAY will be erased by ice chips.

When I finally delivered at 41 weeks, I was in labor for 24 hours & by the time I was "allowed" to eat or drink anything but ice chips (for whatever reason, I was withheld food again for so many hours after I delivered as well), I was physically ill & couldn't eat without feeling sick because it'd been so long since I had anything. I understand why some women don't feel up to eating, being nauseated & such, but for those of us who aren't, I don't reccomend the whole sticking with ice chips thing.


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## lirpasirhc (Oct 26, 2007)

i could not have made it through labor w/o eating and drinking. i ate apple and pear slices and turkey w/ mushrooms and rice. however, i got really hot while i was pushing and only wanted to eat ice chips and some recharge (healthier gatoraide)- the crunch of the ice was so satisfying to me.


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## ScrappinMom (Nov 25, 2008)

When I laboured with my first DD, I didn't know anything at all about childbirth. I listened when they told me not to eat. I ended up with a C-section because I was so exhausted from labour and not eating. I was determined not to do that again.

For my second DD I was going for a VBAC. I ate anything I wanted. Of course, I had to bring my own food because they won't give you anything. When we walked in with a full size cooler, they knew better than to say anything about it to us. I'm so glad I ate! My labour lasted over 60 hours and there is no way I would have had the strength to go through that without eating! I was able to have a successful VBAC!

This time, I am already planning what I will eat in labour. I'm having a homebirth, so I won't have to argue with anyone, but even if I did, I would still eat!!!


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## MegBoz (Jul 8, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Devaskyla* 
Nothing by mouth is completely non-evidence based, utterly ridiculous & causes more problems than it supposedly solves.









:
Exactly! "Utterly ridiculous" sums up this antiquated, absurd policy perfectly!! I'm still appalled that it's common practice at Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital... one of the best hospitals in the nation!! (According to US News & World Report.) I think the "best hospital" is the place you want to be when you're really sick. & When you're going to birth a baby you're not sick - you have a job to do!

Anyway, please, please read "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" by Henci Goer. It gives you *facts* on medical procedures in birth- all based on medical research published in medical journals. It is the data you need to avoid being a victim to ridiculous, damaging policies. (After I read it, I switched out of the practice that would have had me deliver at Johns Hopkins!)


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## TzippityDoulah (Jun 29, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rivkah* 
I think that in a hospital, they are always preparing for worst case scenario, which includes general anesthesia. Therefore, they limit food intake, just as they would anytime a person was going to "go under" (to prevent vomiting and choking while unconscious).

My M/W was very big on eating during labor, because she felt that women need energy. However, I was never able to. In fact with dd I threw up twice. Even swallowing water was hard. However, you really do need to keep hydrated, and having ice chips melt in your mouth, is much easier than swallowing gulps of water.


yeah... what she said.

it's completely pointless. to make everyone pay a penalty for something that happens to so few people it's crazy.


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## MangoMommy (Oct 20, 2008)

I walked into L&D w/my Big Mac and fries, LOL. (hey--pregnancy cravings LOL!) I knew it was going to be awhile. I sat and ate it while they hooked up stuff. They scolded me but oh well. I was going to eat if I was going to be there awhile.

Luckily, I had my DD 3 hrs later, LOL. I did eat after her birth too, LOL.


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## grniys (Aug 22, 2006)

It's the whole puking thing. Plus, from what my doula told me last time, some women throw up in labor and I think the hospital would rather not clean up the mess.









Honestly, I had no desire to eat during labor. I was starving (33 hour labor) and forced myself to eat a bit, but food just was not appetizing to me at that time. I think I managed to choke down a few strawberries.


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## Jannah6 (Aug 29, 2007)

I remember during my second delivery, I was sooo hungry I asked my DH for a little piece of what he was eating. When the anesthesiologist interviewed me and asked if I had eaten anything, he nearly blew a fuse, saying"If you need a c-section and you aspirate........".









The only thing worse than not eating during labor is when your scheduled for a c-section, not being able to eat past 12a.m. Then after the c-section not being able to eat and only given liquids







:


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## MegBoz (Jul 8, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *grniys* 
It's the whole puking thing. Plus, from what my doula told me last time, some women throw up in labor and I think the hospital would rather not clean up the mess.









well... hospital staff is going to have to clean up a lot of messes during birth anyway.







So I don't think that's it.

Aesthiologists have a policy against it.

My favorite part of the irony of the whole thing... aspiration (choking on your own vomit) was more an issue when the face masks were black insetad of clear plastic... and they've been clear plastic since about the 1940's!!!!!!!! (or something like that... a long time!)

ETA - this, along with continuous EFM for all births, are, IMO the single 2 biggest red-flags against "mother-friendly" care. Hospitals can try to excuse away a high C/S rate claiming they're a "high risk facility", but those 2 things are dumb & anti-evidence! It pisses me off that ANY hospitals are still doing these idiotic things, let alone the world-class Johns Hopkins!







:


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## rixafreeze (Apr 30, 2006)

You know what--I wouldn't even bother discussing this with your OB. First off, he's likely not to be present during labor and for much of pushing, unless some grave problem arises. So he's not going to be the one watching you eat and drink. Second, with eating and drinking in labor, my mantra is: DON'T ASK, JUST DO. Just bring lots of yummy snacks and drinks and eat them when you please. If the nurse is annoying about it, ignore her, ask her to leave you alone, and/or request a new nurse. It's just one of those things that you just decide you're going to do and don't accept nonsense from anybody. Some women simply choose to eat and drink when their nurse isn't in the room if they want to avoid the hassle (or bring it into the bathroom with you and close the door!)


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## rixafreeze (Apr 30, 2006)

Oops, saw your doctor was a "she" not a "he"!


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## angelpie545 (Feb 23, 2005)

If everything is normal and there are no complications, I'd eat no matter what they said.







I'd have my husband sneak me food if it came to that. I'm one of those people who cannot function *at all* without at least some food. With that said, I wasn't that hungry while I was in labor either time (with my first I munched on watermelon and EmergenC but was nauseated, with my second labor was short and I was back at home before I got hungry again).


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## mytwogirls (Jan 3, 2008)

My Ob told me labor was just that...labor...and you need to be well hydrated and well nourished. He encouraged eating light (soups, bread, crackers....) and any type of drink I wanted. The nurses offered me ice chips







and I said "Why would I want those when I could have hot chocolate and chicken noodle soup







: (However, that soup and chocolate came up when I hit transition so beware) I think it depends on your Ob because I have worked with Obs who won't let women have anything but ice chips.


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## *MamaJen* (Apr 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MegBoz* 

ETA - this, along with continuous EFM for all births, are, IMO the single 2 biggest red-flags against "mother-friendly" care. Hospitals can try to excuse away a high C/S rate claiming they're a "high risk facility", but those 2 things are dumb & anti-evidence! It pisses me off that ANY hospitals are still doing these idiotic things, let alone the world-class Johns Hopkins!







:

Very true.


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## odenata (Feb 1, 2005)

Both hospitals I looked at for this birth encouraged whatever food and drink you want during labor, and have snack rooms available. FWIW, I didn't want to eat at all when I was in labor with my first, but I did drink watered-down Gatorade to stay hydrated.

I agree with the others that this is an antiquated rule at best.


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## Bluebird9 (Aug 5, 2008)

Ugh.. This poses a dilemma for me, I'm one of those people who does really poorly if I go more than a few hours without eating. On the other hand, and this may be TMI, when I vomit it's usually a really painful racking experience, something i'd rather avoid doing on top of labor pains. I haven't even asked my OB yet what their policy is.


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## applejuice (Oct 8, 2002)

Regarding ice chips; I never understood why hospitals do this.

I am aware that survivalists say that eating snow if you are lost in very cold weather is not a good idea since you will die of thirst and starvation if you rely on eating snow. Sucking on ice chips when your body is working hard I would guess is not such a great idea either for long term benefit for both mother and baby hydration.

I suggest that you bring E-mergen-Cee to the hospital. It has potassium and other electrolytes that your body will need to complete its work to deliver your little one.


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## Lazy Gardens (Dec 11, 2008)

Aspiration pneumonia is very real. It's the inflammation that happens when you have foreign matter in your lungs - vomit or reflux or inhaled potato chip dust (whatever). It can also turn into a lung abcess. Please forgive hospitals for wanting to prevent it whenever possible.

Unless you are emaciated, you have enough energy stored as body fat for several deliveries. Eating won't prevent muscle exhaustion, or exhaustion from staying awake.

As several people mentioned, they were snacking early in labor and threw up when transition started. For sheer invasiveness, having to have your vomit suctioned out of your bronchial tubes to minimize the severity of the aspiration pneumonia is probably more invasive than a vaginal exam. It usually leaves you with a very sore throat and a hoarse voice for a week or two.


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## MegBoz (Jul 8, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lazy Gardens* 
Aspiration pneumonia is very real. ... Please forgive hospitals for wanting to prevent it whenever possible.

... having to have your vomit suctioned out of your bronchial tubes to minimize the severity of the aspiration pneumonia

I've vomited plenty of times in my life - from sickness, a few times from the stupidity of drinking too much alcohol, and once (but just once!) from "morning sickness" in early pregnancy. NEVER have I aspirated. I've never even HEARD of anyone inhaling particles from vomiting *when conscious.* (yes, if you're passed-out-drunk & unconscious, or knocked-out under general anaesthia & vomit, then it can be a big problem.)

I know the book "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" seemed to summarize a myriad of medical literature that proved, indisputably, that NPO was not evidence-based. Unfortunately, I can't refer directly to the book at the moment, as I've lent my copy to my sister.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lazy Gardens* 
Unless you are emaciated, you have enough energy stored as body fat for several deliveries. Eating won't prevent muscle exhaustion, or exhaustion from staying awake.

I vehemently disagree. First, my blood sugar drops a bit if I don't eat for several hours - particularly if I'm not careful to eat very low GI (glycemic index) meals. This was an even greater problem during pregnancy. The fetus can't use anything but glucose for fuel - so it goes to baby first! Yes, you are correct that technically Mom _can_ get energy from her body... but that would require, I believe it's called glycogenesis... the body MAKING glucose by breaking down proteins in muscles & stored fat. This is not the most effecient way to get glucose for energy. and... Moms body should be focused on other things during labor!

Yes, technically _any_ athlete "has enough energy stored" for an athletic event. A sprinter could run their races at the olympics without eating for 24 hours as well. But is that really the _ideal_ thing to do? Will that athlete preform their best with those restrictions & depravations?

ETA: If anyone has ever FELT what true "glycogen depletion" feels like, it's extremely draining. Anaerobic exercise (super high-intensity) can only use glucose for fuel. If you do a lot of it, you deplete the glycogen stored in your muscles. When I was training with a coach to learn the olympic lifts ("clean & jerk" & "snatch") I really felt it once after a 2 hour training session in the heat of a Baltimore July. It sucks the life out of you! It's a lousy feeling. Yes, you COULD physically go on if you need, but it is rough!

(Putting on my certified personal trainer hat here) It's proven that a high GI snack post-workout is ideal for helping athletes replenish depleted glycogen stores. It helps the athlete & the muscles recover form the work. Deprivation of food, overall, isn't good for a body & for the individual. If the risk of aspiration were a REAL, legitimate THREAT, than that is a different story....

And how many of us did NOT vomit during transition? I actually was very close to vomitting in the middle of my labor (but did not.) I ate after that - as I was nearly in transition (I didn't want to eat, but forced myself to do so because I KNEW I needed it.) I never vomitted.

But I think the most important data point is - *of those who DID vomit, how often does aspiration occur?* Again, I've never even heard of it happening. As a matter of fact, I believe "Thinking Woman's Guide" said that *even with use of general anasthesia* aspiration has never occured in the past several decades except as a direct result of a serious error on the part of the doc. (Although I could be remembering that wrong.)


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## RachaelsMommy (Jul 1, 2008)

If I'm going to vomit, I'm gonna vomit whether there is food in my stomach or not. I'm gonna throw up the water from those ice chips, and when that's gone I throw up bile.

I'm so glad I'm planning a homebirth, I'm sick of dealing with stupid rules.


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## bella99 (Sep 25, 2008)

I would have been ableto eat at the birth center where my daughter was born, but after vomiting the first time, I didnt want to eat anymore. I did drink water and juice all the way up to transition though.

Through transition and while pushing I couldn't even manage ice chips. I'd suck on them and then need to spit them out during contractions and since my contractions were often one on top of the other, well...

So I sucked on an ice cold wash cloth, which did the trick.

And not that it's the way I would have preferred, but vomiting 3 times during labor also increased and sped up dilation for me.


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## JennTheMomma (Jun 19, 2008)

I think you should discuss it with your Doctor. Some Obs don't mind if you eat, some do. Won't know unless you ask. My Ob encouraged eating light. I had yogurt, crackers, toast, etc. I ate for more than half my labor, but after awhile didn't want anything, not even ice chips or water. I vomited after he was born. Then had surgery a few hours later because of a blood clot. The Surgeon told me it was good that I didn't eat after a certain point.


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## mmaramba (May 17, 2005)

Um... Labor is a marathon, not a sprint. If you've ever run a marathon (I've run a few), you'd see bananas, bagels, energy gels, etc. offered every few miles. For a reason.


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## applejuice (Oct 8, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mmaramba* 
Um... Labor is a marathon, not a sprint. If you've ever run a marathon (I've run a few), you'd see bananas, bagels, energy gels, etc. offered every few miles. For a reason.

I totally agree.

This is the attitude I had toward each of my four labors, and that attitude got me through each time.


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