I recently had the privilege of attending a hospital birth. It's been a while. The hospital is in a large metropolitan area. The hospital is among the few in Kansas that will support VBAC. The hospital prides itself on presenting risks, benefits and the most current evidence. Imagine my surprise when Mom was told she could not have anything to eat during labor due to the risk of aspirating stomach contents if anesthesia was needed for an emergency c-section. It was all I could do to not scream! This is such an outdated and no longer needed practice! This is not your grandmother's hospital! Anesthesia has come a long way from the days of dripping chloroform onto a cloth across your face and hoping to get the balance right. It begs the questions in my mind of just how bad the anesthesiologists are at this hospital and if they are that bad, why they aren't taking steps to improve things.
The recommendation to not let laboring mothers eat changed eight years ago. In this day and age of instant news, and being able to pull up the most current research and recommendations in a second, why do so many hospitals continue to operate under such outdated guidance?
When mothers are not able to eat during labor, labors can slow down, and laboring women can just plain run out of the energy they need when it is time to push. I've seen mothers in the hospital literally exhaust themselves while in labor and in my opinion, some food would have helped mothers end birth with some energy in reserve. The body is expending enough calories during labor that ketosis is a risk if Mom doesn't eat. Ketosis increases blood acidity for both mother and baby which contributes to labor slowing down. Don't count on any calories from that IV bag either, dextrose solution is not typically used during labor because of associated risks of electrolyte imbalance.
Attending the birth confirmed to me yet again why I am a Certified Professional Midwife serving families who wish to do a home birth. My clients can eat and I insist on it during labor. I am not forced to adhere to protocols that have been changed for years. While it can take up to 17 years before a new recommendation is put into clinical practice, as a home birth midwife I can put the latest recommendations into practice as soon as they come out. I can provide my clients the most current evidence based care and support during pregnancy and birth, one reason why I am happy to serve my clients as a home birth midwife.
The recommendation to not let laboring mothers eat changed eight years ago. In this day and age of instant news, and being able to pull up the most current research and recommendations in a second, why do so many hospitals continue to operate under such outdated guidance?
When mothers are not able to eat during labor, labors can slow down, and laboring women can just plain run out of the energy they need when it is time to push. I've seen mothers in the hospital literally exhaust themselves while in labor and in my opinion, some food would have helped mothers end birth with some energy in reserve. The body is expending enough calories during labor that ketosis is a risk if Mom doesn't eat. Ketosis increases blood acidity for both mother and baby which contributes to labor slowing down. Don't count on any calories from that IV bag either, dextrose solution is not typically used during labor because of associated risks of electrolyte imbalance.
Attending the birth confirmed to me yet again why I am a Certified Professional Midwife serving families who wish to do a home birth. My clients can eat and I insist on it during labor. I am not forced to adhere to protocols that have been changed for years. While it can take up to 17 years before a new recommendation is put into clinical practice, as a home birth midwife I can put the latest recommendations into practice as soon as they come out. I can provide my clients the most current evidence based care and support during pregnancy and birth, one reason why I am happy to serve my clients as a home birth midwife.
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