Literal thousands of comments on my birth video mentioning how lucky i was to be able to eat during birth! I am here to tell you, you can too! You have to advocate for yourself and weigh the risks in your situation. WHY the eating ban in the first place? It was based on the long-held theory that food or acid in the digestive tract might be aspirated if you need emergency anesthesia. But not only are you unlikely to need such anesthesia, which is no longer used for Cesareans, studies have also shown the aspiration rate to be minuscule. While i did eat, i tried to keep my snacks or meals “lighter” to avoid nausea and also be lighter if i did have to throw it back up. I focused on more dense and nutritious food during early labor: - chicken salald - tomato soup - berries - avocado toast - hummus and crackers - boiled eggs - cashew yogurt and as labor progressed i chose more plain and light options: - watermelon - apples and almond butter - multi grain crackers - applesauce Highly recommend coconut water for electrolytes and hydration as well. #laboranddelivery #labortips #birthtips #secondbaby #ivfwarrior #ivfmama #37weekspregnant #38weekspregnant #39weekspregnant #40weekspregnant #duedate #doulasupport #laboranddeliverynurse