After years of women pleading with hospitals to allow clear liquids in labor, the anesthesiologists have finally agreed that this is acceptable for most laboring women:
“Drinking clear liquids in limited quantities has been found to bring comfort to laboring patients and does not increase labor complications. Patients with uncomplicated labor may drink small amounts of clear liquid, while patients scheduled to undergo a nonemergency cesarean section may drink small amounts of clear liquids up to two hours before receiving anesthesia.”
This will be a relief to many of the women who will labor going forward, in hospitals around the US. The problem is now getting this information into the hands of the hospitals and getting their policies changed…
American Society of Anesthesiologists Press Release on Pain Management in Labor Guidelines
And will they? Anesthesia around here is notorious for not listening…they still don’t recognize breast milk as a clear liq. Hopefully they will recognize this one. The reality is that with a pregnant uterus, if it is a true crash C section/ general anesthetic, they will do a rapid sequence (full belly protocol) whether or not the patient has eaten so this new recommendation makes all kinds of sense…now if the local docs will only adopt it!