Comments on: Restriction of Food and Drink in Labor from a Medical Anthropologist’s Perspective http://www.birthactivist.com/2010/01/restriction-of-food-and-drink-in-labor-from-a-medical-anthropologist%e2%80%99s-perspective/ bloggin' for better births Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:04:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Parenting Tips 365 » 8 Ways Midwives Promote Safe Childbirth http://www.birthactivist.com/2010/01/restriction-of-food-and-drink-in-labor-from-a-medical-anthropologist%e2%80%99s-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-6099 Parenting Tips 365 » 8 Ways Midwives Promote Safe Childbirth Mon, 20 Jun 2011 16:42:16 +0000 http://www.birthactivist.com/2010/01/restriction-of-food-and-drink-in-labor-from-a-medical-anthropologist%e2%80%99s-perspective/#comment-6099 [...] Eating and drinking during labor are safe. Despite the fear about aspirating stomach contents during surgery, other countries that allow oral intake during labor do not have a problem with aspiration. Restricting food and drink in labor is not justified. [...] [...] Eating and drinking during labor are safe. Despite the fear about aspirating stomach contents during surgery, other countries that allow oral intake during labor do not have a problem with aspiration. Restricting food and drink in labor is not justified. [...]

]]> By: R8chH http://www.birthactivist.com/2010/01/restriction-of-food-and-drink-in-labor-from-a-medical-anthropologist%e2%80%99s-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-3623 R8chH Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:46:28 +0000 http://www.birthactivist.com/2010/01/restriction-of-food-and-drink-in-labor-from-a-medical-anthropologist%e2%80%99s-perspective/#comment-3623 Hi knitted in the womb - the idea of changing into theatre scrubs (even if you are already in your own scrubs) is not to reduce your risk of being contaminated by the woman but to decrease her risk of being contaminated by all the people in theatre, and to try to reduce the pathogens brought into theatre from outdoors and within the hospital. Similarly wearing a theatre cap is to reduce any loose hairs floating around and getting into the wound, and face masks also help protect the woman from airborne pathogens. Changing into theatre scrubs helps protect not only the woman you are working with but all the other people needing surgery by keeping theatres as clean as possible. The woman is generally not made to change because she's probably got enough to deal with at that time. The need of the general population for cleanliness in theatre is balanced with sensitivity towards the individual's circumstances. We all see doctors walking around the wards in their theatre scrubs. When they do this they are not supposed to go back in without changing into fresh scrubs. RE eating in labour - here in Australia women eat if they want to, once they are in good labour they generally can't eat much anyway, and often vomit anything in their stomach up. The digetsive system slows right down in order that as much energy as possible is concentrated on the uterine muscles. It would be interesting to know about cultural differences in foods taken in labour. Hi knitted in the womb – the idea of changing into theatre scrubs (even if you are already in your own scrubs) is not to reduce your risk of being contaminated by the woman but to decrease her risk of being contaminated by all the people in theatre, and to try to reduce the pathogens brought into theatre from outdoors and within the hospital. Similarly wearing a theatre cap is to reduce any loose hairs floating around and getting into the wound, and face masks also help protect the woman from airborne pathogens. Changing into theatre scrubs helps protect not only the woman you are working with but all the other people needing surgery by keeping theatres as clean as possible. The woman is generally not made to change because she’s probably got enough to deal with at that time. The need of the general population for cleanliness in theatre is balanced with sensitivity towards the individual’s circumstances.

We all see doctors walking around the wards in their theatre scrubs. When they do this they are not supposed to go back in without changing into fresh scrubs.

RE eating in labour – here in Australia women eat if they want to, once they are in good labour they generally can’t eat much anyway, and often vomit anything in their stomach up. The digetsive system slows right down in order that as much energy as possible is concentrated on the uterine muscles.

It would be interesting to know about cultural differences in foods taken in labour.

]]> By: Childbirth Education | Doula Support | Allentown | Lehigh Valley | Baby Birthing | Knitted in the Womb » Speaking of “Rites of Passage” http://www.birthactivist.com/2010/01/restriction-of-food-and-drink-in-labor-from-a-medical-anthropologist%e2%80%99s-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-3622 Childbirth Education | Doula Support | Allentown | Lehigh Valley | Baby Birthing | Knitted in the Womb » Speaking of “Rites of Passage” Sat, 06 Feb 2010 05:46:26 +0000 http://www.birthactivist.com/2010/01/restriction-of-food-and-drink-in-labor-from-a-medical-anthropologist%e2%80%99s-perspective/#comment-3622 [...] The Birth Activist recently wrote about restrictions of food and fluids for laboring and women, and how Robbie Davis-Floyd has written about this phenomenon as a “rite of passage.”  The Birth Activist highlighted a recent Cochrane Review that found that food/fluid restrictions in labor are unnecessary, something I agree with whole heartedly, having eatten a VERY large breakfast more than 12 hours after contractions had started in my first labor.  She then points out that Robbie Davis-Floyd has long identified the ban on eating/drinking in labor as a “rite of passage.” [...] [...] The Birth Activist recently wrote about restrictions of food and fluids for laboring and women, and how Robbie Davis-Floyd has written about this phenomenon as a “rite of passage.”  The Birth Activist highlighted a recent Cochrane Review that found that food/fluid restrictions in labor are unnecessary, something I agree with whole heartedly, having eatten a VERY large breakfast more than 12 hours after contractions had started in my first labor.  She then points out that Robbie Davis-Floyd has long identified the ban on eating/drinking in labor as a “rite of passage.” [...]

]]> By: Knitted in the Womb http://www.birthactivist.com/2010/01/restriction-of-food-and-drink-in-labor-from-a-medical-anthropologist%e2%80%99s-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-3621 Knitted in the Womb Sat, 06 Feb 2010 05:27:32 +0000 http://www.birthactivist.com/2010/01/restriction-of-food-and-drink-in-labor-from-a-medical-anthropologist%e2%80%99s-perspective/#comment-3621 Speaking of "rites of passage," what is with making the dad put on scrubs before he can go with his wife to the OR? She wears the same hospital gown into the OR that she's been wearing for hours in labor...but he needs to put on scrubs. As a doula, when I'm allowed to go in, I'm given a set of hospital scrubs to put on...even though I'm already wearing my own scrubs. I've never argued it because it just doesn't seem worth the ill will...but really, what is the point? I understand why the medical staff wear scrubs--in case they get bodily fluids on them while performing surgery, they don't want to carry potentially infectious materials home with them. But the father? Presumably he has exchanged fluids with the mom. And me, as the doula? Well am I really any more likely to get fluids on me when sitting next to the mom's head during a cesarean than I am holding her leg during a vaginal birth? Speaking of “rites of passage,” what is with making the dad put on scrubs before he can go with his wife to the OR? She wears the same hospital gown into the OR that she’s been wearing for hours in labor…but he needs to put on scrubs. As a doula, when I’m allowed to go in, I’m given a set of hospital scrubs to put on…even though I’m already wearing my own scrubs. I’ve never argued it because it just doesn’t seem worth the ill will…but really, what is the point?

I understand why the medical staff wear scrubs–in case they get bodily fluids on them while performing surgery, they don’t want to carry potentially infectious materials home with them. But the father? Presumably he has exchanged fluids with the mom. And me, as the doula? Well am I really any more likely to get fluids on me when sitting next to the mom’s head during a cesarean than I am holding her leg during a vaginal birth?

]]> By: Tonya http://www.birthactivist.com/2010/01/restriction-of-food-and-drink-in-labor-from-a-medical-anthropologist%e2%80%99s-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-3604 Tonya Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:49:39 +0000 http://www.birthactivist.com/2010/01/restriction-of-food-and-drink-in-labor-from-a-medical-anthropologist%e2%80%99s-perspective/#comment-3604 I have often thought that it was insane to deny me an oppportunity to fortify myself for the nearly 24 hours of labor. I ended up not being able to eat for almost 1.5 days while giving birth inbetween. I almost passed out when they wanted me to go to the bathroom for pity sake. I didn't see why I couldn't have eaten a light dinner the night before. This confirms my every suspicion given my experiences since: nobody really knows what they're doing or why. I have often thought that it was insane to deny me an oppportunity to fortify myself for the nearly 24 hours of labor. I ended up not being able to eat for almost 1.5 days while giving birth inbetween. I almost passed out when they wanted me to go to the bathroom for pity sake. I didn’t see why I couldn’t have eaten a light dinner the night before. This confirms my every suspicion given my experiences since: nobody really knows what they’re doing or why.

]]> By: Unnecesarean http://www.birthactivist.com/2010/01/restriction-of-food-and-drink-in-labor-from-a-medical-anthropologist%e2%80%99s-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-3602 Unnecesarean Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:31:51 +0000 http://www.birthactivist.com/2010/01/restriction-of-food-and-drink-in-labor-from-a-medical-anthropologist%e2%80%99s-perspective/#comment-3602 Have you dug into Childbirth and Authoritative Knowledge yet? Have you dug into Childbirth and Authoritative Knowledge yet?

]]> By: Emily - Anthro Doula http://www.birthactivist.com/2010/01/restriction-of-food-and-drink-in-labor-from-a-medical-anthropologist%e2%80%99s-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-3601 Emily - Anthro Doula Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:13:36 +0000 http://www.birthactivist.com/2010/01/restriction-of-food-and-drink-in-labor-from-a-medical-anthropologist%e2%80%99s-perspective/#comment-3601 Oooh I LOVE Robbie Davis-Floyd! I have "Birth as an American Rite of Passage" on my shelf waiting to be read. Its so true; the food rules to enforce the liminal status of the woman during the birth ritual! Oooh I LOVE Robbie Davis-Floyd! I have “Birth as an American Rite of Passage” on my shelf waiting to be read. Its so true; the food rules to enforce the liminal status of the woman during the birth ritual!

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