Think You Can't Eat or Drink During Labor? Think Again!

It has been a long-held policy in hospitals to forbid women in labor from eating and drinking. The fear is that if there is food in a woman's stomach, and if she goes in for emergency surgery under general anesthesia (most cesareans are performed with epidural anesthesia), that she could possibly vomit, aspirate her stomach contents, and experience complications. But the evidence doesn't support this theory as a reason to restrict food and fluids during labor. Want to understand more about how this outdated policy affects labor and birth? Check out the awesome new infographic from Lamaze below.