In one of your Instagram Q&As, you said that people should use running gels during labor. Why? And which ones?
—Gel-Curious
For the uninitiated: it is increasingly the case that athletes in endurance sports want to consume calories while they race. It turns out this makes you run faster. Often people take in these calories in the form of very simple carbohydrates or sugars — in sports drinks, gels, or energy chews. They are easy to digest and give immediate energy.
I will say up front, there is no concrete data on the use of gels during labor, overall or on specific types. I’ll go more into the logic behind this below, but if you’re looking for a randomized trial of Maurten gels versus GU Roctane, you will not find it. Here’s what we do know.
Labor is an endurance activity. It can last for many hours and, especially in the pushing stage, requires real work. People liken it to a marathon, which I think has similarities and differences. One difference is that in a marathon, you can quit in the middle if you want. Also, labor lasts longer. But they’re both intense activities that can push you to your physical limits.
These physical limits require keeping your strength up. And that requires calories! However: many hospitals will not allow eating solid food during labor. The worry is that were you to need an emergency C-section under general anesthesia (not common, but occurs in perhaps 5% to 10% of C-sections), there would be a possibility of vomiting and then breathing in. This is called “gastric aspiration” and it’s dangerous. It’s also extremely unlikely; this was a much larger concern with older technologies, and, in my view, there is a strong argument to be made for limiting these restrictions.
But the restriction persists in many cases, and the reality is that even if it were permitted to eat a plate of spaghetti during labor, it’s not likely to sound very appetizing. You need a way to get calories that can be easily absorbed, are digested quickly and without bothering your stomach, and aren’t solid. Gels or sports drinks, or even energy chews (same idea, in chewy form), seem ideal.
As to what type: you’re on your own. When I’ve posted about this on Instagram, people have a lot of ideas. Some like to stick with things they are familiar with; others branch out. One woman told me she went to the local running store and bought an assortment — you never know what will sound good on the day.
This idea may not be for you! But the general advice that it’s worth figuring out how you can get some calories in during labor applies. Sadly, I did not know about gels during my labors, but I can attest that Gatorade worked fine.
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Ah! I wish I’d thought of this. I’m a cyclist and prepped for labor like I have done for a difficult 12-hour day. I’m a big fan of Tailwind and LMNT so I’d instructed my husband to prep my bottles with one scoop of Tailwind and a packet of LMNT. I did get pallet fatigue (as I always do about 6 hours in) and in hindsight, would have murdered my favorite S’mores GU. I had packed my usual bars and even a Snickers but could not imagine chewing. I would like to add that after baby made it, the midwife asked about what I’d been drinking and seemed intrigued.