I think your poll has certainly served its purpose re getting people
thinking about the issue. I couldn't resist sharing this story.Years ago I
worked in labour and delivery in a mid-size Ontario community hospital. Of
course, at that time, my consciousness about birth was limited to the
prevailing medical model and I, probably like 99% of those of us working in
health (read medical) care, believed birth to be a medical event. I shudder
to think of those days. At any rate, the discussion reminded me of a
standing order for one of the physicians: "No green beans". Apparently one
of his patients had aspirated after eating dinner involving green beans and
from then on none of his patients could have green beans! Even then we
understood that to be absurd. I wonder if he's still practicing and whether
his patients still aren't allowed green beans.
On a more serious note, I think the answer to the question you posed needs
to be considered within the context of the birthing experience. If a woman
is birthing in a medically controlled environment, is highly likely to be
given strong analgesics and/or anaesthetics, and/or is likely to deliver
restrained in a lithotomy position as opposed to being free to move and
delivering in a squatting position, then medically imposed limitations on
diet might make some sense.
At 02:52 PM 8/10/99 -0700, you wrote:
>Nicky: thanks for your comment on thePrenatal Ed
>Poll. You're right it is a diificult question and
>one on which there is a wide range of thinking.
>One school of thought views birth as a
>potentially dangerous event that is - or could
>become a medical condition at any moment. Concern
>is that anesthesia may be necessary, say for an
>emergency C-section, and there is danger that a
>woman with a full stomach could aspirate. Another
>school of thought views birth as a normal healthy
>process. In this view, a woman's body is
>engieneered for birth and the birth process is
>self-regulating so that a laboring woman will
>want to eat when she needs the energy and she
>will lose desire to eat at the point that eating
>might interfere with or jeopardize a healthy
>birth.
>
>The primary goal of the poll is to get people
>thinking about the question, so it seems to be
>working. Appreciate your note.. look for a
>synthesis of the scientific literature on this
>and opinions expressed by other visitors to the
>site in the next Prenatal Ed Udate newsletter of
>8/15. Hope the site is useful to you. SS
>
>Sandra Smith, MPH, CHES
>Health Education Specialist
>University of Washington, Center for Health
>Education & Research
>Clinical Instructor, School of Public Health,
>Health Services Dept
>
>Editor, Beginnings: A Practical Guide Through
>Your Pregnancy
>Editor, http://www.PrenatalEd.com
>
>Mailing Address:
>2821 2nd Ave #1601
>Seattle WA 98121
>206-441-7046
>[log in to unmask]
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Nicky McDermott [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 1999 9:37 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: your vote and opinion
>
>I had difficulty answering this question. It's a
>yes and no. Let me explain
>having been through labour twice, I didn't
>appreciate not being able to eat
>or drink - I really wanted that cafe latte!
>However, I'm sure their must be
>a good medical explanation for why a woman in
>labour cannot eat or drink.
>As any parent to be, the safe delivery of your
>child is the issue. By
>eating and drinking would the safety of the
>mother and child be jeopardized
>if emergency treatment was necessary? If there is
>no evidence to support
>this then I'd say a whole hearted YES let us eat
>and drink and make the
>whole experience as comfortable as possible.
>Nicky McDermott
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Lisa Nixon [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: August 6, 1999 4:03 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: your vote and opinion
>
>Each month we introduce a question related to
>patient education and ask for
>your vote and opinion. Results and comments are
>summarized in the
>PrenatalEd Update monthly newsletter.
>This months question:
>During labor, women should eat as they desire.
>[ ] yes
>[ ] no
>To vote and leave your comments, visit
><http://www.PrenatalEd.com/poll.htm>
>Lisa Nixon
>PrenatalEd
>
_______________________________________________________________
"This is the future: to fight in favor of change or to fight in favor of
keeping the present" Freire
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