Going through labor and giving birth to a baby is hard work. Many people compare it to running a marathon . . . because it kind of is. And what do you need when you run a marathon? You need a lot of training but also fuel to carry you through. And in labor, you need the same things. That’s why it’s important to stay hydrated and eat light snacks during labor to give you the energy essential to give birth to your baby.
However, not every hospital or doctor will allow you to eat or drink during labor—which is unfortunate—so this is something you will need to check with your care provider first. If you can snack lightly and drink fluids, preparing a labor-aide to drink during labor is a great idea. It’s like your very own special Gatorade drink—minus the sugar and dyes—just for you to rock childbirth. 😉
Staying hydrated during labor is essential. If you are going to drink something to help with hydration, why not make it something that will be refreshing and give you an energy boost?! We don’t want to drink things with a lot of sugar or caffeine during this time, so this labor-aide recipe is the perfect solution. Each of the ingredients in this recipe will help you through labor.
Here’s what you need to make labor-aide:
Labor-aide Ingredients
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- Lemon juice can help relieve bloating, nausea, and heartburn. It’s common for women to feel nauseous during labor, so this will help with digestion problems. Lemons also make your drink taste better. Plain water can get boring after a while.
- 2 cups coconut water
- Coconut water is nature’s natural Gatorade. It’s perfect for labor because it contains electrolytes, minerals to replenish hydration levels, and simple sugars. It’s important to maintain your electrolyte level for proper cell function and energy, so use coconut water instead of regular tap water for your labor-aide.
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- Sea salt also contains electrolytes and minerals, and it helps with muscle contraction, expansion, and re-hydration. Also, did you know that sea salt helps balance stress hormones when exercising? And there is no bigger workout than childbirth. Salt reduces your adrenaline levels and supports overall metabolic health.
- a few drops of rescue remedy
- Bach flower rescue remedy helps you stay calm, centered, and focused with no side effects for you or your baby.
- 1 Tbsp of liquid calcium/magnesium
- Calcium and magnesium assist in muscle and nerve activities. These two minerals help our muscles to relax or contract. This is great, especially during childbirth, since calcium is involved in blood clotting. It helps protect you from losing too much blood after giving birth to baby.
- 2 Tbsp of raw honey (more or less depending on your sweetness preference)
- Raw honey is rich in minerals and easily digestible sugars, which are great for giving you energy. Sugar “signals the body to down-regulate the production of stress hormones like cortisol. Cortisol levels spike during exercise, particularly during anaerobic exercise (when you get breathless).”1 Too much cortisol can disrupt the flow of labor, making this ingredient useful on many levels.
Now that we have all the ingredients, here is how you make it!
Labor-aide Instructions
- Fill your pitcher with half of the coconut water (1 cup).
- Then add the lemon juice, sea salt, rescue remedy, calcium magnesium, and raw honey.
- Stir the ingredients together.
- Pour the remaining half of the coconut water (1 cup) and keep stirring until the honey has dissolved.
- Place your pitcher into the fridge and let cool until needed.
- Pour yourself a glass once cool, and get ready to rock your labor!
This drink really is delicious. I’ve even been enjoying it during my pregnancy. So I give it two thumbs up!
Cheers to a better and beautiful birth!
