Eat, Drink and Give Birth

NEW YORK (CBS)--Ulla Johnson is expecting her 2nd son any day now, so she knows how tough  labor can be.

Johnson explains, "I remember being so thirsty and all they would let me have was ice chips."

Those days could be over, according to new research.

Dr. Jacques Moritz with Roosevelt Hospital explains, "There's no need according to the study to really tell people not to eat and  not to drink."

The new findings  looked at about 3,000 women. They were all at low risk of needing a C-section and were given some food and fluids during the birth.

Dr. Moritz says, "Instead of labor and delivery being a jail, where you can't eat or drink unless someone gives you permission, this new study shows that it's not dangerous."

That's because fewer women need an emergency C-section under general anesthesia.  Anesthesia causes problems if there is anything in the stomach.

"You'd have a tendency to vomit then if there were food or water inside," says Dr. Moritz.

And that vomit could enter into the lungs.

Most C-sections are now done with regional anesthesia or an epidural.

However, these findings don't mean labor is the time for some burger and fries.  It means small amounts of food and drink.

For Ulla Johnson, she says, "It obviously seems like a good idea all they tell you is to hydrate all the  time and this is like you're running a marathon."

Johnson says it's good to give women what their bodies need to make it to the finish line.