Evidence & Eating During Labor

In this episode of the Birthful Podcast, I talk to Rebecca Dekker of Evidence Based Birth about evidence based labor practices, and specifically about eating and drinking during labor. It turns out that many hospital labor practices are not based on evidence, and can in fact be detrimental to the process. How can you know what is what? Rebecca has the answer.

Related resources*:

• Evidence Based Birth
• Science and Sensibility
• Improving Birth
• Kelly Mom

And if you want to dig into the research yourself:

• Understanding Research: The Birth Professional’s Guide
• PubMedCentral’s free articles
• The Cochrane Library

Courtesy of Rebecca Dekker

About Rebecca Dekker

Rebecca Dekker is Assistant Professor of Nursing at a research-intensive university in the U.S. She received her Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing from the University of Kentucky and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Although her academic research career began with a focus on testing treatments for depression in people with heart conditions, Rebecca has built a strong reputation in maternal and child circles for her pioneering work as the founder of Evidence Based Birth®. The mission of Evidence Based Birth is to get research evidence into the hands of mothers and families, inspiring them to make more informed decisions about their care.

Rebecca serves as a peer reviewer for maternal health research journals, volunteers on the advisory board for ImprovingBirth.org, and has presented to a number of leading organizations in the birthing field, including the American College of Nurse Midwives, the March of Dimes, and Lamaze and DONA International.

Find out what other birth topics Rebecca is tackling at EvidenceBasedBirth.com, or join the conversation on Facebook.