Chocolate helps reduce pain during labour
Chocolate lovers you’re going to enjoy this one! For full disclosure, I am definitely one of them (chocolate lovers) and as I write this, I’m tucking into a lovely bar of Green & Blacks dark chocolate!
So, for everyone who likes to indulge in this fabulous snack food, I am going to tell you how it can benefit you during labour.
Chocolate contains endorphins. Endorphins are one of your best friends during labour…
Endorphins are our feel-good hormones and nature’s pain relievers. It is said that endorphins are actually a couple of hundred times MORE effective at reducing pain than morphine (a drug commonly offered during labour). In addition to making you feel more comfortable whilst you’re giving birth, they also make you feel good – who doesn’t want a bit of this!
Our bodies can naturally produce endorphins under the right circumstances, but we can help them on their way, one way being to consume chocolate – YAY!
Chocolate contains sugar. This is usually not suggested as a benefit, we’re all told to keep our sugar consumption to an acceptable level. But giving birth is most definitely exceptional circumstances. When you’re in labour, you may need a little burst of energy to get you through. Many women don’t feel like eating a lot during labour, but it’s a good idea to have some easy, delicious snack foods available to give you a ‘pick-me-up’.
Chocolate can be consumed in a variety of formats, so there’s lots of options to choose from. Maybe you would enjoy a lovely hot chocolate especially at the beginning of labour. What could be better than enjoying a warm, dreamy, endorphin boosting drink (even better if it’s by candlelight) to get started with labour. As labour progresses, perhaps you would like some easy snack foods to eat in between your contractions – this could be shop bought or healthy recipes made in advance (see a couple of options below). Many women feel hot as labour gets on its way, so maybe you would benefit from a cool smoothie or chocolate based ice-cream. You can get creative and prepare for this in advance so that when labour day arrives, you have your endorphin-boosting, energy fixes at the ready.
I have carefully selected some fantastic and healthy (for the most part) recipes for you to try. Of course, you can also choose to purchase your tried and tested favourites, or perhaps a mixture of the two – the choice is yours 😊 Incidentally, this is a metaphor for labour in a broader context – the decisions are ALWAYS yours to make.
Delicious hot chocolate with cinnamon, marshmallows and grated chocolate.
Indulgent hot chocolate
The ultimate oxytocin and endorphin boosting beverage to enjoy whilst labour is getting started. Light some candles, get cosy and sip this delightfully decadent drink whilst you dream about meeting your (soon-to-arrive) beautiful baby.
Ingredients
250ml milk of your choice
1 tablespoon of cocoa / cacao powder
¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
50g of your favourite chocolate
1 tablespoon of caster sugar (or if you prefer a healthier option, you could try coconut or date sugar)
For ultra indulgence add squirty cream and marshmallows
Method
Warm the milk in a saucepan to a gentle simmer
Add the cocoa / cacao, cinnamon, grated chocolate and sugar – stir until all of the sugar has dissolved
Pour into a mug and add the optional squirty cream and marshmallows for a special treat
Adapted from ‘Feed me Vegan’ by Lucy Watson.
Chocolate flapjacks
Made with oats, this recipe will provide slow-release energy to see you through your labour.
Ingredients
4 ripe bananas
250g oats
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons cacao / cocoa powder
50g chocolate of your choice – chopped
Method
Firstly, preheat your oven to 180C / 360F. Mash the bananas together using the back of a fork.
Add the oats, maple syrup, cacao/cocoa and chocolate and mix well
Line a square 9X9 baking tin and add the mixture, pressing down firmly (so that it’s about 1cm thick)
Bake for 15 minutes
Take them out of the oven and let them cool out of the baking tin for 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
Recipe online written by James Wythe; you can find the recipe here.
Caramel Chewies
Not only is this recipe great for labour, but it is also super beneficial during pregnancy. Research shows that consuming dates during the last few weeks of pregnancy can help to soften the cervix ready for labour, shorten the duration of labour and reduce the likelihood of being offered an induction. This recipe couldn’t be easier!
Ingredients
12 Medjool dates
¼ cup of almond or peanut butter
¼ cup of chocolate chips
Sprinkle of sea salt
Method
Slice open the date and remove the pit (if it has one), fill each date with a teaspoon of almond/peanut butter. Place the dates on a baking sheet / plate.
Melt the chocolate chips to create a chocolate sauce
Drizzle the melted chocolate and a tiny sprinkle of sea salt over the dates
Freeze the dates for at least an hour. The dates can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 30 days
Recipe taken from ‘Plants over Processed’ by Andrea Hannemann.
Frozen chocolate peanut butter bites
These are ideal for helping you to cool down. Did you know that frozen bananas taste like ice-cream?
Ingredients
3 ripe bananas
½ cup of smooth peanut butter
½ cup of chocolate chips
Method
Peel the bananas and stick a wooden ice pop stick into one end
Place them on a wax paper-covered plate and pop in the freezer for 2hrs+
Once the bananas are frozen, heat the peanut butter until it softens and dip the bananas into it until they are fully coated. Place them back on the wax paper-covered plate and into the freezer for a further 30 minutes
Melt the chocolate chips and dip the peanut butter covered bananas into the melted chocolate. Place back in the freezer again for 30 minutes until they have hardened.
Recipe taken from ‘Plants over Processed’ written by Andrea Hannemann.
I hope you enjoy trying out some new endorphin-boosting recipes and if you don’t manage to get round to this or you don’t feel up for trying something different, make sure you have your favourite chocolate snacks at the ready for labour (packed in your hospital bag or homebirth box). The challenge is knowing it’s there and not sneaking off for a chunk or two whilst you’re waiting for the day of baby’s arrival!