Delivery ?

[missmommy]

i just had a thought... if none of my dr.s seem to know what the heck a celiac is, whats going to happen when i deliver the baby at the hospital? im afraid they are going to gluten me!

is anyone else in southern louisiana? is there any dr.s down here that have heard of celiac disease before??

[cyberprof]

Hi Missmommy,

I didn't have celiac when I had my kids but I have an idea for you, actually for anyone facing surgery or hospitalization:

Try to have someone stay with you for active labor and right after delivery (12-18 hours, more if you have a c-section) who knows something about hospitals. My sister is an RN and she offered to stay with me if I have surgery. Your partner (even a knowledgeable one) will be too busy.

If you don't have a good friend or relative who can help, try hiring a doula Open Original Shared Link or Open Original Shared Link to be with you. Most doulas probably don't know what celiac is but they work for YOU, not the hospital, and they meet with you ahead of time to learn about you. You could certainly find one who was openminded enough and helpful enough to be taught about celiac. The doula's only job is too look after the health and needs of the mom. Interview a few and find one who is willing to learn. Some doulas are also nurses (or have other medical training).

Just my idea. HTH.

~Laura

[missmommy]

hi cyberprof!

i think that is a good plan i think i will start looking into having a friend come with my husband and i. if i cant get one im going to find out if military insurance covers a doula. it would be great having someone there besides just my husband who understands how important staying gluten-free is! thanks

[confusedks]

I am not pregnant and have never been, but I have experience of being in the hospital while on a gluten-free diet. If I were you, try to see if you can call ahead and talk to a nutritionist because when I was hospitalized I did get glutened a lot!!! It was ridiculous how they didn't know how to keep a sick patient from getting sicker! I believe all hospitals have nutritionists and their job is to make sure you have food you can eat. They ended up going to get me food from the grocery store becase their responsibilty is to keep patients full!

This was just my experience. Good luck!

Kassandra

[Guhlia]

I'm 33 weeks pregnant and this is my concern also. I'm trying hard not to get too stressed about it, but it's not easy. I am planning on calling the hospital's nutritionist and discussing my options. I will also be speaking with a head person on the maternity ward to ensure that I'll be able to use the refrigerator there to store my own snacks and possibly meals. I plan on drinking nothing but water unless my husband brings me something gluten free. They use primarily generic brand soda and it can change from week to week. I will not be taking any medication for the child birth, but if I for some reason need a c-section I will check out my medicinal options before going into the hospital. I'd rather be overprepared than underprepared. Good luck!

[dionnek]

I would recommend bringing all your own food. I just had a baby, and called the hospital nutritionist prior to going to speak with them about gluten free - she said to make sure I told EVERYONE that came into my room that I needed gluten-free food, but even then, she said I should probably bring my own b/c they might not do it right. Well, sure enough, the first day/night they kept bringing me crackers and other gluteny food, then the second day they finally had a gluten-free menu for me to pick what I wanted for each meal, however, when the food came there was always something with gluten on the tray, so I didn't trust any of it (one time for lunch they were supposed to bring a chicken salad, but instead they brought a FLOUR tortilla wrap with nothing in it!)

Most hospitals should have a refrigerator for you to use and a microwave - that is all you need. I brought applesauce, rice noodle bowls (Thai Kitchen or Trader JOes), fresh and canned fruit, beef jerky, and rice crackers/chips.

[ElizabethN]

I had the unfortunate experience of having to make a trip to L&D a few weeks ago but the good thing is I feel better about the food. The nurses were actually quite knowledgable and brought me pudding cups that were marked gluten free, and a salad with chicken- which they informed me had no crotons and the chicken was not marinated in soy! I was surprised they knew so much and feel more at ease. Even so, for delievery I am planning on mostly bringing my own food and using hospital food as a back-up plan.