Alimentação durante o trabalho de parto: o que as mulheres querem e não querem comer?

Abstract

Objectives: to investigate the food preferences of parturient women during labor. Methods: descriptive-exploratory study with a quantitative approach, carried out in a university hospital. To obtain the information, a semi-structured questionnaire, medical records and pregnant women's notebooks were used. Results: 95 women were included in the study. Most reported a desire to eat and drink during labor. The preference was for frozen and cold foods, with a solid and pasty consistency, preferring the spoon as a utensil for ingestion. Results: 95 women were included in the study. Most reported a desire to eat (55,3%, n=52) and drink (75,0%, n=60) during labor. The preference was for cold and ice-cold foods, with solid and pasty consistency, and they preferred to use a spoon as a utensil for ingestion. Among the liquid foods, the most desired were pineapple, cajá, cashew, guava, passion fruit and orange juices; in relation to solids, “composite” preparations such as seasoned couscous, rice and beans, seasoned chicken, among others, stood out. Although most of the participants did not mention an aversion to food or beverages, solid foods led the reported aversions (45,4%, n=34), with fruits and vegetables being the most mentioned (24%, n=18). Conclusions: women have a diversity of food preferences during labor, reinforcing the need for more humanized obstetric practices.