Angie The Doula – Tips and Recipes for Labour-Aid Drinks

Here are some alternatives to store-bought sport drinks, which are usually full of chemicals and unhealthy ingredients. High quality coconut water is full of electrolytes. Any bone broth works too for Labour-Aid.

Labour-Aid and broths are excellent for hydration, energy and electrolytes.  They help keep the powerful forces of labour progressing.  Stock the ingredients at home and prepare at the first sign of labour.  Or make ahead (this is a great task for someone who wishes to help out) and freeze as cubes, popsicles, or in a bottle, to be thawed and consumed as labour progresses.

Most labouring women prefer their labour-aid chilled and their broths warm.

LABOUR-AID DRINK – basic (recipe shared by many midwives and natural birth books)
1 L  water or Pregnancy Tea
1/3 C  raw honey or real maple syrup
1/3 C  juice, fresh-squeezed from a real lemon
1/2 t  salt, preferably Celtic or Himalayan
1/4 t  baking soda
2 crushed calcium tablets

LABOUR-AID DRINK – easiest (recipe by Head to Heal Wellness)
1L water (for hydration)
1 Tbsp honey (to give us fuel while being active)
1/4 Tsp salt (to replace the loss of electrolytes)
1/4 Tsp baking soda (to replace electrolytes lost)
1/2 a lemon
Combine all the ingredients into a glass container and stir. You can tweak the amounts based on your personal preference and needs. Squeeze as much lemon as you like until you find your favourite ratio. Voila!

These next two versions are from Mommypotamus.  See the website for details of ingredients.

LABOUR-AID DRINK – Lemon Labor Aide
4 C  water
1/2 C  freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 t  salt, preferably Celtic or Himalayan
1/4 C  raw honey (or more to taste)
a few drops concentrated minerals (available at health stores, optional)
a few drops Rescue Remedy (optional)

LABOUR-AID DRINK – Coconut & Lime Labor Aide
3 C  coconut water
1 C  water (or more)
1/2 C  freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 t  salt, preferably Celtic or Himalayan
2 T  raw honey or maple syrup
a few drops concentrated minerals (available at health stores, optional)
a few drops Rescue Remedy (optional)

VEGGIE BROTH
Add fresh or dried veggies (e.g. carrots, celery, onion, garlic – anything) to boiling water
Simmer for 20-30 min
Add 1 T  apple-cider vinegar
Season with any herbs or spices you like
Add salt to taste, preferably Himilayan or Celtic (kelp powder can be used instead)
Blend to smooth consistency or strain veggie chunks out

BONE BROTH
Put bones and any left-over bits, including meat on bones in pot and cover with water.
Add 1-2 T  apple cider vinegar
Bring to boil then simmer (large bones such as beef for up to 24 hours; small animal bones such as chicken only need 3-4 hours)
Strain
Add salt to taste, preferably Himilayan or Celtic (kelp powder can be used instead)
Optional:  Add dried or finely chopped fresh veggies, herbs or spices and simmer for another 30min