The Best Snacks for Labour: What to Pack in Your Hospital Bag

Jul 5

Updated for 2026: This guide has been reviewed and updated using the latest research on eating during labour and current nutrition recommendations

Preparing for the birth of your baby involves more than just packing a hospital bag with clothes and toiletries. Packing the right hospital snacks can make a big difference to your energy levels, comfort, and overall labour and birth experience.

Many of my clients are surprised to hear I recommend packing snacks and eating during labour. In fact, for most healthy pregnancies, current research shows that eating during labour is safe, and fuelling both the early and active stages of labour can make a meaningful difference to your energy, comfort, and even how long labour lasts.

Yes, really.

In this guide, you'll learn:

Is it safe to eat during labour?
What snacks are best for early labour, active labour, and after birth?
The best hospital snacks to pack for labour.
Practical snack ideas and recipes that support both labour and postpartum recovery.

And if you'd like a complete, done-for-you plan, my Labour, Birth and Early Postpartum Nutrition Guide includes 45 recipes, drinks, snacks, and meals plus guidance on exactly what to eat for each stage of your labour and after birth to support early postpartum healing.

Is it safe to eat during labour?

For most healthy, low-risk pregnancies, yes! Eating during labour is considered very safe. Recent research shows that eating during labour does not increase the likelihood of aspiration or any other negative medical outcome.

Historically, women were advised to consume only clear fluids during labour because of concerns about aspiration (food entering the lungs) if emergency general anesthesia became necessary. This recommendation dates back to the 1940s, when general anesthesia was much more common during childbirth. Today, however, only a very small percentage of women require general anesthesia, and anesthesia-related aspiration is now extremely rare.

Safety isn't the only consideration. Emerging evidence suggests that eating and drinking during labour may also contribute to a more positive birth experience, with some studies reporting shorter labours and lower stress.

Why are snacks important during labour?

Labour is often compared to a marathon, but it’s even more demanding since the typical marathon lasts 4 hours, while labour lasts 12 hours on average!

If you were running a marathon, the recommendations for your nutrition needs for fuel, performance and recovery would be:

3,600 calories
- 150-400 calories per hour
- 450-750ml liquid per hour plus additional electrolytes

So does it make any sense that during labour, when your body experiences the same (or greater!) muscle and energetic demands, that you should fuel only with ice chips? Research is starting to show that the answer to this is probably not.

Like any strenuous activity, labour demands a lot from your body, requiring energy, stamina, and hydration. Having energy-supporting labour snacks packed in your hospital bag can be very helpful.

Here are a few reasons why you may want to be prepared with snacks and drinks for your labour:

Sustain your energy levels: Snacks help you stay strong and focused during the different stages of labour.

Keep you hydrated: Staying hydrated maintains your strength and prevents fatigue.
Provide comfort and reduce stress: Familiar and comforting snacks can soothe your nerves, provide a sense of normalcy, and make the experience more positive.

These benefits may contribute to a smoother labour process, potentially reducing the length and discomfort of labour while supporting your overall well-being!

What labour snacks should I pack in my hospital bag?

Fuel your labour like an endurance event

What your body needs changes dramatically from early labour to active labour and then into the first hours after birth. That's why the best labour snacks for your hospital bag aren't all the same.

Below I'll walk you through exactly what to pack for:

• Early labour (lasting energy)

• Active labour (quick carbohydrates and hydration)

• Recovery after birth (protein and healing foods)

Want a complete labour nutrition plan? My Labour, Birth & Early Postpartum Nutrition Guide includes 45 recipes, snack ideas, drinks, and meal plans for every stage of labour and to kickstart your healing and postpartum recovery.

Best snacks for early labour

Early labour is usually the longest stage of labour and your best opportunity to fuel proactively. Because your appetite is often still fairly normal, this is the ideal time to choose balanced, easy-to-digest meals and snacks that provide lasting energy for the more demanding hours ahead.

Aim for a combination of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats to provide steady energy, support stable blood sugar, and keep you feeling satisfied longer.

1. Greek yogurt with Bedside Granola Clusters: Energy-supporting and easy to eat. Single-serving yogurts are a great add-on to a mini cooler with essentials packed for labour and after birth (since hospital meals rarely meet your post-birth nutrient needs!). Granola can be stored safety for days, and can also help boost the less-than-ideal hospital meals! Plus, it’s delicious on its own.

2. Mini muffins: For a grab-and-go energizing snack that’s easy to prep ahead of time and eat during labour. Mini muffins are also great because they make a bunch and you’ll have them on hand for middle of the night feeds, and your whole birth team! Try the Mini Banana Muffin Recipe from the Labour, Birth and Early Postpartum Nutrition Guide that has just 5 ingredients and more energy and protein than regular muffins!

3. Snack container with pepperoni sticks, whole grain crackers, and fruit: Simple, satisfying, and lasting energy support you can pick at throughout the hours of early labour.

4. Peanut Butter Strawberry Smoothie. Contains a variety of nutrients to support long-term energy and a great option if you can’t stomach eating, but can do liquids. A great one to make ahead and have in an insulated water bottle for sips when you need a boost.

5. Almond Chocolate Oat Bars. Another great recipe you can prep in advance and freeze in individual servings. Simply take out a few, add to your birth bag, and you’ve got an energizing snack when you need it (and BONUS, lots of ready to go portioned snacks for your postpartum days).

Looking for all of these make-ahead recipes? The Labour, Birth & Early Postpartum Nutrition Guide includes 45 recipes organized by early labour, active labour, and postpartum recovery.

Best snacks for active labour

As contractions become stronger and closer together, many people find their appetite decreases or they begin to feel nauseated. Rather than eating full meals, the goal shifts to taking in small amounts of quick energy and staying well hydrated to support your working muscles, brain, and ongoing contractions.

Prioritize simple carbohydrates that are easy to digest, along with electrolyte-rich fluids to replace what you're losing through sweat and exertion. Bite-sized carbohydrate-based snacks, smoothies, fruit, applesauce, stuffed dates, and energy balls are often easiest to tolerate and provide the type of fuel you need for this stage. Choose foods that can safely stay in your hospital bag for several hours and that you'll actually want to eat during labour.

1. The Labour Prep Smoothie: Convenient, easy to eat, and filled with lots of energy-supporting foods like oats, raspberries, and dates. This smoothie is great to make and enjoy in the time leading up to your labour and is perfect fuel for labour (I love to prep this and have it in an insulated water bottle).

2. Energy balls like the Salted Maple Pecan Collagen Bites: Bite-sized, one-hand snacks offering a quick energy boost when all you can do is eat a single bite.

3. Applesauce cups or pouches: Easy to eat, gentle on the stomach, and offer a convenient source of quick energy. You can make these at home, or simply buy the ready-to-go pouches they sell at the grocery store (hint: check the baby aisle!).

4. Salted Watermelon Mineral Juice: Electrolyte-filled to support hydration needs. Assign your birth support person to prep this for you at home, and bring in an insulated container to the hospital! Sometimes plain water can be less than appealing. It’s great to have options to stay hydrated!

5. Chocolate Covered Stuffed Dates. Easy to make in advance and is an ideal one-bite snack that can be packed for the hospital, providing a quick boost of readily available carbohydrates for energy. Find the recipe in the Labour, Birth + Early Postpartum Nutrition Guide!

Additional tips for packing hospital snacks for labour

Pack a variety: Having different options ensures that you have something appealing, no matter what you feel like eating.
Stay hydrated: Alongside your snacks, pack plenty of water and consider electrolyte drinks to maintain hydration. For all things electrolytes check out this blog post: Everything You Need to Know about Electrolytes for Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Breastfeeding
Check with your hospital: Some hospitals have policies about eating during labour, so it's a good idea to check ahead of time.

Best snacks for postpartum recovery

After birth, your body will need nutrients to recover, and it’s likely you’ll be hungry after all of the hard work of labour and birth!

Hospital food provided after birth has a reputation for being less than ideal when it comes to nutrition, taste, and even availability (so many women have told me that they went hungry for hours because the kitchen was closed overnight.)

For that reason, I always recommend going to the hospital prepared with a few things to eat that will start your body off on its healing journey and meet your hunger and nutrient needs.

You can bring a small cooler with you to the hospital with a few things you’ve made and frozen in advance, or have a friend or family member drop off food for you after you’ve given birth.

For 45 recipes you can prep ahead or make quickly to fuel your labour and support your early postpartum recovery, check out the Labour, Birth, and Early Postpartum Nutrition Guide.

1. Bone broth

High in protein and easy to digest, bone broth is my #1 recommendation for right after birth! Not only does it meet your substantial post-birth and breastfeeding hydration needs since it’s a liquid full of electrolyte minerals, but it contains the amino acids (proteins) your tissues need to start the healing and repair process.
You can make bone broth in advance, freeze in individual mason jars, and bring to the hospital in a thermos, like many of my clients do! Alternatively, bring a high quality pre-made container or sachet and ask for some hot water!

2. Soup, Stew, or Stewed Fruit

Like bone broth, you can make a healing soup or stew ahead of time (which I definitely recommend doing! Read more about how to prep healing meals for postpartum here) and bring it to the hospital in a thermos or container you can heat up.
Just like soup, having some stewed fruit on hand to snack on or add to your meals provides soft, warming nutrition to support your early postpartum digestive system which often takes a back seat.
Alternatively, ask friends or family to drop off a warm soup from your favourite place. Warm meals take the pressure off your digestive system, support healing, and have more bioavailable nutrients for healing.

3. High protein one-handed snack:

Snacks are so key for after birth! You’ll need to eat frequently to keep up your energy after the labour marathon, and blood-sugar balancing protein-rich snacks will help you feel as good as possible, especially during sleep deprivation.
Snacks like oat bars, energy balls, protein pancakes, egg muffins, protein bars, higher protein pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, and granola are ideal to prep in advance, freeze, and have on hand for the hospital and your early postpartum months.

4. An electrolyte-loaded beverage:

You’d be surprised how much hydration you need after birth! For recovery, breastfeeding, your mental health, energy, shifting hormones and coping with less sleep, hydration is so important. Bone broth, coconut water, and electrolyte sachets are all perfect to pack.

5. A ‘soft fibre’ snack

Soft fibre is what I call the gentle-on-your-belly, prevent-post-birth-constipation foods that are ideal to eat after birth.
You can get soft fibre in prepped soups and stews that contain cooked lentils or vegetables, fresh or stewed berries, and avocado. Toss a couple in your bag!

Get prepared for a fuelled labour + healed postpartum

Having the right snacks on hand can make a significant difference during labour and birth. By choosing nutritious, easy-to-digest options, you can help sustain your energy and comfort throughout the process.

Prepare for a fuelled labour and postpartum recovery with The Labour, Birth and Early Postpartum Nutrition Guide, featuring 45 easy-to-prep recipes, drinks, and snacks. This 16-page guide covers everything from what to eat during labour to kick-starting the healing process after birth.

GET THE GUIDE FOR JUST $24 CAD