The short answer: Yes, yes, yes yes and YES!!!! You and your partner are a birth team and, as the saying goes, you march on your stomachs! Experience has shown me that most people, no matter how hungry, are not able to stomach more than a few forkfuls of mystery meat in brown sauce, chicken à la king, weirdly gray oatmeal, or any of the other delights the hospital has on offer.
Packing for the hospital should be like packing for a day of strenuous hiking with a long drive to get there… variety is what you want, because you are packing for a variety of people and a variety of situations.
The partner
It is hard to offer support to someone doing one of the most challenging things a human body can do (i.e. give birth) if your own body is weak from hunger. Don’t plan on going out to get something – you never know what might be going on when hunger strikes and it might not be the right moment to leave. You need quick bite-sized snacks that you can eat between contractions, and larger snacks for if you have time. People in labour have very keen senses of smell and often get nauseous, so you might want to think twice about the shwarma with garlic sauce and choose something more neutral.
The birthing person
Once again, quick bite-sized snacks are your go-to food. Things like date bars, granola bars, muffins and trail mix are perfect here, but make sure to have some savoury options in case you get “sweeted” out. Many people reach a point in labour where they don’t feel like eating any more, but still feel the need for a boost of energy. I recommend bringing juice or coconut water to help with a quick boost of energy and electrolytes.
An induction
Packing food for an induction is a whole other mindset, as you will likely be at the hospital for many hours doing not much of anything and likely getting hungry partly out of boredom. This is a situation where you could actually consider having your partner leave and get something to eat, though many people prefer to bring their own food. This is where you want to have actual meals (the kind that also taste good at room temperature) as well as fun “treats”. If you have family close by who are going to just be sitting around nervously waiting for something to happen, they can always be enlisted into bringing a hot meal…
Post-partum
Most people get extremely hungry post-partum and most hospitals arrange a meal to be brought in the hour after giving birth… but not all hospitals, not all the time. In the post-partum ward, meals are served to the birthing person only, on a schedule that sometimes leaves more than 12 hours between dinner and breakfast… once again, bring snacks or get the family on board!