Life’s a sport. Drink it up.
That’s what they say, right? Maybe for you that looks like this . . .
Or this . . .
Or even this . . .
(But seriously, if you can do the splits while lifting weights please don’t tell me. I just don’t have a grid for that.)
For Me, It’s About To Look Like THIS
Notice the “Breathe Right” strip? Just like NFL players, y’all!
Okay, maybe sport isn’t the most accurate term, but there is no physical test I have ever endured that comes close to giving birth. Dehydration has been a very real concern during both of my previous births (you can read about them here and here), which is why I’m keeping a batch of my homemade Labor Aid electrolyte drink close by for the arrival of baby #3.
These electrolyte drink formulas can help maintain good hydration better than water by replacing vital minerals and electrolytes. Plus, they’re stocked with easily absorbed simple carbs which help mamas maintain their energy. Oh, and they’re yummy, too!
Electrolyte Drink Ingredients
Coconut water is often referred to as “Nature’s Gatorade.” It contains 13 times more potassium – an electrolyte needed for proper cell function – than Gatorade, plus twice the amount of another electrolyte (sodium). (This brand doesn’t have any additives/preservatives)
Raw honey is rich in minerals and easily digestible sugars, which can be used for energy. Sugar “signals the body to down-regulate the production of stress hormones like cortisol. Cortisol levels spike during exercise and particularly during anaerobic (when you get breathless) exercise.” (source) Too much cortisol can disrupt the flow of labor, making this super ingredient useful on many levels.
Sea salt is full of electrolytes and minerals. Plus it “plays an important role of balancing the stress hormones during exercise. Salt reduces adrenaline levels and supports overall metabolic health.” (source)
Trace mineral drops add to the electrolyte content of the drink. Due to soil depletion many of us do not get enough trace minerals in our diet, so I supplement with this regularly.
Rescue Remedy is a bach flower essence that many mamas find help them feel more calm and centered during labor.
Lemon Labor Aide
- 4 cups filtered water
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt or real salt
- 1/4 cup raw honey (or more to taste)
- a few drops of Concentrace minerals drops (optional)
- a few drops of Rescue Remedy (optional)
Coconut & Lime Labor Aide
- 3 cups coconut water
- 1 cup water (or more, based on how strong you prefer the flavor to be)
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (lemon is delicious too!)
- 1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt or real salt
- 2 tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup (or more to taste)
- a few drops of Concentrace minerals drops (optional)
- a few drops of Rescue Remedy (optional)
Instructions
Mix all ingredients together and store in fridge until needed. Wishing you a beautiful, butter birth!
Lindsay
Thanks for posting this. Perfect timing for me, that’s about to be me two in 5 weeks too!
Because I’m kind of sugar sensitive and they always make me drink so much during labor I’m wondering what you think about either watering it down or putting less honey and adding stevia?
Hope all goes well with your labor and delivery 🙂
Heather
You can definitely use less honey if you’d like!
Annika
How long can you store this for in the fridge? I have 6 weeks until my due date and I am wondering if I can mix it up now?? 🙂
Jess
I made this up for my birth as soon as labor pains started. While it would be fine for a day or two, I don’t think it’s something you’d want to make ahead too far in advance. I just made sure to keep a couple of lemons on hand at all times. You could even juice the lemons, add the honey/salt and then freeze in ice cube trays. Once you’re in labor, just add to your water. But it’s really not a big deal to make day of.
Larry
My daughter used Agave’ (sp?) as sugar substitute. I don’t know anything about it, but i just remembered she has been using that for awhile.
Shaunie
Can I do this if I am breastfeeding?
Melodie
This sounds amazing as I am entering my last 6 weeks of pregnancy. I’m wondering though if I can substitute the lime (in the coconut lime drink) with pineapple?
Heather
Yes, you absolutely could! I’ll bet that would be delicious.
Andrea Shaw
Thanks for this! Baby three for me is due in December. First time to have a home birth. Excited! Btw, your labor photos are great. Teared up a little bit to be honest. 🙂
Erin
This sounds great! I had gestational diabetes with my first kid, and was super worried about my sugar being too high during labor and sending my baby into a sugar crash once her umbilical cord was cut. It was unwarranted worry, at least for me. Labor is so energy intensive that your body uses up sugar pretty quickly, even if it isn’t normally so great at it. Instead of processing the sugar with insulin, your muscles, etc just use it! At least that’s what my midwife told me, and eating a banana, having honey herbal tea, plus other things like nut butters, etc, really helped and I never had a problem with my sugar. Keeping the food down the whole time was another issue ;-), so these recipes would have been helpful! I’ll pin this for the future, in 9-10 months!
Laura
“Wishing you a beautiful, butter birth!”
*giggle* What’s a butter birth?
Heather
Lol, too many of my friends are midwives! It means they just slip out – like butter 🙂
Shanna
Thanks for this! I’ll be making and putting it to the test in about 6 weeks! This is my ‘first rodeo’ and I’m having twins, so I anticipate needing ALL the energy I can get! 🙂 Lord Bless you as you get ready to deliver #3, Heather!
Leah
These looks scrumptious! How long do you think these will keep in the fridge? I want to have them ready and made for baby labor time, but not worry about spoilage issues. (:
Emily
Thank you for this post, and the many other pregnancy related posts on your site. I’m 6 months pregnant with my first baby and am planning on a birth center delivery. Your blog has educated me in so many ways as I embark on this new adventure!
About the recipe, do you use fresh coconut water or one of the packaged varieties available today? I love fresh coconut water and find the taste far better than the packaged versions, but I don’t always have access to fresh coconuts. If you do use a packaged version, would you mind sharing what brand? Thank you so much!
Heather
Hi Emily! I use a packaged version. I like this one because it does not have any additives: https://mommypotamus.com/coconut-water
Kirsten V
Mmmmm, sounds yummy! I think I’d better make some up and keep it in the fridge…Labor Day is coming up! 🙂 and I’ll definitely take a “butter birth”. 😉
Heather
Are there any other flavors you could suggest? I’m not a huge lemon or lime type of person :/
Heather
Pineapple or orange would be good!
Lacey @ KV Organics
Oh yay, Heather! I just hopped on here to look up something (love your site, though I haven’t been here in a while – been busy with our own new addition on top of normal life and work) and noticed that you’re expecting another little one. Congrats! Can’t wait to hear the happy news! I used a similar homemade labor-aide recipe for our home birth with baby #5 this past June. Good stuff. Love the “butter birth” and definite pray you have one of those. 🙂
Camilla
This is brilliant! I looked into this for my last pregnancy, and ended up having; teaspoons of honey, sips of coconut water and sips of water with rescue remedy, can’t believe I didn’t think to mix them… I know you probably have your plate full but if you get the chance, what do think of these electrolyte drops, http://www.viridian-nutrition.com/shop/Sports-Electrolyte-Fix-Liquid-P698.aspx the Concentrace brand isn’t available in the UK, I would have to pay postage from US, which seems silly. Will definately make this when labour comes around this time! Best of luck!!
Jamie Larrison
My sister-in-law gave birth last night and I made this for her. Unfortunately the hospital wouldn’t let her drink it during her labor, only water, but her husband managed to sneak it in directly afterwards. So glad for this recipe! I didn’t have the supplement drops to add, but I used 1 cup of coconut water. I tried to drink regular gatorade during my pregnancy (I had no idea there was a natural alternative), but I couldn’t stomach the artificial colors and flavors. I plan on using this recipe the next time I’m blessed with another one!
Sailor
It says to add a half cup of honey… but the honey I get is very solid and raw, so will it go to liquid when I add it in or will it stay completely solid and lay on the bottom? I am actually due tomorrow 🙂
Heather
You may need to warm it a smidge before mixing it it. Wishing you a beautiful birth! 😉
Sailor
I made a mistake, I thought it said 1/2 cup honey (it says 1/4) It was quite sweet.
I used this for my labor a week ago, despite being my 3rd baby I had a longer labor and I really think this helped me make it to the end, I recovered better this time also 🙂
I did not have either of the drops, and for some reason I didn’t add water, it was a strong flavor but I really liked it anyway. I am very happy to find this, I’m even mixing it up for recovery on days I feel sluggish.
I’m lucky to have been able to get all raw ingredients, I used harmless harvest raw coconut water along with raw honey and lemons.
I recommend doubling this recipe, for a labor that lasted all day, I used this up pretty quickly.
Thank you!
Lori @ Health Extremist
Hi Heather,
I love this recipe! I have heard great things about rescue remedy, after reading this, I’ll have to give it a try. 🙂
Heather
Yay! I don’t use it very often, but I have found it to be very helpful during ultra-emotional or stressful events.
Brittany
Thank you so much for sharing! I am pregnant with baby #5 and this is our first home birth. I know that even with IV fluids I’ve always felt dehydrated and exhausted after just a couple of hours of labor in the hospital. It is hospital protocol to only be allowed ice chips and they don’t help at all! I am excited to try this recipe. Due date isn’t until Feb. but I am going to try it out now!
Sara G
Hi Heather,
Do you have any good information about why raw honey is safe to consume when pregnant and nursing?
TIA, Sara
FantasticL
I agree – Raw honey is quite dangerous for pregnant Mommas and infants alike due to the risk of botulism… Perhaps using agave nectar instead?
Heather
According to this study, ” The consumption of honey, which might be contaminated with clostridia spores, has been identified as a risk factor for infant botulism,26 a form of botulism that occurs when bacterial spores germinate and colonize the lumen of the large intestine of the neonate.27 Compared with that of the neonate, the adult gut is less conducive to the growth of the clostridia bacteria owing to increased colonization with protective microflora.28 Therefore, colonization botulism, which describes the analogous disease in adults, is extremely rare and occurs almost exclusively among individuals with underlying gastrointestinal abnormality or recent antibiotic treatment.29,30
The molecular weight of the botulinum toxin is approximately 150 kDa; therefore, it is unlikely to cross the placenta via passive diffusion.31 A case report in which a woman acquired botulism during pregnancy suggested that there is no increased risk to the fetus.28 Together with the low risk of colonization botulism among healthy adults, women without gastrointestinal pathology do not need to avoid honey during pregnancy.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2860824/
Midwives often recommend it during labor to help mamas sustain their energy.
Heather
P.S. I would not use agave for the reasons listed in this post: http://realfoodforager.com/why-i-never-use-agave/
Elina
I’m not pregnant but your pictures touched me so much! Thank you for sharing!!! You are so amazing, and such a beautiful mom!
Esther
Hi Heather,
thanks for this recipe! I saw it in my mailbox on Nov. 8 and my sister-in-law was in labor that day. 🙂 So I made some on the 9th and took it to her when I went in to be a support to her. She had her boy that afternoon and she really liked the drink (I thought it was delicious too! I made the lime one.). Thanks!
Heather
YAY! I am so glad to hear that, Esther! What and awesome SIL you are 🙂
Annie
I can’t wait to make this! We’re expecting our first at the end of the month and are planning a homebirth. How long do you think it will last in the fridge? I’d love to make it in advance; maybe I’ll just freeze it?
Heather
Hi Annie, I’m not sure how long it would last in the fridge, unfortunately. My mom made some for me when I went into labor 😉
jessica
Would there be any harm in drinking these when not in labor?
Tarah
It’s fine! My brother is a triathlete and uses this recipe during training/racing. I make it every once in a while just because it tastes good!
jessica
I’m not a triathlete or any type of athlete. Just a pregnant momma who thinks it sounds yummy lol
Cait
Thank you for this recipe! I’m gathering things for my upcoming homebirth and these ingredients are definitely on the list. Do you think it would lose anything by being frozen in ice cubes ahead of time? I thought it might be nice to have pre-made.
Nicole S
Thanks so much for sharing this! We’re also adding to our family (in a few weeks or so!) and I have a hard time getting anything in me in labor, so I’m definitely trying Labor Aid recipes this time. Love that yours start with coconut water!!
How long will this stay good for in the fridge?
How long would this stay good for in the fridge?
savannah
thanks for the recipe – it’s delicious! i decided to make it since i was having pre-labor cramping, but i wonder how long it will keep in the fridge, since it could be two more weeks before active labor starts! i figure i would freeze it in a large ziploc if nothing else, but any sense how long the cocowater-lemon version will keep? (i also used pasteurized lemon juice, not from concentrate, so maybe that will help preserve it?)
Rachel
Just wanted to stop back to rave about this drink! I made it about 10 days before #5 showed up and kept it in the freezer. Didn’t actually get to use it for labor as the whole thing was done in an hour and 15 minutes. But it had thawed for the postpartum recovery and was great! It helped me get through the after pains and the first sleepless night. Thank you for the recipe!
Heather
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it, Rachel. Congrats on your new little one!
Jamie
Goodness that looks awesome! Is the Rescue Remedy something I can take PP while nursing, while hormones are all in a flux and I tend to have exhausted panicky periods?
Heather ~ Mommypotamus
I have used it while nursing 🙂
Chrissy
Hi! How long do you think this will stay good for in the fridge? Should I freeze it? I am 35 weeks currently. Thanks!
Melissa W.
Can you think of any reason I couldn’t use my pink himalayan salt in place of sea salt or celtic salt?
Heather
I think that would be fine. I often use them interchangeably.
Kate
Would there be any harm in drinking this on a regular basis? I made it for labor and loved it so much I drank it for at least 6 weeks postpartum. But I started having some GI issues that were unusual for me so I stopped just in case this drink was contributing. I have no idea if it was….thoughts?
Hannah
You mentioned you use the Concentrate Mineral drops daily anyway due to our soils depletion of minerals. Do you use the recommended amount on the bottle during pregnancy or more/less?
Carmela
Can I replace the raw honey with Stevia?
Kari H.
Made this today for my 6 yr. old who needed something after vomiting all yesterday and was weak + dehydrated. She would not drink Pedialyte, said it was “too rich,” but happily drank 32 oz of the coconut-lime recipe (I didn’t have mineral drops so made it without). Thank you for the recipe!!
Lisanna
I just had my third baby yesterday, nine days early, so I didn’t even get to make these in advance! But my sister-in-law made them (both kinds) while I labored and I got to enjoy them afterward. Delicious!! I’m so glad I found your recipes, it was just what I needed!
Mary
I saw a lot of concern about the trace mineral drops you recommend in Amazon reviews-do you have any thoughts on the fluoride/arsenic etc issue?
Gabriella Obrecht
What bout using acv in place of the citrus juice? Would that do the trick?
Thanks!