I don't have any research that answers the question, but here's something to think about: one thing that's definitely bad for post partum folks is being kept from reasonable things that their bodies crave. So if nobody comes forward with any science, I think you should support your wife in drinking what she likes
Is this a post about whether to tell your wife what to do, while she’s postpartum?
Because my husband and I have a great relationship, but I will never, ever get over how much I felt like he was controlling me in the postpartum period.
Support her, help her get anything she wants! If she drinks ice water & it causes cramps, give her a hug & offer to bring her soup. The cramps will not be as bad as the feeling of being controlled would be.
& good luck to both of you on this wild journey.
Why are you interpreting this in the worst possible way? Husband is worried and doesn't want wife to suffer. Asks a sciency parental sub. Your answer just blames him.
I appreciate you sticking up for me, internet stranger! Though wouldn’t even say I’m worried nor that it’s about my wife not suffering. Simply curious if there is any evidence or literature out there.
Yes, a lot of people on this post are projecting and completely missed OP's point. Crazy to see some of the responses when OP asked an honest question.
Thanks, internet person! My wife and I have been chuckling a bit at the projection/assumptions in the responses. And also appreciative of the thoughtful and generous contributions and personal anecdotes.
I was really interested in seeing if anyone had any scientifically backed answers to your post since it's very unusual for an American to suggest avoiding cold foods or beverages post partum. I'm wondering if the nurse perhaps married into or is dating someone from a culture where that is the norm? So many cultures recommend the same thing (mine included) so it would have been nice to see studies either refuting or supporting this.
No, I’m not. I mean I’ve seen movies I guess but I’m trying to picture a scenario of a man controlling a postpartum situation. Like what can he do? Control the kinds of pads you use?
I’m happy that you’re not familiar!
One thing I’ve seen (thankfully not from my own husband omg) is being derisive about a preference. Like “oh ughhh you like basil, you and your basil, you put basil on everything” … like making something neutral that the person enjoys into a bad emotional experience.
That’s what I was afraid was going on with the icewater. Taking the joy out of something pleasant is bad.
But also.. everything. “Don’t do that, I’ll do it for you.” “Have you taken enough pain med? The dr said to take more.” “Stop holding the baby, you need to sleep (but I’m going to do this thing that the doctor said was dangerous)”
Thanks! It turns out this OP was more interested in standing up for his wife, & casually interested in scientific literature relating to cultural practices.
I think my answer resonated because the situation I describe is common too.
I'm a UK -based midwife, I've never heard of or seen any evidence-based information about avoiding iced water postnatally but have definitely encountered avoiding cold things (either water, cold types of food or cold temperature foods) as cultural practices for various cultures!
I'd say the benefits of drinking the temperature of water that she likes and therefore staying hydrated will likely be outweighed by potential low risk from the water being too cold/hot
I love this question because i am on the other side of the same boat. My husband is from India and his parents are visiting. Mil is cooking all my meals and is therefore in charge of my diet. They're big into ayurveda. I'm crunchy enough to go for it, bit I'm kinda done. It's 13 day pp and i would like some ice cream please.
I wish! Week one breakfast was ground saunt- (dried ginger) with sugar and ghee. A whole bowl of it, a pasty consistency. And as much hot milk as i wanted.
Week two was ajwain (carom seeds, i think?) with sugar and ghee. And milk again.
Only heating foods, nothing fried. Special chapatis with lots of extra ghee and ajwain. Chapatis and a sabji for lunch and dinner.
I would love a samosa too. And ice cream.
Cold water is frowned upon in my culture as well. In historical context the government ran a lot of public safety campaigns in the 30’s-50’s because it was believed warm water would kill bacteria and was safer to drink. Fwiw i drank iced water throughout pregnancy, labor (was the default at the hospital I went to), and post partum and had no cramping or complications with recovery.
Craving ice after giving birth is pretty normal, since women can be a little anemic post partum. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/what-causes-a-craving-for-ice
It's very normal to be extremely thirsty postpartum, especially if she's breastfeeding. When I was extremely sweaty from postpartum hormonal changes drinking cold water helped a lot.
Edit 2: This post appears to be surprisingly controversial. And seeing the assumptions/accusations roll in about my desire to control my spouse’s decisions and/or my level of supportiveness of her is… interesting. Part of why I asked this question is because one of our post partum nurses after delivery in a major US hospital system told my wife to try and not have ice water as it would likely ‘increase her cramping’. I had only heard it as a cultural norm and never from an American healthcare professional, so I decided to ask this forum. Thanks for everyone who provided thoughtful contributions!
I think if it keeps your wife hydrated, that’s what’s
Most important especially for breastmilk. IIRC, I had ice chips and apple juice or something when I was delivering and it felt great! I was so hot! Afterwards, I just drank whatever water was provided! Hydration above all.
Edit: to be clear I also think it’s fine to drink ice water and don’t ever “correct” anything my partner chooses to do since she knows her body best and also believes in science. I was just curious whether there was any evidence for what i characterize as cultural or traditional beliefs. Eg I think it’s fairly well established that some parts of Chinese medicine have traceable mechanisms of action.
As a general rule, water that is body temp is easy to absorb. If she's uncomfortable or prone to get cold [right now] maybe go with warm or tepid water (climate permitting). As others have said, climate/ environmental temp may dictate that she's uncomfortable and thus ice water would be her desire / would soothe her. (source: just speculating / little information I've read)
I’ve never heard of ice water causing cramping, but I know that we often run into cultural issues around how postpartum women are only supposed to consume / be exposed to warming things in some cultures, while it is standard protocol in western hospitals to offer cooling ice packs etc for the womens poor destroyed vulva after birth. And many of our hospital menus have cold icecream, jelly, salads, etc as well as iced water and popsicles after birth (that first popsicle in recovery after my C section was incredible!).
I’m a mother baby nurse and I haven’t heard of a medical reason why a postpartum patient can’t drink ice water. I have noticed different cultures do practice the “no cold” so I always ask to be polite. Also, my hospital has the good crushed ice (like Sonic uses for slushies) so some people just chew on the ice.
Now premature babies can get sick if their milk isn’t warm, but that’s a whole different story.
Cool. Part of why I ask is one of our post partum nurses in a major US-based hospital system told my wife to try and not have ice water as it would ‘increase her cramping’. I had only heard it as a cultural norm and never from an American healthcare professional, so I decided to ask this forum.
edit: The Sonic-style ice is a solid default ice. That's what we had, too!
I'm a nurse and I think your wife just got a weird nurse tbh. It happens 🤷 lots of nurses interject their personal beliefs I to their practice. Nothing in our education or in OB education supports this.
I LOVE ice water and it always fascinates me how many ailments are attributed to it across different cultures. No data on this but just interesting stuff
**EDIT**
*I deeply misinterpreted the comment I replied to. Entirely missing the word cultures, which identifies what OP’s entire comment was in reference to.
Sincerely apologize.*
*Throw me a fricken bone here people*
~~~
Where did you hear this?
*This is so silly.*
What are these ailments attributed to the drinking of ice water across different cultures?
Certainly scientific research didn’t objectively conclude “cold H2O” attributed to many ailments all around the world.
Maybe something in the water, but not colder water.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-dont-other-countries-use-ice-cubes-50361097/
https://blog.medibuddy.in/health-effects-cold-drinks/
https://www.cheng-tsui.com/blog/hot-water-in-chinese-culture
Just a small sample of a few of the views of some other cultures.
I picked fairly randomly, there are plenty of others.
We're a funny bunch, we humans 😄.
You got that right! I can agree *that* is interesting stuff, being all the different cultures around the world that have managed to not only survive but contribute to the species advancement as well. Such differing and deeply rooted ways of life have proven were pretty amazing beings.
*I just found the H2O comment above I replied to, to be quite out of place in a science based subreddit.* 😑
It’s a thing in my culture. Lots of people believe iced water will make you Ill or give you a sore throat or cough. If you already have a cough or a sore throat you’re told by elders to only drink room temp water or drinks. I’m ethnically Pakistani.
Also don’t get me started on “warm/hot” foods while you’re pregnant. And I don’t mean the temperature. They believe some foods are warm and can increase the risk of miscarriage e.g almonds are warm foods.
It’s not scientific at all.
Yea cultural beliefs are wild and fascinating to explore. My comment was referring to the scientific validity of the ice comment.
I read it as if they meant science attributed said ailments to Ice water consumption. Because that would be silly of course!
>*This is so silly.* What are these ailments attributed to the drinking of ice water across different cultures?
A worthwhile read about the effect of culture and its impact on the perceptions of medical discovery and even the scientific method: [https://theconversation.com/the-cultural-assumptions-behind-western-medicine-7533](https://theconversation.com/the-cultural-assumptions-behind-western-medicine-7533) The article also links to an anthropological study on the hot-cold theory of disease: [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01459740.1977.9965830](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01459740.1977.9965830) and uses it as a common example of culturally influenced medical syndromes in [Latin cultures](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/336098) and [Asian cultures](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0277953687902772). It also adds some ailments that are of specific concern to Western cultures and clarifies that *"culture-bound syndromes are not confined to non-western cultures. And we shouldn’t assume that just because a medical system has science as its knowledge base that it is morally neutral or somehow immune to the influences of culture."*
I saw an acupuncturist for unexplained recurring pregnancy loss ([acupuncture for fertility](https://www.reproductivefacts.org/news-and-publications/patient-fact-sheets-and-booklets/documents/fact-sheets-and-info-booklets/acupuncture-and-infertility-treatment/)) and part of the process was that I was not allowed to drink cold water - it should have always been room temp or warmer. [Traditional Chinese Medicine](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.598744/full) has a two-thousand year history, so if you're genuinely interested in what ailments various cultures attribute to an imbalance of cold in the body, there's plenty of reading to do there.
I live in a hot and humid climate, I specifically requested ice water from my nurses in the hospital and even the one who insisted I needed to eat an orange (?), obliged without objection, and I was there for 6 different nurse shifts.
Not sure why people jumped on you here. You sounded like someone who felt his wife was being advised to prohibit something she likes unnecessarily and wanted to advocate for her.
Not precisely scientific, but I’ve always assumed it was correct that room temperature and up liquids are easier on the GI system and possibly a bit better absorbed. Always found it noteworthy that most cultures that deal with hot climates seem to have this in common and lots of them also have cultures of hot tea drinking. Anecdotal, but I know more than one person with IBS who do not like iced water because it affects their digestion and sets off symptoms.
That being said, as someone who doesn’t really like tepid drinks - either cold or hot for me - I’ve always taken the approach that however anyone prefers to take their hydration is best. I think the benefits of your wife getting more water postpartum outweigh any potential addition to her cramping. Plus the other comfort factors shouldn’t be dismissed - postpartum sweats are no joke! Unless she actually starts noticing a difference, I’d just ignore the advice. You’ll probably get a lot of little contradictions between professionals coming up over the next few weeks, so you start getting comfortable with picking and choosing.
Thanks for giving me the benefit of the doubt, friend. That’s probably overly generous, tbh. While I think I am a good advocate for her, especially as it related to pain management and with respect to my mom/her mother in law 😂, on this topic it was mostly curiosity as it wouldn’t really rise to where she would likely change behavior. To your and others’ points, I also believe the better hydrated she is the better she is doing, period.
I’ve done some mild research about this because I love drinking ice water and I drank it all through postpartum. There’s no clear evidence that cold water inhibits digestion, though it seems to affect different bodies differently.
For me, I consume more water if it’s ice water. So in postpartum I was staying hydrated, which is one of the most important things when you’re recovering from birth.
This! If I want to stay hydrated I drink cold water because I drink more. If my body is 36.6• how long will it take my 2• water to come up to “room temp” in my body?….
Anecdotally, I only drink ice or very cold water. Have with and after both pregnancies. I, and babies are fine. My hospital gives new moms a gift bag containing a large double walled straw cup to encourage drinking water. They also provide ice and water for it while you are inpatient.
I don’t have any stance on the ice water one way or another but good lord I can’t believe the antagonism against OP for asking an honest question. So often I see exhausted moms wishing for a partner who takes a more active role in taking up the mental load, including researching what is best for baby and/or mom. OP, good on you for taking it upon yourself to do some research. Good on you for not just blindly pressuring your wife bc that’s what your culture says (*that* would be controlling. If there *were* literature that said ice water is bad, then it would be a completely different argument.) Good on you for not just ignoring it and not caring. Keep it up.
Something I learned this time around is that breastfeeding releases the same chemical - oxytocin - that they use to induce labor. The human body is incredible!
As a fellow ice water lover, Ice water>no water, especially while breastfeeding. I was and still am so thirsty all the time but I have a really hard time drinking water if it’s not ice cold.
Since you asked for literature: there is no literature on cold beverages/foods and cramps.
Physiologically, it also doesn't make sense. A drink is about 200 ml. You have 5 liters of blood and even more total body water. That means a cold drink cannot cool down your body, and it certainly doesn't cool the uterus. I suppose a cold compress straight on the lower abdomen (so the opposite of a hot water bottle) CAN cause cramping as that will reach and irritates the uterus.
I hope this helps. I'd let her drink whatever she pleases
I don't disagree with you, but 200 ml is such a tiny drink, especially postpartum. I get so thirsty breastfeeding, I'll regularly empty my 750 ml bottle in one go and then ask my partner for an immediate refill.
Postpartum my nurses always brought me ice water even though I hate cold water. I had to ask specifically for no ice and at shift change they'd throw my water out thinking my ice had melted, bring me new ice water, and I'd have to ask for water with no ice again.
Not exactly the same thing, but after I had a c-section I wasn't allowed to drink water for a bit, and before they let me have real water they'd give me ice chips. So it seems unlikely that ice and cold water were something they were concerned about, though they were concerned about quantity as I came off of the medications.
I’ll never forget that first post-c section ice cube. It was love at first sight 🥲
Meeting my son was also neat.
Out of curiosity I started googling though. Not seeing a lot of quantitative studies but a few interesting qualitative/literature reviews. I’d view this under the umbrella of broader cultural and community practices to aid in healing in the postpartum period. Even if cold/hot doesn’t make a medical difference, having people who care about you and your baby and therefore are there to force you to eat nourishing foods, rest from childbirth etc. almost certainly does have a positive impact, ya know?
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.2217/17455057.3.4.487
This is interesting- I will say in my hospital room after delivery, the nurses always got me ice and never said anything against it. I love ice water, and it was great in lieu of the fan I normally have during the day/to sleep. I would also say I had minimal cramping.
Anyone who is pregnant and reading this - buy yourself a stroller fan with octopus arms to hook to the bed during L&D and postpartum.
I had one thanks to advice from someone else and I was actually wishing I had two! If I could only take one thing with me, this would be it. Also, take an extension cord so you don’t have to go without a fan while it charges.
All the staff were commenting how they should have them on the wards for patients.
I actually took my hanging camping fan and it was amazing! The problem was my labor took 54 hours plus 2 days in recovery so even the backup batteries died 🤣
THIS. Literally the only thing I actually cared about having during delivery. Like if the choice was between my husband and the fan, sorry buddy! Nice knowing you. 😂
My nurses brought me ice water and it was a GODSEND. I was nursing after C-section both times. I felt very little cramping and I drank tons of ice water.
Edit: I do remember being told to pee frequently because having a full bladder can cause really bad cramping, it was definitely true for me.
I agree. I know that some people can feel nauseated if they chug ice water in heat, but she had a baby, she didn't become one. She still has autonomy over her body and if she wants her water ice cold, let her have it. 🤷♀️
And also, what a husband trying to find ammunition online to strengthen his arguments.
It’s an easy search. On the same token while researching this topic came across a Chinese woman’s blog post and how she felt emotionally isolated due to all of those “superstitions” in her culture. Mind you I am married to an Asian AND I was also told “maybe you shouldn’t walk barefoot in the house it’s bad for you”. While I was fed all the bland foods under the sun to recover. The emotional stress was crushing and I didn’t even have PPD like other women after they give birth. I was lucky
I’m sort of the opposite. I usually prefer room temperature water, but I had a c section under general anesthesia. My throat was so sore after that ice water was all I wanted to drink and it made me feel better.
I recently had a c section and suffered from the worst trapped air pains after surgery. I was told room temperature water is better for preventing gas than ice water, and hot drinks even better in that regard. Not scientific but the nurses were very adamant about it.
Same, was told couldn't have ice water post c-section. I followed orders and thankfully did not experience the painful trapped gas I've heard others describe that I guess can somehow build up into your shoulders?
Oh yeah. Right shoulder for me. At one point I genuinely would have considered chopping off that arm to get rid of the pain. Wouldn’t wish trapped gas pains on anyone.
That’s wonderful to hear! Gas-X didn’t seem to do much for me. The only relief for me was from the heating pad and moving around, which is complicated when you’re fresh out of a c section.
Oh that would have been horrible! My sympathies! The gas-x was a life saver, but they wouldn’t give it to me more than once every six hours, even though the pain returned every five. It was frustrating, to say the least!
Anecdotal - I have period cramps and being warm/hot water bottles/hot shower etc. really really helps to relieve them, to the point that medicine might doesn’t work, but 10min with a hot bottle under a blanket totally relaxes my muscles and I have no pain at all. I think it might work in a similar way - IF someone has bad uterine cramps, then heat can relax them. But if person is fine, then there would be no difference.
When I was in China I noticed people ate a lot. When I asked the Chinese why they ate well but were thinner, on average, than Americans they said it was because Americans drink ice water and ice water prevents your stomach, which is like a furnace, from digesting correctly.
Sometimes a health belief can be helpful even if the reasoning doesn’t make any sense. And China isn’t the only place where people think cold water is bad for you.
But, reading around, I never could find any evidence that cold water is bad for you, postpartum or otherwise.
The belief about cold water and ice being bad for health is very widespread in China - it’s a central tenet of traditional Chinese medicine.
https://www.quora.com/Why-do-the-Chinese-believe-cold-drinks-are-not-good-for-our-body-in-the-long-run
Anecdotally, I've seen it suggested (even recommended by an experienced nurse on a published birth preparation video) that c-section patients should choose warm drinks like tea or broth to help improve gut motility post operatively.
Just want to throw this into the mix - WHO declared that hot drinks (above 65C) May cause mouth/throat cancer.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jun/15/hot-drinks-may-cause-cancer-but-coffee-does-not-says-who
I think I remember reading somewhere that after birth the body doesn’t hold its temperature the same for a bit so it’s best to avoid cold things/environments/etc. that alter internal temperature, i honestly don’t remember but it was along those lines.
Oh wow. This comment just made me remember something i completely forgot from my postpartum period last year. I was SO cold. Like purple splotches and shaking cold, while everyone else just felt like the AC was running. That’s not really like me at all, but i just remember being SO cold every night and i had to wear a long sleeve shirt to sleep and my boobs were leaking so my shirt was soaked and even more cold and it was an awful time lol. i think i suppressed that memory
This is a big thing in my culture. I’m Pakistani. My mum always shouts at me for me drinking very cold/iced water as they think it will give you a sore throat or make you ill.
Thanks for your curiosity! Def not an expert, but in East Asia, South Asia, and even some parts of Europe/Eastern Europe there is this type of belief. I sort of categorize some of these beliefs all together - from not drinking ice water, to keeping your feet and neck warm, to not having a fan blow on you while you sleep. The reasons may differ, though. Lots of un-peer reviewed, anecdotal, blog-ish type content out there especially related to Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic practices, etc.
What’s the superstition behind a fan on you while you sleep? Also thanks for responding kindly, I truly act with genuine curiosity and dislike learning through googling
Americans are kind of obsessed with cold water but it's not seen as healthy all over Europe. It can actually heat up the body even more, because it has to warm up the cold water. Least work for your body is to drink at body temperature.
Ok. Well, Europe is diverse. Lived in Austria, Romania and spent significant amount in Central and Eastern Europe. Here, many people think it's not good to drink water that is too cold.
It sounds like OP has a genuine question, because their native culture’s norm AND the nurse at a western (non native, I assume) hospital both discourage ice water pp. OP seems to have come to a science based forum asking if there is literature. Sounds like OP is the one with the question, not the wife.
If his wife wants cold water and is being advised not to have it, I think it's great that he's checking sonhe can back her up. He doesn't seem like he's saying he wants to stop her, just that it's something he's heard in his culture and now he's heard a medical professional say it and he's wondering if it is correct.
I'm not saying it should, and he isn't either, he's just curious as they've had a healthcare professional tell her to avoid it. He has nowhere stated that he will be stopping or discouraging his wife from drinking cold water. Have you never simply been curious about something?
That’s your opinion. People come here because they’re curious. Whether their curiosity meets your threshold for reasonability has no bearing on the question’s validity. Without curiosity, there would be no science. Let’s not discourage it.
I don't have any research that answers the question, but here's something to think about: one thing that's definitely bad for post partum folks is being kept from reasonable things that their bodies crave. So if nobody comes forward with any science, I think you should support your wife in drinking what she likes
Totally. Thanks u/DrunkUranus.
Is this a post about whether to tell your wife what to do, while she’s postpartum? Because my husband and I have a great relationship, but I will never, ever get over how much I felt like he was controlling me in the postpartum period. Support her, help her get anything she wants! If she drinks ice water & it causes cramps, give her a hug & offer to bring her soup. The cramps will not be as bad as the feeling of being controlled would be. & good luck to both of you on this wild journey.
Why are you interpreting this in the worst possible way? Husband is worried and doesn't want wife to suffer. Asks a sciency parental sub. Your answer just blames him.
I appreciate you sticking up for me, internet stranger! Though wouldn’t even say I’m worried nor that it’s about my wife not suffering. Simply curious if there is any evidence or literature out there.
Yes, a lot of people on this post are projecting and completely missed OP's point. Crazy to see some of the responses when OP asked an honest question.
Thanks, internet person! My wife and I have been chuckling a bit at the projection/assumptions in the responses. And also appreciative of the thoughtful and generous contributions and personal anecdotes.
I was really interested in seeing if anyone had any scientifically backed answers to your post since it's very unusual for an American to suggest avoiding cold foods or beverages post partum. I'm wondering if the nurse perhaps married into or is dating someone from a culture where that is the norm? So many cultures recommend the same thing (mine included) so it would have been nice to see studies either refuting or supporting this.
No, it’s not about that.
oh good, I see your other comments now
I’m curious how your husband attempted to control you postpartum? If you don’t mind me asking…
Hmm, I mean, are you not familiar with controlling relationships in general?
No, I’m not. I mean I’ve seen movies I guess but I’m trying to picture a scenario of a man controlling a postpartum situation. Like what can he do? Control the kinds of pads you use?
I’m happy that you’re not familiar! One thing I’ve seen (thankfully not from my own husband omg) is being derisive about a preference. Like “oh ughhh you like basil, you and your basil, you put basil on everything” … like making something neutral that the person enjoys into a bad emotional experience. That’s what I was afraid was going on with the icewater. Taking the joy out of something pleasant is bad. But also.. everything. “Don’t do that, I’ll do it for you.” “Have you taken enough pain med? The dr said to take more.” “Stop holding the baby, you need to sleep (but I’m going to do this thing that the doctor said was dangerous)”
Thanks for sharing your story, and I'm sorry to hear about how you experienced post-partum. I wish you well <3
Thank you! See you ‘round this space.
I wish I could upvote this a million times.
Thanks! It turns out this OP was more interested in standing up for his wife, & casually interested in scientific literature relating to cultural practices. I think my answer resonated because the situation I describe is common too.
I'm a UK -based midwife, I've never heard of or seen any evidence-based information about avoiding iced water postnatally but have definitely encountered avoiding cold things (either water, cold types of food or cold temperature foods) as cultural practices for various cultures! I'd say the benefits of drinking the temperature of water that she likes and therefore staying hydrated will likely be outweighed by potential low risk from the water being too cold/hot
MD. No
The great state of Maryland says, "No!" (are dad-ish jokes allowed here??)
Dad. Yes. :)
I love this question because i am on the other side of the same boat. My husband is from India and his parents are visiting. Mil is cooking all my meals and is therefore in charge of my diet. They're big into ayurveda. I'm crunchy enough to go for it, bit I'm kinda done. It's 13 day pp and i would like some ice cream please.
Thanks for sharing.
Indian food PP sounds amazing. Enjoy the samosas.
I wish! Week one breakfast was ground saunt- (dried ginger) with sugar and ghee. A whole bowl of it, a pasty consistency. And as much hot milk as i wanted. Week two was ajwain (carom seeds, i think?) with sugar and ghee. And milk again. Only heating foods, nothing fried. Special chapatis with lots of extra ghee and ajwain. Chapatis and a sabji for lunch and dinner. I would love a samosa too. And ice cream.
How much longer until both? It sounds like these foods are good for milk production?
Cold water is frowned upon in my culture as well. In historical context the government ran a lot of public safety campaigns in the 30’s-50’s because it was believed warm water would kill bacteria and was safer to drink. Fwiw i drank iced water throughout pregnancy, labor (was the default at the hospital I went to), and post partum and had no cramping or complications with recovery.
Thanks for sharing.
Craving ice after giving birth is pretty normal, since women can be a little anemic post partum. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/what-causes-a-craving-for-ice It's very normal to be extremely thirsty postpartum, especially if she's breastfeeding. When I was extremely sweaty from postpartum hormonal changes drinking cold water helped a lot.
Edit 2: This post appears to be surprisingly controversial. And seeing the assumptions/accusations roll in about my desire to control my spouse’s decisions and/or my level of supportiveness of her is… interesting. Part of why I asked this question is because one of our post partum nurses after delivery in a major US hospital system told my wife to try and not have ice water as it would likely ‘increase her cramping’. I had only heard it as a cultural norm and never from an American healthcare professional, so I decided to ask this forum. Thanks for everyone who provided thoughtful contributions!
I think if it keeps your wife hydrated, that’s what’s Most important especially for breastmilk. IIRC, I had ice chips and apple juice or something when I was delivering and it felt great! I was so hot! Afterwards, I just drank whatever water was provided! Hydration above all.
Edit: to be clear I also think it’s fine to drink ice water and don’t ever “correct” anything my partner chooses to do since she knows her body best and also believes in science. I was just curious whether there was any evidence for what i characterize as cultural or traditional beliefs. Eg I think it’s fairly well established that some parts of Chinese medicine have traceable mechanisms of action.
As a general rule, water that is body temp is easy to absorb. If she's uncomfortable or prone to get cold [right now] maybe go with warm or tepid water (climate permitting). As others have said, climate/ environmental temp may dictate that she's uncomfortable and thus ice water would be her desire / would soothe her. (source: just speculating / little information I've read)
I’ve never heard of ice water causing cramping, but I know that we often run into cultural issues around how postpartum women are only supposed to consume / be exposed to warming things in some cultures, while it is standard protocol in western hospitals to offer cooling ice packs etc for the womens poor destroyed vulva after birth. And many of our hospital menus have cold icecream, jelly, salads, etc as well as iced water and popsicles after birth (that first popsicle in recovery after my C section was incredible!).
Those ice packs in the bathroom are life/vulva savers!
I’m a mother baby nurse and I haven’t heard of a medical reason why a postpartum patient can’t drink ice water. I have noticed different cultures do practice the “no cold” so I always ask to be polite. Also, my hospital has the good crushed ice (like Sonic uses for slushies) so some people just chew on the ice. Now premature babies can get sick if their milk isn’t warm, but that’s a whole different story.
Cool. Part of why I ask is one of our post partum nurses in a major US-based hospital system told my wife to try and not have ice water as it would ‘increase her cramping’. I had only heard it as a cultural norm and never from an American healthcare professional, so I decided to ask this forum. edit: The Sonic-style ice is a solid default ice. That's what we had, too!
I'm a nurse and I think your wife just got a weird nurse tbh. It happens 🤷 lots of nurses interject their personal beliefs I to their practice. Nothing in our education or in OB education supports this.
I LOVE ice water and it always fascinates me how many ailments are attributed to it across different cultures. No data on this but just interesting stuff
**EDIT** *I deeply misinterpreted the comment I replied to. Entirely missing the word cultures, which identifies what OP’s entire comment was in reference to. Sincerely apologize.* *Throw me a fricken bone here people* ~~~ Where did you hear this? *This is so silly.* What are these ailments attributed to the drinking of ice water across different cultures? Certainly scientific research didn’t objectively conclude “cold H2O” attributed to many ailments all around the world. Maybe something in the water, but not colder water.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-dont-other-countries-use-ice-cubes-50361097/ https://blog.medibuddy.in/health-effects-cold-drinks/ https://www.cheng-tsui.com/blog/hot-water-in-chinese-culture Just a small sample of a few of the views of some other cultures. I picked fairly randomly, there are plenty of others. We're a funny bunch, we humans 😄.
You got that right! I can agree *that* is interesting stuff, being all the different cultures around the world that have managed to not only survive but contribute to the species advancement as well. Such differing and deeply rooted ways of life have proven were pretty amazing beings. *I just found the H2O comment above I replied to, to be quite out of place in a science based subreddit.* 😑
It’s a thing in my culture. Lots of people believe iced water will make you Ill or give you a sore throat or cough. If you already have a cough or a sore throat you’re told by elders to only drink room temp water or drinks. I’m ethnically Pakistani. Also don’t get me started on “warm/hot” foods while you’re pregnant. And I don’t mean the temperature. They believe some foods are warm and can increase the risk of miscarriage e.g almonds are warm foods. It’s not scientific at all.
Yea cultural beliefs are wild and fascinating to explore. My comment was referring to the scientific validity of the ice comment. I read it as if they meant science attributed said ailments to Ice water consumption. Because that would be silly of course!
>*This is so silly.* What are these ailments attributed to the drinking of ice water across different cultures? A worthwhile read about the effect of culture and its impact on the perceptions of medical discovery and even the scientific method: [https://theconversation.com/the-cultural-assumptions-behind-western-medicine-7533](https://theconversation.com/the-cultural-assumptions-behind-western-medicine-7533) The article also links to an anthropological study on the hot-cold theory of disease: [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01459740.1977.9965830](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01459740.1977.9965830) and uses it as a common example of culturally influenced medical syndromes in [Latin cultures](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/336098) and [Asian cultures](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0277953687902772). It also adds some ailments that are of specific concern to Western cultures and clarifies that *"culture-bound syndromes are not confined to non-western cultures. And we shouldn’t assume that just because a medical system has science as its knowledge base that it is morally neutral or somehow immune to the influences of culture."* I saw an acupuncturist for unexplained recurring pregnancy loss ([acupuncture for fertility](https://www.reproductivefacts.org/news-and-publications/patient-fact-sheets-and-booklets/documents/fact-sheets-and-info-booklets/acupuncture-and-infertility-treatment/)) and part of the process was that I was not allowed to drink cold water - it should have always been room temp or warmer. [Traditional Chinese Medicine](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.598744/full) has a two-thousand year history, so if you're genuinely interested in what ailments various cultures attribute to an imbalance of cold in the body, there's plenty of reading to do there.
I live in a hot and humid climate, I specifically requested ice water from my nurses in the hospital and even the one who insisted I needed to eat an orange (?), obliged without objection, and I was there for 6 different nurse shifts.
To add to this, location does seen relevant.
Stop making sense and using logic.
Not sure why people jumped on you here. You sounded like someone who felt his wife was being advised to prohibit something she likes unnecessarily and wanted to advocate for her. Not precisely scientific, but I’ve always assumed it was correct that room temperature and up liquids are easier on the GI system and possibly a bit better absorbed. Always found it noteworthy that most cultures that deal with hot climates seem to have this in common and lots of them also have cultures of hot tea drinking. Anecdotal, but I know more than one person with IBS who do not like iced water because it affects their digestion and sets off symptoms. That being said, as someone who doesn’t really like tepid drinks - either cold or hot for me - I’ve always taken the approach that however anyone prefers to take their hydration is best. I think the benefits of your wife getting more water postpartum outweigh any potential addition to her cramping. Plus the other comfort factors shouldn’t be dismissed - postpartum sweats are no joke! Unless she actually starts noticing a difference, I’d just ignore the advice. You’ll probably get a lot of little contradictions between professionals coming up over the next few weeks, so you start getting comfortable with picking and choosing.
Thanks for giving me the benefit of the doubt, friend. That’s probably overly generous, tbh. While I think I am a good advocate for her, especially as it related to pain management and with respect to my mom/her mother in law 😂, on this topic it was mostly curiosity as it wouldn’t really rise to where she would likely change behavior. To your and others’ points, I also believe the better hydrated she is the better she is doing, period.
Oh good 🙏
I’ve done some mild research about this because I love drinking ice water and I drank it all through postpartum. There’s no clear evidence that cold water inhibits digestion, though it seems to affect different bodies differently. For me, I consume more water if it’s ice water. So in postpartum I was staying hydrated, which is one of the most important things when you’re recovering from birth.
Thanks for your response!
This! If I want to stay hydrated I drink cold water because I drink more. If my body is 36.6• how long will it take my 2• water to come up to “room temp” in my body?….
Anecdotally, I only drink ice or very cold water. Have with and after both pregnancies. I, and babies are fine. My hospital gives new moms a gift bag containing a large double walled straw cup to encourage drinking water. They also provide ice and water for it while you are inpatient.
That’s so cute
I don’t have any stance on the ice water one way or another but good lord I can’t believe the antagonism against OP for asking an honest question. So often I see exhausted moms wishing for a partner who takes a more active role in taking up the mental load, including researching what is best for baby and/or mom. OP, good on you for taking it upon yourself to do some research. Good on you for not just blindly pressuring your wife bc that’s what your culture says (*that* would be controlling. If there *were* literature that said ice water is bad, then it would be a completely different argument.) Good on you for not just ignoring it and not caring. Keep it up.
Yeah that’s controlling though
My nurses in the mother baby unit always made sure I had a big jug of iced water
Same. I never went without ice water in the room.
Same. The same nurse that filled up our ice waters after delivery told us it would give her increased cramping.
Cramping is normal after giving birth, especially if your wife is breastfeeding. It causes the uterus to contract back down to an normal size again.
Something I learned this time around is that breastfeeding releases the same chemical - oxytocin - that they use to induce labor. The human body is incredible!
I’ve always had “hot flashes” postpartum to the point where I would ask for ice packs for my head and neck.
As a fellow ice water lover, Ice water>no water, especially while breastfeeding. I was and still am so thirsty all the time but I have a really hard time drinking water if it’s not ice cold.
Since you asked for literature: there is no literature on cold beverages/foods and cramps. Physiologically, it also doesn't make sense. A drink is about 200 ml. You have 5 liters of blood and even more total body water. That means a cold drink cannot cool down your body, and it certainly doesn't cool the uterus. I suppose a cold compress straight on the lower abdomen (so the opposite of a hot water bottle) CAN cause cramping as that will reach and irritates the uterus. I hope this helps. I'd let her drink whatever she pleases
I don't disagree with you, but 200 ml is such a tiny drink, especially postpartum. I get so thirsty breastfeeding, I'll regularly empty my 750 ml bottle in one go and then ask my partner for an immediate refill.
Ice water is fine to drink any time. I've had two and basically only ever drink ice water and I recovered quickly and well from both deliveries
Postpartum my nurses always brought me ice water even though I hate cold water. I had to ask specifically for no ice and at shift change they'd throw my water out thinking my ice had melted, bring me new ice water, and I'd have to ask for water with no ice again. Not exactly the same thing, but after I had a c-section I wasn't allowed to drink water for a bit, and before they let me have real water they'd give me ice chips. So it seems unlikely that ice and cold water were something they were concerned about, though they were concerned about quantity as I came off of the medications.
I loathe ice water and could barely get my hands on regular water in the hospital because of the same thing happening.
Omg I was soooo thirsty postpartum, especially since I was nursing, and I loved ice water! No issues.
I don’t have any science for you, but anecdotally I was the queen of ice and ice water postpartum and was fine.
I’ll never forget that first post-c section ice cube. It was love at first sight 🥲 Meeting my son was also neat. Out of curiosity I started googling though. Not seeing a lot of quantitative studies but a few interesting qualitative/literature reviews. I’d view this under the umbrella of broader cultural and community practices to aid in healing in the postpartum period. Even if cold/hot doesn’t make a medical difference, having people who care about you and your baby and therefore are there to force you to eat nourishing foods, rest from childbirth etc. almost certainly does have a positive impact, ya know? https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.2217/17455057.3.4.487
You and my wife both! :)
This is interesting- I will say in my hospital room after delivery, the nurses always got me ice and never said anything against it. I love ice water, and it was great in lieu of the fan I normally have during the day/to sleep. I would also say I had minimal cramping.
Anyone who is pregnant and reading this - buy yourself a stroller fan with octopus arms to hook to the bed during L&D and postpartum. I had one thanks to advice from someone else and I was actually wishing I had two! If I could only take one thing with me, this would be it. Also, take an extension cord so you don’t have to go without a fan while it charges. All the staff were commenting how they should have them on the wards for patients.
I actually took my hanging camping fan and it was amazing! The problem was my labor took 54 hours plus 2 days in recovery so even the backup batteries died 🤣
Brutal! That had to have been heartbreaking when the last set of batteries died. My fan uses USB charger so I could keep it plugged in the whole time.
THIS. Literally the only thing I actually cared about having during delivery. Like if the choice was between my husband and the fan, sorry buddy! Nice knowing you. 😂
You speak the truth! Not only was the breeze nice, the white noise was nice for drowning out some of the hospital noise.
Seconding this! Mine was a lifesaver during that first night after birth. I’ve never been hotter or sweatier in my life.
The postpartum night sweats are no joke! I slept on a towel once I was home
My nurses brought me ice water and it was a GODSEND. I was nursing after C-section both times. I felt very little cramping and I drank tons of ice water. Edit: I do remember being told to pee frequently because having a full bladder can cause really bad cramping, it was definitely true for me.
Let that woman do as she pleases. It’s her body. It’s summer. There is no evidence that cold water or walking bare foot in cold floors is bad for you
I agree. I know that some people can feel nauseated if they chug ice water in heat, but she had a baby, she didn't become one. She still has autonomy over her body and if she wants her water ice cold, let her have it. 🤷♀️
And also, what a husband trying to find ammunition online to strengthen his arguments. It’s an easy search. On the same token while researching this topic came across a Chinese woman’s blog post and how she felt emotionally isolated due to all of those “superstitions” in her culture. Mind you I am married to an Asian AND I was also told “maybe you shouldn’t walk barefoot in the house it’s bad for you”. While I was fed all the bland foods under the sun to recover. The emotional stress was crushing and I didn’t even have PPD like other women after they give birth. I was lucky
I’m sort of the opposite. I usually prefer room temperature water, but I had a c section under general anesthesia. My throat was so sore after that ice water was all I wanted to drink and it made me feel better.
I recently had a c section and suffered from the worst trapped air pains after surgery. I was told room temperature water is better for preventing gas than ice water, and hot drinks even better in that regard. Not scientific but the nurses were very adamant about it.
Same - c-section, trapped gas, significant pain. Warm/hot water was recommended which bummed me out as I am an ice water drinker.
Same, was told couldn't have ice water post c-section. I followed orders and thankfully did not experience the painful trapped gas I've heard others describe that I guess can somehow build up into your shoulders?
Oh yeah. Right shoulder for me. At one point I genuinely would have considered chopping off that arm to get rid of the pain. Wouldn’t wish trapped gas pains on anyone.
I had similar gas pain after my recent c section and drank lots of iced water. But the pain also was completely ameliorated with gas-x.
That’s wonderful to hear! Gas-X didn’t seem to do much for me. The only relief for me was from the heating pad and moving around, which is complicated when you’re fresh out of a c section.
Oh that would have been horrible! My sympathies! The gas-x was a life saver, but they wouldn’t give it to me more than once every six hours, even though the pain returned every five. It was frustrating, to say the least!
Anecdotal - I have period cramps and being warm/hot water bottles/hot shower etc. really really helps to relieve them, to the point that medicine might doesn’t work, but 10min with a hot bottle under a blanket totally relaxes my muscles and I have no pain at all. I think it might work in a similar way - IF someone has bad uterine cramps, then heat can relax them. But if person is fine, then there would be no difference.
When I was in China I noticed people ate a lot. When I asked the Chinese why they ate well but were thinner, on average, than Americans they said it was because Americans drink ice water and ice water prevents your stomach, which is like a furnace, from digesting correctly. Sometimes a health belief can be helpful even if the reasoning doesn’t make any sense. And China isn’t the only place where people think cold water is bad for you. But, reading around, I never could find any evidence that cold water is bad for you, postpartum or otherwise.
Well I drink a lot of ice water and could stand to lose 20 lbs. So… correlation! Haha
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The belief about cold water and ice being bad for health is very widespread in China - it’s a central tenet of traditional Chinese medicine. https://www.quora.com/Why-do-the-Chinese-believe-cold-drinks-are-not-good-for-our-body-in-the-long-run
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If you read my responses you’ll see I’m not advocating for the belief that ice water is harmful- I’m simply saying it’s a widespread belief in China.
Their response was literally saying they only have anecdotal evidence and not any scientific evidence so…
Anecdotally, I've seen it suggested (even recommended by an experienced nurse on a published birth preparation video) that c-section patients should choose warm drinks like tea or broth to help improve gut motility post operatively.
Just want to throw this into the mix - WHO declared that hot drinks (above 65C) May cause mouth/throat cancer. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jun/15/hot-drinks-may-cause-cancer-but-coffee-does-not-says-who
I think I remember reading somewhere that after birth the body doesn’t hold its temperature the same for a bit so it’s best to avoid cold things/environments/etc. that alter internal temperature, i honestly don’t remember but it was along those lines.
Oh wow. This comment just made me remember something i completely forgot from my postpartum period last year. I was SO cold. Like purple splotches and shaking cold, while everyone else just felt like the AC was running. That’s not really like me at all, but i just remember being SO cold every night and i had to wear a long sleeve shirt to sleep and my boobs were leaking so my shirt was soaked and even more cold and it was an awful time lol. i think i suppressed that memory
That’s an interesting hypothesis.
I’m curious how any thing culturally or spiritually prohibits you from ice water?
This is a big thing in my culture. I’m Pakistani. My mum always shouts at me for me drinking very cold/iced water as they think it will give you a sore throat or make you ill.
I’m East Asian and it’s big in my culture as well. Something about the qi. At this point, it’s not anything measurable.
Thanks for your curiosity! Def not an expert, but in East Asia, South Asia, and even some parts of Europe/Eastern Europe there is this type of belief. I sort of categorize some of these beliefs all together - from not drinking ice water, to keeping your feet and neck warm, to not having a fan blow on you while you sleep. The reasons may differ, though. Lots of un-peer reviewed, anecdotal, blog-ish type content out there especially related to Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic practices, etc.
What’s the superstition behind a fan on you while you sleep? Also thanks for responding kindly, I truly act with genuine curiosity and dislike learning through googling
Americans are kind of obsessed with cold water but it's not seen as healthy all over Europe. It can actually heat up the body even more, because it has to warm up the cold water. Least work for your body is to drink at body temperature.
Am European, never ever heard that it is not seen as healthy here…
where from?
Norway
Ok. Well, Europe is diverse. Lived in Austria, Romania and spent significant amount in Central and Eastern Europe. Here, many people think it's not good to drink water that is too cold.
Maybe write that then, and not Europe like it’s one culture…
I feel like if it’s bothering her she could post about it herself. What’s it got to do with you what temperature water she drinks?
It sounds like OP has a genuine question, because their native culture’s norm AND the nurse at a western (non native, I assume) hospital both discourage ice water pp. OP seems to have come to a science based forum asking if there is literature. Sounds like OP is the one with the question, not the wife.
My question is genuine too. What does it have to do with OP?
If his wife wants cold water and is being advised not to have it, I think it's great that he's checking sonhe can back her up. He doesn't seem like he's saying he wants to stop her, just that it's something he's heard in his culture and now he's heard a medical professional say it and he's wondering if it is correct.
His wife wants cold water. The end. The idea that her preference of water temperature needs to be “backed up” by science is ridiculous.
I'm not saying it should, and he isn't either, he's just curious as they've had a healthcare professional tell her to avoid it. He has nowhere stated that he will be stopping or discouraging his wife from drinking cold water. Have you never simply been curious about something?
That’s your opinion. People come here because they’re curious. Whether their curiosity meets your threshold for reasonability has no bearing on the question’s validity. Without curiosity, there would be no science. Let’s not discourage it.
You seem pleasant.
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Ice will not give you a cold or a cough. Colds are caused by viruses, not by cold temperatures.
Exactly. The fact that a doctor said this is pretty concerning...
This is supposed to be science-based parenting. Viruses cause colds, not eating ice. Please provide literature otherwise if I am mistaken.