# Eating after a c-section



## pumpkin (Apr 8, 2003)

My sister is having a c-section next week. I'm thinking about having a birthday cake delivered to celebrate the newborn, but it just occurred to me that I don't know how soon after the surgery my sister will have the option of eating. I would hate to send a cake and have her forbidden from having a bite.

Now, I don't know that I'm definately going to send a cake, because I have no idea how to go about having one delivered to the hospital when I live in another part of the country, but I certainly don't want to go to the trouble if sending the cake is a bad idea.


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## hlkm2e (Aug 24, 2004)

I was allowed to eat as soon as I had passed gas. I think they are just making sure you don't have abdominal adhesions from the surgery? Less than 24 hours for me till I ate. The only other thing is sometimes the medicine can make people pretty nauseous, so depending on her tolerance of pain meds, she may not feel like eating much.


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## OnTheFence (Feb 15, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pumpkin* 
My sister is having a c-section next week. I'm thinking about having a birthday cake delivered to celebrate the newborn, but it just occurred to me that I don't know how soon after the surgery my sister will have the option of eating. I would hate to send a cake and have her forbidden from having a bite.

Now, I don't know that I'm definately going to send a cake, because I have no idea how to go about having one delivered to the hospital when I live in another part of the country, but I certainly don't want to go to the trouble if sending the cake is a bad idea.

It depends on her doctor and on her. I didnt eat for three days after my first csection(I was not allowed). After my second I wanted to eat right away and my OB said "You can eat whatever you want but I dont want to hear any complaints if you vomit." I ate lightly that evening and a full course meal the next morning. (I ate some chocolate bars in the middle of the night, but I don't count that...LOL) With my last csection I didnt feel like eating at all though I had the all clear to eat whatever I wanted. The next morning I had a modest breakfast but for lunch and dinnner I ate like there was no tomorrow.


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## maxmama (May 5, 2006)

nursing research consistently shows better post-op outcomes with early eating and early walking. But find me a doc who even knows there is such a thing as nursing research.

I ate a doughnut two hours postop, and damn, it tasted good (I was GD and hadn't had a doughnut in six months). No nausea, a bit of gas, but no big deal.

There is NO RESEARCH supporting waiting on feeding until you pass gas.


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## Ammaarah (May 21, 2005)

Could you send a cake that would be good a day later? I dreamed of Chinese food all throughout labor but after my cesarean, I really didn't want to eat much for at least 24 hours. I did have a banana the first night and there were no fart-related advisories from my docs.


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## liberal_chick (May 22, 2005)

I slept almost the entire next day after my section but when I woke up I was STARVING! I had the clear to eat as soon as I wanted.


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## MommytoTwo (Jun 20, 2004)

I would wait till the next day. I was told to wait 4 hours to drink fluids and even then I threw up violently, with both births. There is no way I could have eaten cake before at least 12-18 hours had passed.


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## mamameg (Feb 10, 2004)

I would wait for the cake. It took me over 24 hours to pass gas and I wasn't comfortable eting until then. What was great though, is a friend had brought me some of my favorite oatmeal cranberry cookies from a local bakery - they sooooo hit the spot when I finally was able eat at 11:00 PM and there was no other food to be found. A cake sounds nice, too, but maybe a day or two after the birth.


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## annekevdbroek (Jun 5, 2005)

I had to wait 3 or 4 days after my c/s. I finally lied and said I was passing gas. I wasn't, but they kept feeding me antiacids and gas-X and such, so there probably wasn't anything to pass.

Anyhow, if you have the cake delivered (a local bakery should be able to do that) it might be nicer to have it at home - since 1) won't have to try to figure out how to get both cake and baby home safely from the hospital 2) it will provide the first easy meals for the new mom and dad 3) plates, forks, napkins, etc. won't have to be beg/borrow/steal from nursing station.... Just a thought. I love the idea of a birthday cake, BTW.


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## Amylcd (Jun 16, 2005)

About 2 hours after the csection, DH and I ordered a pizza (for lunch). No one mentioned anything about not eating. I had no idea you were supposed to wait. I didn't have any complications from it.


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## lauriebeth (Mar 1, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Amylcd* 
About 2 hours after the csection, DH and I ordered a pizza (for lunch). No one mentioned anything about not eating. I had no idea you were supposed to wait. I didn't have any complications from it.

Oh, man, I was so hungry after mine... I was supposed to be induced Sunday morning, so I didnt eat much after about noon on Saturday. (Had heard those awful poop during delivery stories)

Well, wouldnt you know, I went in Sunday and they kept on telling me just a few more hours, we will induce in a few more hours... I didnt get induced until MOnday morning, and of course was not allowed to eat then. The woman on the Honey Bunches of Oats cereal commercial who says "ARE YOU HUNGRY?!?" kept coming on the tv and I would yell, YES! I AM!

C-section was Tuesday morning, and I begged the nurses to feed me... not until new nurse came on at 10 pm Tuesday night did I have a Turkey sandwich. (Im a vegetarian... and I ate it and licked my fingers!)

So, my long horrible story about being sooooo hungery after the c-section







I would say, send the cake a few days after the birth, so new mommie will be able to enjoy it. (I was so miserable after my c/s that would have meant about a week...)


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## OnTheFence (Feb 15, 2003)

I wanted to add something to this thread for anyone who may stumble across it in the future that may have a csection.

There is no reason why you should not be able to eat after surgery. It was once believed that after a csection you should wait until the bowels were moving or having good bowel sounds. Come to find out, sometimes the bowls do not move until a patient actually does eat something. I was literally starved after my first csection, luckily by the time I had my second, I had an OB who would let me eat when I wanted too. Here are some articles for anyone who is interested:

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...36/ai_78541995

This article even talks about how women who eat after a csection have better pain management and do not need as many narcotics for pain than those on restricted diets. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract


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## kelly_amber (May 27, 2006)

It will depend on her doctor. I was STARVING after my c section and wanted to eat so bad. The nurse said my doctor was a stickler for not letting moms eat after a c but she called anyway. Nope, well I kept on for so long they finally gave me some crackers and I called the Doc's office the next day and begged until I was allowed a meal about 28 hours latter.

She should be able to ask her doc at her next visit and see what his rules are, in my case it was the doc not the hospital.

ummm cake, I wish I had gotton cake, what a good sis!


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## mimie (Mar 7, 2003)

I ate something the evening of my c-section (surgery was at 4:00 PM) but can't remember what. Crackers and jello, maybe? I was very hungry and ate a full breakfast the next morning. I continued to eat round-the-clock the whole time I was in the hospital. No nausea at all, and I was on a lot of drugs. My doctor cautioned me to take it slow at first in case of nausea, but didn't forbid or discourage eating.


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## pampered_mom (Mar 27, 2006)

I had my surgery around mid-morning/lunch time-ish and was delivered a tray for dinner. We were all a little confused as no one really said anything about when I could eat and were thinking they would need to, but figured they wouldn't send a tray if I wasn't supposed to!







(not very good reasoning, I know!)


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## liseux (Jul 3, 2004)

"There is NO RESEARCH supporting waiting on feeding until you pass gas." maxmama

So true!

I had a section in 2003, not allowed to eat until I passed gas.

Had one this summer and had dinner that night & no problems. They know now to let mamas eat right away.


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## ckhagen (Sep 6, 2004)

I'm one of those unlucky ones who was starved through a failed 3 day long induction and then an additional 3.5 days after the surgery. Granted I did have gas that traveled up to my shoulders, but they wanted me to poop before thay would feed me. Umm... how was I supposed to do that when I hadn't eaten in almost a week? Needless to say breastfeeding was almost completely sabotaged at that point.


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

First c-section: No food for over a day before the surgery (no appetite in labour), then 3.5 days before I was allowed to eat...when I lied about passing gas. I was so incredibly exhausted and they expected me to recover from labour and surgery - and lactate! - with no food!

Second c-section: No food for about a day. I lied again, but didn't wait as long.

Third c-section: DH got me some plums, peaches, grapes and bananas at the grocery store. I was eating about two hours after surgery. I bounced back (initially) much more quickly from that one.

I don't know if I'd have wanted to have cake right after the surgery, but I'm never going to put up with their "fluids only" crap again. (As an interesting side note, I've never had bad gas pain post-op...both my mom and sister have, and both of them had it while being "good girls" and not eating, per the doctor's instructions. My mom also has a theory that the gas issues were worse back when enemas were a standard part of the prep.)


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

My ob told me I could eat as soon as I felt like I was ready, although she recommended waiting a couple of hours and starting with something light and easy on the stomach. So I had a few crackers about two hours afterwards, and some apple juice, and that was fine so a few hours later I had a full meal-- I think it was a chicken sandwich. Anyway, I had no trouble with vomiting or nausea.


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## shelbean91 (May 11, 2002)

I was allowed to eat as soon as I stopped vomiting. As the spinal wore off, I started puking- not a good reaction w/abdominal surgery. Ds2 was born 6:30 at night and it was about 24 hrs later I was actually able to eat b/c enough of the morphine(whatever in the spinal) wore off enough. They did give me a shot to stop the vomiting, but it made me SO out of it, I wasn't able to do anything but sleep.


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## Sagesgirl (Nov 22, 2001)

Oh crap, there is _no_ way I'd have waited three days! It would not have happened. Didn't y'all have anyone to sneak food in to you? Seriously. If you made a dog go that long without food you'd be arrested for animal cruelty, but it's OK to do to a new mama?







:

After my first c-section I had to go 24 hours without anything; they wouldn't let me eat until I was off the magnesium sulfate, and I was also allowed only four ounces of liquid an hour. I could have had Jello instead of apple juice, but I needed the liquid more! I was about to kill the overnight nurse because she only brought me crackers and cheese when someone finally pointed out to her the dinner tray the day nurse had left for me.

After the second one...I don't know exactly when I ate. They wanted me to wait a few hours & I did, but she was born at about 3AM & I'm pretty sure I had breakfast that very day at around seven or so. They didn't want to give me anything to begin with because they wanted to be sure I wouldn't throw it up (I threw up twice after that one, though not at all after the previous one), but I got my breakfast anyway, and then Robert brought me Munchkins.


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

My hospital let's you eat as soon as you want...they did suggest starting with softer foods that wont bother you if they "come back up" and wont add to post-surgery constipation, but other than that they're happy to provide whatever you'd like.

Of course, they also let you eat whatever you want during labor so they're a bit unusual that way.

If you want to send a cake I don't see why the new mama wouldn't be able to eat some...ever if the policy is "fluids only" for 24 hours or something like that I can't imagine a nurse would be there to watch!


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## Hatteras Gal (Jun 1, 2004)

I can't imagine that people had to wait 2-3 days after a c section to eat! That is crazy! I had fig newtons packed in my overnight hospital bag! And dh brought food in from Arby's on one of the days I was there. But they never told me I wasn't allowed to eat. If you think the dr won't allow food, bring your own!









I would wait and have a cake sent to her house when she is discharged.


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

Sagesgirl said:


> Oh crap, there is _no_ way I'd have waited three days! It would not have happened. Didn't y'all have anyone to sneak food in to you? Seriously. If you made a dog go that long without food you'd be arrested for animal cruelty, but it's OK to do to a new mama?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## wifeandmom (Jun 28, 2005)

I'm of the opinion that if mom is hungry, feed her something barring a TRUE medical concern. For example, if mom's bleeding is very heavy and it is questionable as to whether or not she might need further intervention (like a D&C) with anesthesia, I can see making her wait.

Otherwise, it's about as silly as not allowing laboring moms to have anything more than ice chips.

That said, as always, I advocate being HONEST about whatever you've eaten or drank should the need for further medical intervention arise.

I had an ice cream sandwich and coke about 12 hours after my first section, but would have liked to had a full course meal. They mistakenly brought me a breakfast tray the next morning that I inhaled before they realized their mistake.









Second section, I was eating fried chicken and mashed potatoes within 3 hours or so of delivery.

Third section, I had a cheeseburger and coke 4 hours after surgery.

Everything I ate after the second and third section was on the sly til the first 24 hours had passed cause I was technically supposed to be on a clear liquid diet til 24 hours was up.

I was never nauseated AT ALL though and do not have a history of N/V as long as I have Zofran on board in the OR, so I was pretty confident that I wasn't going to puke eating so soon. I also take Gas X or something similar the first few days post-op to prevent gas pain and never had any issues with passing gas or it being painful.


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## 4stgal (Oct 21, 2006)

I was also told i could eat after i stopped vomitting. That didnt feel good at all after abdominal surgery. I also was induce several days earlier so i was very anxious to eat. I was finally cleared to eat...clear liquids around 4pm and my baby was born at 9am.


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## intorainbowz (Aug 16, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *maxmama* 
nursing research consistently shows better post-op outcomes with early eating and early walking. But find me a doc who even knows there is such a thing as nursing research.

Mine.

My ob told me I could eat whatever I felt like and to have my body be my guide. They even brought me breakfast. I was totally in the throws of anestheia induced nausea and vomiting so I gave it to DH, and my lunch and dinner as well. I had eaten pudding and drank juices, esp once we got the nausea under control.

At about 3 am after visiting DD in the NICU I had a sandwich and fruit which tasted heavenly.

I'd say send the cake the day after she gives birth. I actually sent DH to the bakery for treats that day, because I felt great. Relief from 8 months of nausea will do that for me.

Its so nice that you are thinking of her.


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## maxmama (May 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *intorainbowz* 
Mine.

My ob told me I could eat whatever I felt like and to have my body be my guide. They even brought me breakfast. I was totally in the throws of anestheia induced nausea and vomiting so I gave it to DH, and my lunch and dinner as well. I had eaten pudding and drank juices, esp once we got the nausea under control.


I'm glad your doc is benefiting from nursing research; there are docs who are starting to change based on the change in knowledge. But I was feeling bitter about how VERY few know that nursing as a discipline has its own research, separate from medical research, and much of the data about post-op recovery comes from that research.


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