cs and bowel movements...

1017Shannon

I am going to have a cs based on issues from my last vaginal delivery. What i REALLY need to avoid is bowel obstruction/hard bowel movements/etc. because that's part of the reason im having a c section!
So I guess the question is...what should I do to prevent this? I want to start additional stool softeners a few days before in addition to the softener in my pnv, start my probiotics again before the section, and continue my miralax...what else is good?!

1017Shannon

Also..is it worth skipping something like percocet to prevent constipation? Would something like vicoden even help pain? Thanks!

Mama-Bear

Lots of water.  I had my last c/s on a Monday and had my first BM that Friday.  I don't remember how long it took with my previous c/s.

mysticl

Do not skip your pain meds.  Vicodin also causes constipation.  I have chronic constipation and my first bowel movement after the c-section was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.  The doctor should order colace for you in the hospital you may just have to ask the nurses for it.  Some of mine would offer and others needed prompting.

 You may want to ask your doctor about Kristalose.  It's similar to Miralax but I find it works better for me. 

mariahrb

watermelon has a TON of fiber! 

i have a bowel obstruction due to my c-section. ive been over-dosing on watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe until i can have my adhesions fixed. it works! 

Disneygeek77

For me the constipation was the worst part of my three c/s. By the time I had my third, I did everything I could to get things moving. I drank tons of water and juice. I ate raisin bran and spinach salad every day. I took every stool softener ( I even started taking stool softeners 10 days before my c/s) they gave me and walked as much as I could muster. Finally on the third day of no BM I could see the writing on the wall and asked for a suppository. I got relief in 30 minutes as opposed to waiting hours or days for other methods to work. I would recommend a suppository to anyone now. Don't take them all the time of course, but they really help to get things moving after a c/s. I know this might be crass but I inserted it myself with some KY jelly and had no problems. I simply laid down for 30 minutes and finally went. It was nice since I didn't have to strain either.

jesselayne8

1017Shannon:

Also..is it worth skipping something like percocet to prevent constipation? Would something like vicoden even help pain? Thanks!

I didn't take any narcotics after my either csection. I alternated Motrin and Tylenol. It depends on your pain tolerance.

jllmb79

1st csection bowel movement was horrible and day 4. I made it my mission to make sure 2nd time around I didn't have to go through that again. Right after my csection I drank a ton of water. I also drank a ton of apple juice and some prune juice. I kept this up the whole time in the hospital along with colace. I was up and moving 8 hours after my csection and had my first bowel movement day 2, didn't even hurt.

Ooglybear

I requested a suppository, and it worked like a charm.

JLS0320

definitely start before your C, colace, miralax, fiber etc. My C was not planned and my nurses did not offer me anything to get things moving (and I didn't think about it), I was in a world of hurt. It was 9 days before I finally could go and it was the most painful horrible part of the ordeal. I'm still mad at the nurses for not giving me Colace, lol

1017Shannon

Thank you guys so much for your
responses! I am terrified of the whole experience and want to do everything I can to control having good experience. with all the things I can't control...i like to try to do what I can lol.

I asked about the vicodin being better than percocet because with my vaginal delivery last time I had awful hems...that resulted in a hemectomy...and I was in so much pain but afraid to get constipated from narcotics. They said vicodin wouldn't effect pooping. But Percocet would.

thanks again ladies you rock!

mommyton&e

jesselayne8:

1017Shannon:

Also..is it worth skipping something like percocet to prevent constipation? Would something like vicoden even help pain? Thanks!

I didn't take any narcotics after my either csection. I alternated Motrin and Tylenol. It depends on your pain tolerance.

 

I only ever took Motrin as well. I refused all narcotics. I walked a lot starting the day after my CS. Ate a loy of fiber. I also took collace. 

Clyde013

Hi
I had an unplanned cs on Wednesday and had my first bm today, Saturday. I'm only taking Tylenol and Motrin along with stool softner. No other narcotics. I've also eaten bran cereal daily and have been drinking lots of water and juices. Good luck!