Why is passing gas so important after having a c/section?
There are three main reasons that passing gas is one of the things that hospital staff need you to do, to check everything is in working order following surgery. Until you pass gas, you may not be allowed to eat and you won’t be discharged from hospital.
- During a cesarean section, the entire body is put to sleep, including the bowels.
- When you are sewn up during surgery, air is often trapped, which can also lead to stomach pains.
- Pain medicine can also stop you passing gas.
Passing gas means that your body has started to recover from the surgery and everything is working right.
So how do you get out that first fart?
- Walk as much as possible (without overdoing it).
- Drink molasses tea.
- Chew some gum. It can speed up bowel function following a c/section.
- Peppermint. Taken either as tea or in oil form, can help get things working. Keep in mind that peppermint can reduce milk supply if you’re breastfeeding.
- Drink some hot water. This can speed up the digestive system.
- Try different positions. Lean over the bend, spread your legs or lay on your side.
- A suppository. These can help get things moving and may be given to you by your medical care provider.
Always follow your healthcare team’s specific post-operative instructions and check with them before trying any new remedies.
Susannah is a certified Birth Doula through Childbirth International and the founder of Trimester Talk. With a background in journalism and digital strategy, she combines evidence-based research with real-world knowledge to create accessible content about pregnancy and parenting. She’s a mother of two and stepmother of two more, all of them now teenagers.