Overview
C-section is also known as cesarean delivery, and the woman who goes through this process will have a great impact on her mental and physical health. Constipation is one of the most common complications of cesarean delivery and one should know how to recover from it and many new moms who went through this c-section suffering from constipation. Constipation after c-section is common in many women who gave birth to a child and it involves major stomach surgery.
Even though this procedure can save the lives of both mother and child, the women have to suffer from a lot of pain, and also c-section carries many risks. At that time, all she needs is a supportive medical team and self-care can speed up the recovery process after a C-section.
What are the causes of constipation after C-section?
Changes in hormones and not consuming sufficient liquids in the body or no fiber in your diet are the main causes of constipation after a c-section. Following are the main causes of constipation after a c-section and it includes
- Anesthetics used during C-section
- Pathogenic bacteria
- Assisted Delivery
- Prescribed drugs
- Hormones
- Lack of water levels in the body
- Not maintaining fiber in the diet
- Prenatal vitamins
- Hemorrhoids
- Anxiety
Let’s discuss the above causes of constipation after a C-section in detail:
Anesthetics used during C-section
Doctors use anesthetics on patients to put them in sleep during the surgery but it can cause constipation by slowing down the digestive tract and make the stool hard.
Pathogenic bacteria
Pregnant women suffer from lots of blood loss after delivery and physicians prescribe iron supplements to increase the iron content in the women’s body. Unfortunately, pathogenic bacteria enter into the intestine due to the excess of iron supplements feed into the body and it causes constipation.
Assisted Delivery
Doctors use instruments like Forceps or ventouse during the surgery in case of difficult deliveries and using these instruments can put an extra strain on the anal region also contributes to the cause of constipation.
Prescribed drugs
Some medications can slow down the digestive system and these drugs include
- Morphine
- Vicodin
- Percocet
Let’s discuss the side effects of the above medications.
Following are the side effects of the above drugs and it includes
- Lightheadedness
- Dizziness
- Sedation
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Sweating
- Hard bowel movements
- Getting difficulty in sleeping or unable to sleep
- Unable to see
- Flushing of the face
The above side effects can occur at any time during medication use. It is advised to consult a physician when you are experiencing the side effects of the above drugs. Your physician may change the dosage of the medication or switch you to another one.
Hormones
Progesterone hormone slows down the digestive tract and can make the women suffer from constipation after C-section.
Lack of water levels in the body
Women suffer from constipation due to the poor water content in the stool. Women especially after delivery should consume adequate levels of water daily otherwise things will go back to how they were.
Not maintaining fiber in the diet
Sometimes, all you need is fiber. Adding fiber content foods in your diet can make the stool soft and easier to pass. Not consuming enough fiber daily can lead to the cause of constipation and make the stool hard and difficult to pass as a result of it.
Prenatal Vitamins
Prenatal vitamins are essential for the women after delivery as they breastfeed their baby, and due to this reason, they must increase the intake of multi-vitamins. Unfortunately, these multi-vitamins contain iron which leads to the cause of constipation.
Hemorrhoids
Women after a vaginal delivery develop painful hemorrhoids which lead to the cause of constipation. Hemorrhoids are one of the main causes of constipation after a C-section.
Anxiety
Sometimes, Anxiety can cause constipation by slow down the digestive system and this mental health condition is common in many women after delivery.
What can I do to ease constipation after a C-section?
When a woman is suffering from constipation more than five to six days after delivery, then one should consider that seriously and find ways to ease the problem. Following are some ways to ease constipation after C-section and it includes
- Move around
- Increase your consumption of liquids
- Eat Prunes
- Add Fiber to your diet
- Give rest to your body
- Add Iron-Rich foods to your body
- Fruit Juices
- Eating Oatmeal
- Massages
- Natural Laxatives
- Mild Exercises
- Probiotics
- Ginger Tea
- Lemon water
- Walking
Let’s discuss the above natural and home remedies treat constipation in detail:
Move around
If you are comfortable with moving around your house, then do it a few times a day. Increase the duration every day and moving helps you to get immediate relief from constipation after a C-section. Ask your physician to suggest some moves or gentle stretches for a speedy recovery from the surgery as well as treating constipation.
Increase your consumption of liquids
Women with constipation problems after delivery should increase their intake of warm liquids and it includes consuming lemon juice daily in the morning with a glass of heated water. Also drinking herbal teas daily can increase the production of milk. Chamomile tea, lemon Balm tea, peppermint tea, sage tea, Ginger tea, Rooibos tea, Hibiscus tea, and Echinacea tea comes under the category of healthy herbal teas. Drinking herbal teas helps your body to deal with gas and bloating effectively.
A woman should drink at least two liters of water throughout the day, and don’t consume cold water. You can try hot water instead of ice-cold water.
Eat Prunes
Prunes can reduce the severeness of constipation and eating prunes daily in the morning or breakfast can help your body to fight against constipation. If you don’t like to eat prunes directly, then you can go for prunes juice instead of it. Constipation is a common problem in the women who have gone through the surgery and reducing its effects on your body is very crucial and if you are unable to do it by following natural and home remedies, then it is advised to visit your physician to ease constipation.
Add Fiber to your diet
Women with constipation can get relief from it by including plenty of fiber in the meals, and this is because fiber can make the stool soft and increase the consistency of bowel movements. It has been observed in research that seventy-seven percent of the people who are suffering from constipation benefitted by adding fiber in their diet. Soluble fibers and insoluble fibers are the two types of dietary fibers. As per studies, adding insoluble fibers in your diet can make your problem worse if you are suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. Your doctor may recommend you to consume a mix of soluble and insoluble fibers into your diet to prevent constipation. Twenty-five grams is the recommended intake of fiber for women and thirty-eight grams are recommended for men with constipation problem.
Give Rest to your body
Sometimes, all you need is rest. Giving your body plenty of rest is very important after surgery.
Add Iron-Rich foods to your body
Chicken, beans, red meat, and dark leafy vegetables are the iron-rich foods that can provide relief from constipation. Even though prenatal vitamins are a great source of iron. But unfortunately, iron supplements can make your problem worse. It is better to have a word with your physician before choosing this option.
Fruit Juices
Research reveals that consuming fruit juices daily can help a woman to deal with constipation better. Sorbitol is a substance present in fruits like apples and pears aids in alleviating constipation.
Eating oatmeal
Oatmeal comes under the category of insoluble fiber and makes the stool soft and easier to pass. It can also prevent the formation of stool from hardening.
Massages
It is a non-invasive procedure to give an immediate constipation relief to the women who are suffering from constipation. Massaging can make the colon to increase its strength and make the stool soft at the same time.
Natural Laxatives
Natural laxatives are known to increase the bowel movements and following are the natural laxatives including
- Prunes
- Flax seeds
- Coconut water
Women can go for herbal laxatives such as Senna. It is used to relieve constipation and people can buy it online or in health stores.
Mild Exercises
It is also a non-invasive technique like massages. Daily walking for thirty minutes a day can speed up the process of the digestive system. Research shows that exercises can reduce the severeness of constipation and ease the symptoms of the condition.
Probiotics
Even though, more research needed to be done on whether probiotics can reduce the symptoms of constipation in women after delivery, it works by making the stool soft and easier to pass.
Ginger Tea
Ginger tea is a mild laxative and improves digestion and appetite. Diabetic people should avoid consuming ginger tea as it can negatively affect them and also impact on their medications.
Lemon Water
Lemon water is a great source of acid and it helps in reducing the severeness of constipation by speeding up the digestive system.
Conclusion
Constipation is an irritating problem and one should take proper suggestions from their physician to get rid of this problem. Seventy percent of the patients will resolve this condition just by themselves by following natural and home remedies. It is really important for women who are suffering from this condition to consult a health professional immediately.
References
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/20014091091814
- https://journals.lww.com/jpgn/Fulltext/2009/04002/Probiotics_and_Functional_Gastrointestinal.22.aspx
- https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/138445
- https://bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2318-6-9
- https://jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(15)01386-6/fulltext
- https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/63/suppl_1/S2/1927728
Sirisha B 
Raju Ch