It’s the last thing you’d think of.
When it comes to what to pack when you’re going to the hospital to have a baby it’s all about the timing. If the baby arrives early, chances are you won’t have even thought of what to bring, but if you get organised, in that eventuality, then you can have a small bag ready to go.
Some of the more common things to bring if you get the chance to pack a bag are spare clothes, toiletries, slippers, nappies for the baby, a going home outfit for you and the baby and, of course, disposable pants.
There is something else that you need to pack if you need or plan to have a caesarean and it’s probably the last thing you would think of – chewing gum.
And no, it’s not for your breath.
According to The Mirror, a recent study from the Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine found that chewing gum has a very positive effect after having a cesarean.
Sounds strange, we know, but it helps with the recovery of the gastrointestinal function.
For the study they gave chewing gum to over 3,000 women directly after they had delivered a baby through caesarean section. They had to chew chewing gum three times a day for 30 minutes until they experienced the first flatus.
The study found that the women who chewed the chewing gum for the allocated amount of time had significantly lower time to first flatus, first bowel sounds, first feces, less duration of stay and lower time to first feeling of hunger.
The conclusion of the study is as follows:
“Gum chewing starting right after caesarean delivery three times a day for about 30 min until the first flatus is associated with early recovery of bowel motility. As this is a simple, generally inexpensive intervention, providers should consider implementing cesarean postoperative care with gum chewing.”
