Caesarean section - what you can eat
Caesarean section is a surgical procedure that requires great skill from the doctor. A cesarean section can be performed on a planned basis, when there are well-grounded fears in advance that childbirth may carry a risk for the woman in labor or the child, or urgently, when complications arise during a natural birth that threaten the life of the mother or child. When the operation is carried out as planned, a woman needs to prepare in advance for it, including it is important to know what to eat after a cesarean section and before it.
The expectant mother should know that after the abdominal operation, the functions of her intestines will fully recover only after a few days. Her diet for this time should be selected taking into account the recommendations of doctors about what you can eat after a cesarean section.
Nutrition after caesarean section differs from nutrition after natural childbirth only in the first days after surgery, until the bowel function is fully restored. The signal that the intestines are fully restored is its regular emptying in a natural way (that is, without the use of enemas and laxatives).
Preparing for a cesarean section: what not to eat?
A few days before the caesarean section, the diet should be reduced in the amount of foods high in fiber. It is recommended to completely exclude from the diet those foods that cause flatulence:
- plums, grapes, apples, pears, peaches;
- cabbage, radish, radish, mushrooms;
- all types of legumes;
- wholemeal baked goods;
- milk and products from it (with the exception of fermented milk);
- sparkling water, kvass.
It is also advisable to exclude fatty, smoked and salty foods from the diet a few days before giving birth.
On the day before your caesarean section, doctors recommend eating well to build strength for the upcoming surgery. Sample menu the day before the caesarean section:
- Breakfast - oatmeal, cheese sandwich, tea.
- Afternoon snack - yogurt, cookies.
- Lunch - chicken broth with noodles, mashed potatoes with a steamed cutlet, stewed vegetables, compote.
- Dinner - cottage cheese casserole, tea with lemon.
The last meal of the day before your caesarean section is usually ordered by your doctor and should be at least 8 hours before your surgery. On the day of the operation, before the operation, the woman is forbidden to eat or drink anything.
Diet after cesarean section
About what you can eat after a cesarean section, it is advisable to consult with the obstetrician-gynecologist who led the pregnancy. He will tell you in detail about the most suitable nutrition, taking into account the individual characteristics of the woman in labor.
Full recovery of the body after a cesarean section is a rather lengthy process, but it is important to follow the diet during the first 3-7 days. In addition to improving the functioning of the intestines, the diet after childbirth is aimed at providing the body of the postpartum woman with everything necessary for recovery, covering energy costs and ensuring lactation.
The first few hours after the operation, it is recommended to drink water - regular or mineral water without gas and any additives, with the exception of a few drops of lemon juice. Later, you can eat yogurt (natural, no additives), drink not too strong chicken or beef broth, kefir, eat vegetable or fruit puree (you can use ready-made purees for baby food).
On the second day after the caesarean section, the diet becomes more varied. You can eat porridge, cottage cheese, boiled eggs, boiled or steamed meat and fish, vegetable and cereal soups.
On the third day, dry cookies, dried white bread (fresh bread can cause increased gas formation), stewed and boiled vegetables, fresh fruits are added to the menu of the previous two days. You can drink tea with lemon, fruit and berry compote, fruit drink.
Buckwheat and oatmeal, spinach, bell peppers, beef liver, meat, fish and seafood help to restore hemoglobin after surgery.
On the fourth and subsequent days after the caesarean section, the woman's diet becomes similar to that of women after natural childbirth. A variety of foods are introduced into the diet in small portions, which gradually increase every day until the food returns to the usual form for a woman.
Since, in essence, a cesarean section is an abdominal operation, after it it is recommended to eat foods that have a positive effect on intestinal functions (prunes, fresh and cooked vegetables and fruits, fermented milk products).
It is advisable to subject the products to gentle heat treatment - to give preference to stewed, boiled, steamed dishes, as well as fresh salads and fruits. The strict prohibition applies to alcoholic beverages. You should avoid foods that cause increased gas formation, limit fatty foods, fried in oil, smoked.
It is better to eat fractionally - in small portions, at regular intervals, at least 5 times a day. This mode contributes to the optimal functioning of the digestive tract, and also helps to normalize weight without resorting to any additional methods.
If a woman is prone to allergies, a woman should follow her usual hypoallergenic diet, but if there is no such tendency, it is not necessary to abandon all products that are considered potential allergens (citrus fruits, red vegetables and fruits, nuts, etc.). However, it is better to introduce them into the diet with care, start with a small amount of any one food and monitor the child's reaction. If everything is in order, after 1-2 days you can move on to the next one.
Nutrition should be balanced, varied and cover all the needs of the mother's body for nutrients and calories needed by her and the baby. It is very important to adhere to a diet after a cesarean section, because the health and well-being of both the mother and the baby depends on nutrition during this period.
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