One Thing You Haven\’t Packed in Your Hospital Bag, But You Should

Are you preparing your hospital bag for when you deliver your baby? There’s one more thing you should consider adding to your list: chewing gum. Not only is it helpful to freshen hospital breath, but experts have discovered an additional, more significant reason for packing gum. Researchers have found that new mothers who have delivered their babies via caesarean section should chew gum for around 30 minutes, three times daily, after the surgery to help reestablish regular bowel movement.

One in five new mothers are diagnosed with a condition called post-operative ileus after a caesarean section; meaning many women\’s digestive processes and bowel movements slow or stop completely. Study author Dr Vincenzo Berghella, from the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, said symptoms can include bloating, stomach pain and nausea.

So what did the good doctor do?
His team trawled through 17 different studies and asked: \”How long did it take after a caesarean section for a new mother to fart?\”
And why would they do that?: because passing wind demonstrates the bowels are in good working condition. If you can\’t fart, it may well indicate there is a blockage in your gut.
The act of chewing can trick our bodies in to thinking it\’s eating; sending the gut a message to begin working as normal again.

Researchers picked up that those who chewed gum passed wind about 23 hours after their procedure, as opposed to 29.5 hours for people who didn\’t chew gum.
That\’s six-and-a-half hours quicker; so you could help alleviate pain or discomfort that much sooner, simply by chewing some gum.

Authors of the study said that these results show that chewing gum is actually a cheap and easy method for new mothers to kickstart their gut to normal working order and feel more comfortable, sooner.
The study of 3,041 women, that was published in the Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, revealed that chewing gum for about 30 minutes three times a day straight after a caesarean delivery until they pass wind will help markedly with early recovery of bowel issues.

So oh pregnant one – include a pack of chewing gum in your hospital bag right now; it might just be that unlikely, but greatly appreciated blessing.