Daft question about C section, can you tell me......

[daftquestion]

...if you had any wind? I had a section with my last baby and I was in agony for about 3 days later. My ward was full of other mothers and I was far to embarrassed to fart so held it in thinking it must be something to do with me.

Did you get it? Is there a reason I was so bad, not normally too windy other than that.

Have another section coming up and was wondering about it.

[DissLocated]

Yup - and so did a friend of mine, pretty common apparently due to your intestines getting pulled and prodded about.

[Aragon]

No it's not a daft question at all. Lots of Mums get this after a section, it's major surgery and they do pull you about a bit and the bowel takes a bit of pummelling. All the wind which you usually can't feel passing through your bowel suddenly becomes very feelable.
When I was a midwife we used to give out Peppermint water on a regular basis for just this problem.
And I was a windy devil after my section too.

[gingerbear]

I had horrendous trapped wind and constipation for 3 days after c section. I was so proud and relieved when I finally did a poo I told every midwife and even the tealady about it!

Windeeze helped, but I ate them like smarties.

[Chuffed]

Yep, hope you have a room with someone with a toddler and just hope everybody thinks its them

[Trudstar]

I also had painful wind after my c-section, especialy in my lower back. I was warned about it so made sure I had a supply of windeeze at hand as I suffer from IBS anyway. Might sound daft after having a c-section but walking around and getting dh to rub and pat back realy helped to shift it! Hot water bottle was good as well.

[Windermere]

No, I didn't.

[NotQuiteCockney]

I had this a bit. I think it's at least partly down to the anasthetic, as that's hard on the gut - slows everything down. Also, you can't walk around much after (or during!) a section, which also isn't good for the gut.

[Mummyvicky]

Yep me too , although my trapped wind travelled up and was in my shoulder, at the front, very painful !! I thought it was just me, but the midwives said it does happen sometimes.
The worst bit is you cant even run to the loos to do in in private because you hurt so much !!

[daftquestion]

I didn't know that could happen to trapped wind?!

[daftquestion]

PS I think it's something all ladies going for a C-section should be told about before!

[zippy539]

I had so much wind after dd (c-section 2) that I was re-hospitalised! I was in so much pain (and I'm not a wimp!) that I had x-rays!! Turned out I had an infection into the bargain but I can honestly say that I was in pure bloody agony for three weeks - with nothing more than wind

[highlander]

I was told to expect lots of gas, and not to hold back. I thought it was hilarious

[NoPearls]

I can recall a very blunt Aussie Midwife asking if the Fart Fairy had been yet!

[tissy]

Erm, I had so much wind that a couple of days after my section I looked as if I had another one in there! The bowel doesn't like being handled so goes on strike for a while, and doesn't push the wind along as normal. As a result it collects in large quantities . I also had the problem that i had hardly eaten towards the end of my pregnancy, due to severe reflux, so when i got back from theatre the first thing I did was tuck into a plate of Fish and chips followed by tinned peaches and custard- BIG mistake and probably one of the reasons I blew up like a balloon!

[vickiyumyum]

yep, almost everyone gets it. when they open you up, your cavity fills with air and when they stich you back up, the air is stuck inside and has to comeout somewhere! did they not tell you about if you feel really bad to have peppermint tea or they should have peppermint cordial on the ward that they can give you to ease the paina dn help the wind on its way.

Your stiches are pretty strong and won't burst, if you feel cautious you can just put your arm across that aprt and hold whilst you pass wind.

if you are on a bay/ward with other c-section mums they are probably all doing the same, so don't worry.

[meggymoo]

Message withdrawn

[Jimjams]

I've had 3 sections and had it with my last one. The m/wife gave me peppermint water- and wow it was brilliant!

[biglips]

peppermint water are excellent for wind

[fruitful]

Nope, had 2 cs now and worried about it both times, but it didn't happen. Maybe I was just so tanked up on painkillers I didn't notice . I did get the shoulder pain thing though - weird - but I didn't think it was wind? How would it get up there? Only lasted a night though.

[HelenEmjay]

Hiya ladies - sorry to butt in, and it may sound abit of a daft question, but, what sort of peppermint juice/cordial is best? i had really really bad trapped wind with my last section and although i took windeeze which was ok, i never took any peppermint stuff and i have heard since that it is good! im due for my third section in about 3-4 weeks and i would like to take some! Helen xxx

[Ladymuck]

Not sure that it matters, provided it is peppermint essence rather than just flavouring. I used the teabags myself.

[aloha]

I didn't but I have heard of people who did.

[Milge]

I took in pepper mint teabags too - but didn;t notice the problem too much.

[DelGirl]

I expected to but thankfully didn't. Suffered badly with it after d & c and laparoscopy right in my shoulder too. Yeah, weird I know!

So, hopefully you won't!