Bowel Movement after surgery

Hi Ksmiley

I bet you weren't really keen to leave the hospital, but being home is probably better for your soul. Sorry to hear that you are having bowel problems. As you are so few days out from surgery it is important that you liaise with your doctor about this. Your constipation could well be as a result of drugs you might be taking, with your normal bowel habits laid on top.

At any rate I would encourage you to drink plenty of water, maybe more than you would normally, because people who have stress incontinence sometimes tend to habitually reduce their fluid intake, hoping to prevent an overfull bladder. Steer clear of processed and refined foods, and ensure that you get plenty of fruit, veges and whole grains, nuts and seeds, to keep your fibre consumption high.

Louise

Hi Ksmiley04,
Hope you're feeling a little better. Just a couple of thoughts:
You may well have done so already, but just in case you haven't, it may be worth you looking at the post surgery & hysterectomy forums. Constipation is quite a common topic of conversation within the WW community! so you may find some helpful comments &/or suggestions there.
Also, it would be really helpful fo ryou if you could improve the frequency of your bowel movements. If it is not uncommon for you to not have a bowel movement for up to a week, that is not going to help your health in various different ways. There are all sorts of reasons why people have difficulty with elimination and I do really appreciate there are all sorts of very good reasons why some people have more difficulties in this respect than others. But whatever the circumstances it is worth everyone trying to optimize their digestive and eliminative processes. So I fully support and encourage your endeavour to try to improve your bowel movements. Daily is ideal. Explore and experiment and see what works for you. Personally I find stewed fruit works a treat for me. I stew up a pan of fruit then eat a little for desert after meals or when I feel peckish. I also have a passion for ready to eat figs and prunes - which are also good (but don't work so well for me - maybe because they are dried).
Good luck - and do let us know how you get on.
xwholewomanuk

Hi WWUK - perfect opportunity for me to ask something I've been wondering. Is stewed fruit better than fresh? It is easier on the digestive system but still having all the same benefits? Or is there something we don't want, that we are getting rid of by stewing? Thanks - Surviving

I was wondering that too. I was thinking about grating apple into my oatmeal before cooking it, rather than adding it afterwards.

Hi goddesses,
Hmm - good questions... I suggest stewed fruit because I've found having some for desert/snacks 1/2/3 times a day really works wonders for bm/elimination for me. It's an easy, healthy, effective preventative/remedy for constipation - and is more effective, for me at least, than fresh fruit.
However I don't think the fresh fruit should be a substitute for fresh fruit/veg. I usually also eat some fresh fruit inbetween meals and occasionally iwth meals (eg cereal) as well. I remember Christine saying that a healthy diet included ample quantities of fresh fruit and veg. I suspect that some nutritional value probably is lost in the cooking. I certainly don't stew fruit in order to lose anything we don't need. I'm afraid I don't know the science of it in detail. That sounds like another interesting line of enquiry though.

I guess it partly depends on how much of an issue constipation is - and what works for you.
xwholewomanuk

I guess of the advantages of stewing is that it increases the water content of dried fruits like prunes and figs. That means that you don't have to drink more water to make up for the water absorbed by the dry fruit.