How long after giving birth is it normal to have bowel movements?

After childbirth, the body will have many "sequelae" due to the delivery situation. Difficulty in defecation is one of the more troublesome problems, especially for pregnant women who have caesarean sections. This is mainly due to excessive fatigue of the abdominal muscles during childbirth, which weakens the defecation function and cannot recover quickly for a while, thus affecting the defecation situation. So how long after childbirth will it be normal to defecate?

How many days after giving birth does the mother have normal bowel movements?

Many mothers have trouble urinating and defecating after a cesarean section. Due to the extreme stretching, congestion and edema of the pelvic floor muscles during delivery, as well as the fatigue of the abdominal muscles in the second stage of delivery, the elasticity cannot be restored in a short time, and the intestinal peristalsis slows down due to excessive breath holding, excessive shouting, deep breathing, water and electrolyte imbalance, etc. During the delivery stage, the bowel movement function is weakened after delivery and the feces cannot be effectively discharged. Normal vaginal delivery usually restores bowel movement function about 24 hours after delivery, while cesarean section usually restores bowel movement 48 to 72 hours after surgery.

Generally speaking, women who have undergone cesarean section can start to defecate within 6 days. If the bowel movement is not smooth within 6 days after the operation, it will be difficult to defecate after delivery. If you have difficulty defecating, here are some things you can do:

1. In terms of diet, eat more green vegetables to get dietary fiber, drink enough water, and eat foods that can lubricate the intestines, such as honey water and bananas;

2. Exercise appropriately. For mothers who have undergone caesarean section without complications, they can try to walk around indoors on the second day after delivery. If there are complications, they must follow the doctor's instructions and not get out of bed too early.

3. If the bowel movement takes too long, you can consult a doctor and prescribe some Chinese patent medicine to relieve constipation.

Treatments for postpartum constipation

1. Do not lie still for a long time; postpartum women should not stay in bed for a long time, but should increase their activity appropriately. They should turn over frequently in the first two days, sit up when eating, and get out of bed and move around after two days.

2. Adjust the dietary structure; daily meals should be appropriately accompanied by a certain proportion of whole grains, and coarse and fine grains should be combined to achieve a diversified staple food. While eating meat and eggs, pay attention to taking in fresh vegetables and fruits rich in fiber. Vegetables include spinach, celery, onion, bitter gourd, water spinach, leek, etc.; fruits include bananas, apples, pears, apricots, etc. Drink more soup.

3. Maintain an optimistic mood; bad emotions will reduce gastric acid secretion and slow down gastrointestinal motility. You should usually maintain a cheerful spirit and a good mood and avoid adverse mental stimulation.

4. Dietary therapy can moisten the intestines and promote bowel movements.

5. Use drugs to assist defecation; it is better to use mild laxative Chinese medicine and Chinese patent medicine. Do not use strong and aggressive drugs to avoid damaging the body's vital energy.

6. If an enema is given before delivery, the mother will have a bowel movement 2-3 days after delivery; if an enema is not given before delivery, the mother may have her first bowel movement in 1-2 days. If you have not had a bowel movement for more than 3 days after delivery, you should pay attention to the occurrence of constipation; if constipation persists for more than 3 days, you must ask a doctor for appropriate treatment.