hospital diet questions

The hospital has to provide you with something you can eat, the admit nurse most likely doesn't deal with meals at all and so wouldn't really know. Before you go in call the hospital and ask to speek to the person in charge of special dietary needs. Ask them how you go about making sure that your needs are met. And as far as pudding the first few days, that is not considered a clear liquid what they usually give you is jello, some form of broth, tea, and a clear soda as well as water of course. I would have your hubby bring you some snacks from home as well.

Sorry, but taking your own food and drinks to the hospital is not a good idea unless you get special permission from your DR and your caregivers in the hospital.

In most instances they don't let you have anything but clear liquids until you have passed gas - this is to make sure that your bowels have gotten back to work after surgery.

So fruit smoothies, applesauce, pudding, or whatever should be off the list of things that you are planning on taking or having brought to the hospital.

I have never been told that I couldn't eat until I passed gas. it is diet as tollerated, meaning you start out with clear liquids and work up to normal food. Of course I never eat anything that I or someone else brought from home without first checking with my nurse. I've had two c-sections, two laproscopic surgeries and one belly cut and that's how it's been every time. They tell me to eat mild foods. It is a doctor thing, depending on what your doctor likes to do, I have had different doctors with every surgery and it just depends but one good thing is to always ask the nurse before eating anything not given to you by hospital staff.

You also need to remember that a C-section doesn't involve as much maneuvering of your internal organs as a hysterectomy. I had 2 C-sections and started off with soft diets and then went right to a regular diet within a day. With the hyster, I was on a liquid diet at first. My doctor's associate tried to put me on a regular diet the day after surgery...she went so far as to tell the nurse to give me regular diets...and my doctor had fits. He wanted my post op diet to follow his recommendations. I followed his recommendations and had very little trouble with gas and bowel movements.

It's best to follow your doctor's instructions. He knows best what work he has done and what kind of diet will be best for you.

s
Cat

I know it varies by hospital and doctor, but when I did bedside nursing, the general rule of thumb for abdominal surgery was clear liquids until there were active bowel sounds and passing of gas. Before they give you "full" liquids or regular meals, they need to confirm you don't have an ileus, (temporary paralysis of the intestine caused by surgery and anesthesia). In other words, they want to be sure you can properly digest the food before they'll let you have it. Eventhough the idea of a clear liquid diet doesn't sound too appealing, most post-op patients would agree that it's better than vomiting!

Somebody mentioned Atkins...I am also on Atkins and have been wondering if the hospital will let DH bring in my sugar-free jello and sugar-free popsicles. I can't recall ever taking care of an Atkins patient before (?) I remember that we used to allow patients to store food in the nurse's fridge on the floor. I hope they still do!

I remember with my lap surgery it was outpatient and I was told within a week I would be back to normal. I wasn't, they removed a cyst from my ovary and boy it hurt a lot. It didn't take as long as the c-section to recover but it was a good 2 weeks before I was feeling much better, and by that time the cyst was back and well within a few more weeks I was back in the hospital for the ovary to be removed because it was then torsed.
Anyway when I was talking to my doctor at the pre-op on thursday she was making the same point that they are doing a lot more work and more cutting inside so regardless of the incision on the outside the pain is deaper and takes longer to heal. If you over do it after surgery you may not actually rip your incision open but you could do some damage to the inside, so you have to be careful. It takes a lot longer for the inside to heal then it does for the outside.

I had my pre-op and they asked me if I had any dietary requirements. I told them I was Vegan and they said "a what?" I had to laugh.....should be interesting what I am going to be served as I cannot eat jello since it is made from animal hooves.
The nurse wrote, no dairy/no meat on my forms.
I have cans of veg. broth and my own tea bags packed just in case! Each floor has a microwave and mini-kitchen. I have frozen so many personal servings of soups and stews and sauce that I will be well taken care of at home when I return from the castle!

Ciao

Jell-o is made from animal hooves? Yuck! I'm not a vegan but I may stop eating jell-o regardless!!

re: policies

I asked my dr about bringing snacks and he said once I've passed gas I can eat. the nurses were reluctant to let me, and I understand why, but I charmed them into bringing me a turkey sandwich that night and I ate my crackers and stuff after that.

I think every situation is different, and you have to be your own advocate.

p.s.
I don't eat jello either!

Sorry if I grossed anyone out about the Jello........I didn't know myself until I became Vegan. It isn't so appealling once you know, its what holds it together and gives it the wiggle! LOL
Thank goodness there are lots of other alternatives!