Cranberry Juice???

I was just wondering if the post op princesses recommend drinking cran juice before and after surgery if you are prone to UTI's?? I heard the foley can cause infection and that sometimes is more painful than anything . I'm not a big fan of the taste , but a friend recommended mixing it with sprite or 7 up. Could this help prevent a UTI from even starting up?

Hi Patti -

I had heard to drink lots of water and cranberry juice post-up. I am going in on the 25th too, and this is a good question to throw out there. I, like you want a smooth recovery and want to do all the right things.

Hi Flameglow and Scaredinflorida,

I used to have UTI's year round...just a short urethera...

I found cranberry capsules to work even better than cranberry juice (can't stand how much you have to drink to get the same result). You can find them in almost any drug store, Wally-World, Target, grocery store with the other vitamins.

I (with my doctor's permission) take one every night with a huge glass of water, and I've been UTI free for a very long time. I doubled my dose right after surgery (with doctor's ok) to be sure I didn't get one from the catheter.

Great idea for you all to think of, but I do of course recommend you run it by your doctor's.

Best wishes to you both!
the cat maid

HI Elizabeth and cat maid

I think I will prob quit smoking ( the week before surgery...for good this time), drink cranberry juice, won't miss a vitamin, and drink plenty of water. I want to be as healthy as possible and I need to quit smoking anyway. I heard alot of woman find this time to quit easier...since it wont be easy for me to go outside and stuff.
UTI's are a nightmare so I will prob talk to the doc. Do they give you antibiotics post op regardless???

I had the very same fear before surgery, due to previous c-sections and UTI's because of the catherer. I was so warried that I started drinking 1 glass of cranberryjuice everyday about 2 weeks before my surgery. I continued with cranberryjuice, other juices and plenty of water after the surgery. I had no UTI problems. None at all. Thank God. I know it is hard, but try not to worry too much. Remember to drink plenty of liquids, and it will help to keep your bladder functioning.

Cranberry juice is great for helping to prevent UTI's, assuming there is no reason your DR doesn't want you to have it. I was offered it in the castle a few hours after my surgery. It works by making the walls of the bladder "slippery" so bacteria can't adhere there as well. I like it mixed 50/50 with ice water.

You may or may not get antibiotics before or after your surgery; you may or may not have to do a bowel prep. Both of those things, plus low vaginal estrogen levels, can contribute to an increased incidence of yeast infections post op. Check out the post op article on yeast infections for some ideas on how to prevent them. Yogurt is a wonderful idea post op.

About vitamins... every DR has his or her preferences about whether you should discontinue certain vitamins or supplements before your surgery. Some of the ones your DR may ask you to stop taking include Vitamin C, Vitamin E, echinacea and ginkgo biloba. Aspirin and ibuprofen are also no-nos according to many DRs. The reason is that all these agents can thin your blood. Call your DR and ask if you are not sure what to do.

Hope this helps!
s,
-Linda

I drank mostly cranberry juice when I came home from surgery. I was told to drink plenty of fluids after surgery. Cranberry juice wasn't as strong as orange, and I also got the low calorie kind to help with the weight thing. I still drink lots of it!!!! And Hot Tea (decaf).

I second the cranberry capsules and LOTS of filtered water. I get chronic UTI's, and this is the only thing that seems to work. I HATE the taste of cranberry juice.