Is this folklore or an old wives tale?

[jodyangel, RN]

Ok so I was going to give my 2 day old csection her water pitcher so she could take her pill. She said "OH Im not allowed to drink with a straw, my nurse told me". I'd never heard of such a thing so I told her it was fine and she swallowed her pill.

Now I went to the desk and asked the charge nurse about it and she said Oh Yeah you have to swallow all that air before the water comes up. So you get gassy.

Funny thing is I've never heard this before, even in L&D, where we recovered csections.

So how long are they not allowed to use a straw...forever?

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

It's 'not recommended' not 'forbidden'. Straws and carbonated beverages after ANY type of surgery contribute mightily to gas- which is more painful than the actual surgical procedure in my opinion.

*Veteran of six abdominal surgeries including four, foot-long-vertical-incision C-sections

[NurseNora, BSN, RN]

Once they're moving around and passing gas, they can go back to using straws. You just don't want to add gas until they're able to get rid of it.

[FSZ Student Nurse, RN]

Interesting question!

I had a bariatric post-op patient in clinical, and they told me not to give him straws. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but it's nice to know why I was doing that!

[RNpathoteacher]

We do this, but only until they are up and passing gas.