Enemas Before C-Section: Safety & Alternatives

Question
Hi Elayne:

I am scheduled for a repeat c-section next week.  After my previous c-section I was extremely constipated and had to take several enemas when I came home from the hospital. Is it safe/beneficial to take an enema a day or two before my c-section?

Answer
I don't think a pre-op enema would help you much.  Your better course would be to make sure you are mobile as soon as possible after surgery, even if it is just a few hours.  Also, keep taking fluids, and get back on a high-fiber diet as soon as you are allowed back on solid food.  As long as you have enough stuff moving through your bowels, and as long as you keep getting up and moving around, you should be fine.  Constipation comes from sitting still too long, and from the wrong diet, not from the surgery itself.