How To Stay Hydrated Overnight After Bariatric Surgery?

Hydration is essential after bariatric surgery. In fact, it’s one of the most important things a patient can do to help with weight loss and healing post-surgery. Here are some post bariatric surgery tips for staying hydrated at night:

Ways to Stay Hydrated After Bariatric Surgery

1. Drink small amounts frequently.

Drink water or a sugar-free sports drink at least every two hours, up to every 15 minutes while you are in the hospital recovering from surgery. This will help your body stay hydrated and flush out any excess salts that may have built up during the procedure. You’ll also need lots of fluids after surgery to help your body heal.

2. Bring a water bottle with you everywhere and drink from it frequently.

Once you are allowed to get out of bed, take your water or sports drink and put it in a plastic water bottle that is easily accessible all the time. Keep this on the nightstand so that at least once every two hours while you are sleeping, you can reach over to drink a glass from it. It’s great to have water with you if you’re walking around the hospital or recovering at home as well.

3. At night, use an oral rehydration solution (ORS) for added hydration support.

If you’ve had bile salt surgery like the most common form of weight-loss surgery, gastric bypass, you’ll need even more liquid at night. This helps flush the body and get rid of excess bile salts that build up in your kidneys when you’re not moving around. They can cause severe dehydration if they aren’t cleared out so it’s important to drink lots of fluids during the day and night while you recover.

4. Keep a bed pan near your water bottle.

When you are in the hospital after surgery, use this whenever necessary at night to help keep yourself hydrated throughout the night. Fill up the containers as needed each time that you empty them out, but if you’re already getting enough liquids during the day, go ahead and wait till the morning to empty out the containers.

5. Try not to use thickened liquids like jello or Popsicles.

Many people are given thickening agents after surgery because they will find it hard to swallow any type of solid food for a while. You’ll probably be offered watery high-calorie liquid supplements but try to avoid them as much as possible. They will thicken the liquids in your stomach and make it harder on your body to digest food by putting pressure on the organ during that time.

6. Consume clear liquids

If you’re allowed to drink a broth or any type of clear liquid soup, go ahead and drink one small glass every two hours.

Clear liquids are usually okay right away during the day, but don’t overdue them because your stomach needs rest after a bariatric procedure as well. Your body will only be able to process so much liquid at one time before it starts relieving itself of water that way. It’s better for you if you can take the time to drink six small glasses of water spread throughout the day. If you’re in pain it may be hard to sit up or move around but try your best to do so as much as possible. Be ready to see a difference in your lifestyle from bariatric surgery before and after. If you have a Bariatric Surgery in Maryland or elsewhere, you should ideally be advised on what to consume and not post-surgery so worry not.

Bariatric Surgery Step by Step Process is extremely detailed so if you are recovering from this form of surgery, it’s important to stay hydrated to help your body recover as quickly as possible.

Wayne Whitehurst