Anyone know about 30/30 rule? Stop drinking 30 minutes before you eat and start drinking 30 after eating.

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I've been told 20 minutes before and 30 minutes after. This is one of the things that i think will be most difficult for me after surgery.

It's standard. Everyone is told this. It's important to follow, particularly in the first year. It doesn't work for me at this point (three years out). I drink with meals normally now. Not saying not to listen to your doctor...just being real. I followed this advice the first year pretty faithfully. Now, not so much. Though, I do drink less with meals now.

@Creekimp13 are you able to use straws?

Yep. Used one today. But again, I didn't the first year.

yes - that 30/30 rule seems to be pretty universal. We were told to do that at first - and then when we moved to solid food (at about six weeks out, I think), we were told we could drink up to the point of eating, but then we couldn't eat while eating or for an hour afterward. I'm still doing that six years later (although there have been a few times when I couldn't wait a whole hour because of timing issues, but I at least waited 30 minutes, since most surgeons recommend just 30 minutes, not 60 like mine does - so I figured it was probably safe). You do get used to it after awhile.

I just had my 6 month follow up, and this was one of my ?'s I had for the docs...to continue doing this? I was told by the nutritionist, and the doc that this will be the ongoing rule forever. Both said it had to do with digestion. Both also said that taking a "sip" of water right after eating is fine. Like if your throat feels dry, etc.

Regarding straws I had one given to me hours after surgery to sip Gatorade. Any notion that it introduces air is completely ignoring the reality of how we drink… not to mention your stomach is producing gas, you swallow air all the time anyway, and air is not going to harm you anyway.