Among the difficult things a woman has to do after having a C-section — from tending to her stitches to learning to breastfeed — now there’s a recommendation that’s a little easier: chew gum.

A new meta-analysis suggests that chewing gum three times a day for 30 minutes each time can help bring back women’s normal gut function after a C-section delivery.

Up to one in five women develop a condition called “postoperative ileus” after a C-section, according to the meta-analysis, published online May 14 in The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine.