Constipation after vaginal birth - what worked for you?

[rosalux]

DS was born on Sunday morning after a seriously short labour (3h 40min) which has left me somewhat shell shocked. Since that time I have been unable to poo, despite eating my body weight in dried apricots and fluffing the hideous lactulose. I didn't have any issues of this nature while pregnant following my discovery of the aforesaid lactulose but now worry I may never poo again. How long after childbirth did it take for you and do you have any tips to speed things up?

[QTPie]

Lactulose - took a while to work, but did in the end (ok I had a CS, but....)

[first1]

Fybrogel, movicol and water

[CBear6]

Fresh figs, at least two (or half a dozen dried ones). My own body weight in water. Walking.

I also found that part of not needing to go was nerves and not feeling the sensations, I think everything down there goes into shock for a week or two afterwards! A clean, folded up sanitary pad or wad of tissue pressed firmly againt your perineum can help the area feel more supported and I found that it helped me to go.

If it keeps up see the MW and ask for something to help, I remember though that mine told me 5-7 days is normal.

[LoveBeingAtHomeOnMyOwn]

Drinking water, movement but also are you taking any medication? Painkillers can cause it too.

[CBear6]

Oh yeah, LoveBeing has a good point. Ibuprofen can cause constipation and I remember it being practically thrown at me after having DS as the painkiller of choice.

[first1]

Also if you're taking any iron supplements or codeine based analgesics they'll bung you right up. Think it took me four days for my first postnatal poo which was nothing compared to ten utterly god damn awful days of constipation at 7months pregnant

[rosalux]

Thanks for all your suggestions. Did manage to go yesterday (hurrah!) and feeling much better, but still somewhat trepidatious about future toilet trips! Truly the glamour if pregnancy never ends

[dinkystinky]

Warm baths, drinking lots of water, getting out and walking abit and eating mostly vegetarian diet (lots of dates, prunes etc. too) helped me. My movements were abit off whack for a while after both births but returned to normal within 2 months.

[Carrichards]

I had the same issue and it is 90% from not drinking enough. You need to be having at least 1 drink per hour till your body has settled down.

[ohbabybaby]

Whatever you have found that works - keep taking it for the next couple of weeks. With 1st baby I stopped taking lactulose after a week or so, and when DS1 was about 2 weeks old the problem returned.

With DS2 I found it best just to not think but just do it, little and often.

Good luck!

[lindy100]

Seven pints of water every 24 hours, fruit n fibre for breakfast, malt loaf for snacks, ryvita for lunch, wholmeal past for dinner. Every day From Sat until Tues, when I went for the first time. No problemo.

Situation: second degree tear over episiotomy scar, plus iron tablets.

[MissRee]

Fybogel! Have been massively constipated during pregnancy and it's the only thing that's got things moving for me :)

[coffeeaddict]

Glycerin suppositories!!! Rarely mentioned in UK as people are so squeamish (my mother, who spent a lot of her life in France is thankfully not and told me about them.) They are easy, work instantly and do not go through your system or give you wind like eating a million prunes can do.

[SuiGeneris]

Try baked apples, spinach and rye bread. And lots of water.

[Jeezimacasalinga]

Another vote here for the glycerin suppositories - they really work and as coffeeaddict says, they are not going through your system which is a bonus if you don't like the side effects of lactulose/your own body weight in fibre. They're dead cheap too! Also drink as much water as you can, especially if you're breastfeeding. I didn't do this and boy did I suffer....

[Highlander01]

I had the same problem! Although I was very constipated towards the end of my pregnancy (DD is 3 months old) When I went in to be induced I had an enema which worked great, followed by suppository from the MW the next day. DD arrived the day after (and I didn't poo myself during delivery :) ) The day after that I went to the loo no problem (and that was with a 3rd degree tear) but about 30 mins after I needed to go again but couldn't make it to the bathroom in time and pooed myself in the ward . I think the suppositories contributed to this, plus I had no bowel control because of the tear.

The days following were awful, I was going about every 5 days because I was so constipated and nothing worked (water, baths, prunes, figs, lactulose, fybogel you name it). My tear made it so uncomfortable too. I saw my doctor after about 3 weeks of pain and frustration and she prescibed Movicol which is a drink you make up from a sachet. Worked a treat and a couple of months on I still "enjoy" (!!!) going to the loo because I am so grateful to actually be able to do it everyday with no pain or difficulty.

I promise it will get better, but I think you might need extra help ontop of prunes etc. Good luck! xx

[Nevercan]

Senokot works for me

[Indaba]

Drink Pear-tiser. Like Appeltiser but made from pears.