Please help me conquer my fear of my first post-birth poo!

[lurcherlover]

I gave birth in the early hours of yesterday morning to my gorgeous DS - it was traumatic as he had shoulder dystocia so the last ten minutes was like a scene out of ER, emergency buzzers going and loads of people running in to hold my legs over my head while he was dragged out In a way, I'm lucky with the end result - I have a second degree tear and a couple of superficial ones (if it wasn't for his shoulders getting stuck I probably wouldn't have torn at all as I didn't when his head was coming out - typical!) I am very very sore though and my bottom/rectum in particular for some reason - don't know if they were putting loads of pressure there when they were getting him out. There was a question mark over whether I had torn down to my bottom at first but they decided I hadn't so that's good.

However...I have developed a phobia about the thought of having a poo. I know I'll need to go eventually, and I know it's probably better to go sooner rather than later. But I am SO scared - not so much of popping the stitches (I know that won't happen) - just at the thought of how much it will hurt. I am eating fruit and drinking lots of fluid to hopefully make it easier when I do go, but what else can I do? Should I take a precautionary dose of lactulose or anything like that? I'm breastfeeding.

Help!!

I was taken the theatre to be stitched internally after having ds1 and was given diclofenac (I think) as pain relief afterwards.

One possible side effect was constipation so I asked to have regular lactulose. I took it for about a week I think, twice a day then gradually tailed it down once I was sure that I was going regularly and easily.

Lactulose won't do any harm at all, just soften your poo a bit and make things a bit more comfortable. I'd take it for a bit if I was you.

Congratulations on your ds.

xx

Prune juice is a more natural approach and not that bad tasting. Really worked for me .. I was worried about popping a stitch after caesarian.

Laxatives definitely help soften things up a bit!
And then when I came to actually going for a poo, I held a clean sanitary towel over my stitches and pressed firmly while I passed the poo - not sure whether it did much, but it helped me relax a bit, as I was less worried about my stitches hurting / bursting

Lactulose really works but make sure someone else has got the baby or DS is already down as it CAN work quite quickly . I was very bruised and sore down there after both of mine were assisted .

Try Arnica pillules for the bruising, can get them from Holland and Barrett or most chemists. Pour warm water from a jug over the fanjo as you're peeing or pooing the warmth will heat the tissues and let them stretch a bit. If poo is a bit hard try humming as you can't clench down there when you are humming , it's true honestly.

Best of luck x

I sympathise! I had a 2nd degree tear too, and before my first poo I had my midwife, health visitor, sister (who is a doctor) AND DH check out my wound 1st as I was so worried about busting my stitches.

All of them assured me that
a) it is very unlikely - apparently it almost never happens
b) apparently (sorry to get rather visual here but...)where the poo comes out is totally different from where the tear was, even though to me it felt very close. I even got DH to draw me a diagram!

So go poo with confidence. Don't push too hard if you're feeling sore, just relax - it'll have to come out eventually whether you push or not! :)

Squat, or if you can't squat (I couldn't!) put your feet on something so that your knees are higher up, in a sort of approximation of squatting. Does that make sense? It really does work

The first poo was a shocker for me too. I took a glycerine suppository in the end as fibrogel wasn't shifting it

oh and buy some anusol too!!!

congrats on your DS

Congratulations. You must ask for a stool softener. I didn't and then I was unfeasibly constripated. I didn't poo for seven days!

It might not be that bad, this time round I didn't have a problem at all despite 2nd degree tear. In fact am having the opposite problem at the moment, struggling to hold it in

Drink water like it's going out of fashion.

I was having the same problem having given birth on Monday. 10lb 6oz baby, 2nd degree tear and clitoral tear (not that painful but I can't type it without cringing!) Had first poo about an hour ago and it was absolutely fine! Think relaxation was the key!

Lactulose, prune juice, loads of water - take the lot!

I didn't go for days, but followed the mw's advice and held a thick wad of loopaper against my sore bits and pushed upwards, so I didn't feel like my insides were going to fall out. But it's still an uncomfortable memory.....

Thanks so much everyone. Feeling a bit better now. I'll be sending DH out for prune juice and lactulose in the morning. I guess a lot of it is psychological - I just need to get in there and do it!

Ok. This is totally gross (my response not your question). If you really can't go lactulose is good but then sit in a hot bath with numbs pain and go in the water. I was told that my my Caribbean midwife and it did work ( you leap out quite quickly after believe me!).

I ate a packet of dried apricots o get the old bowels moving and drank a LOT of water - worked quite quickly! And it dies help to hold a maternity pad or wad of loo roll and push the perineum.

Like Bobby I had dried apricots - i was supposed to have lactulose but they forgot to give it to me. I also had 3rd degree tearing and stitches etc. BUT I was only allowed to go home after I had been - and that was my motivation to get the hell out of there! It didn't hurt - it was a relief (in many ways!). Just make sure you can jump in the shower after, rather than wiping too much ( which is what hurts) and you will be fine. Good luck and congrats!