Going to the loo after childbirth - possibly TMI!

[ng1412]

Hi all, I gave birth a month ago and I am still having problems going to the loo.

I couldn't go for about a week after I was discharged from hospital due to the large amount of codeine I had whilst there. When I did go it was soooo painful, however after that it seemed to be improving until today, I have been in agony again and really suffering as completely constipated. It's not easy going to the loo as my DH is at work and looking after a newborn when you are in this state is just not easy.

I am not sure if this is normal or not. I have always had problems with going to the loo as suffer with very bad IBS so I am not sure if it's just something I have to accept or whether anything can be done. I will phone my GP later for an appointment but just wondered whether anyone has an advice?

BTW my diet is very good and I have been eating lots of apricots and bought some All Bran so will give that a go to see if it helps things move

Hi. It's very very normal, but you may want to give the allbran a miss and just look for things with water soluble fibre in them to make everything as loose as possible. Figs, prunes, prune juice, oats, linseed/flaxseed all good. I also took lactulose for a bit.

I feel for you. It's not nice getting your bowels back into condition after childbirth. I had the opposite problem - iron tablets made me very runny which is a disastrous combination with a weak pelvic floor and a fresh episiotomy scar!

Is there anything somebody could get for you at the chemist? Syrup of figs, lactulose, movicol etc? Or lots of fresh fruit and prune juice?

Hope it gets a bit easier soon.

Thanks Bella, I got All Bran as my mum swears by it (we have this problem running in the family - lovely!), but if you don't think it will work I will stear clear. Does it cause more problems than it solves or just doesn't work?

I think it's the wrong kind of fibre (Disclaimer: read on here and may not be correct. Also includes weetabix and wheat in general and bananas).

It depends if you want help getting regular decent poos (so allbran and weetabox are good)or whether you need some help, ahem, getting it out without tearing, in which case you need things like the above which will draw water into the bowel and make the poo softer.

ng1412 you have my sympathy, i didn't have a proper bowel movement until 6 weeks after birth! I actually found it easier pushing the baby out. I drank gallons of water and had some lactulose, it worked quite well. Yes, stay away from the all bran just now, as the fibre in it will soak up any water and make it harder to shift.
Hope you feel better soon.

oh yes, DRINK LOADS AND LOADS OF WATER

Glad I posted before I attempted the All Bran route! Thanks all for advice, I have ordered some prune juice and other things, will get some lactulose as well.

I am determined not to go through the ordeal of earlier today ever again!!!

janedoe, agree with your point about it being more difficult than giving birth...

Get fibogel from your doctor. After DD1 was born I didnt 'go' for 14 days, I kid you not & when I did it was soooo painful. Drink plenty of fresh orange & 2 fibogel per day & you'll soon be moving . GOOD LUCK!

Sympathies - it's something no one tells you about birth and it's after effects. I was shocked the pain it caused.

I'd echo the above in that combo of lactulose, soluble fibre food i.e. veg like broccoli peas carrots, oats and water will help. Fibogel is good but you must drink loads and loads of water with this or it can have the opositre effect.

Also any gentle excercise you can safely manage will get things moving.

The other thing that helped me was rocking whilst on the loo, think it helps stuff move through the last part of the bowel.

Another vote for lactulose - its gentle.
I used to take the baby into the loo with me!

Tip of last resort - I found that in a constipation emergency, I could deal with lying down in bed with the baby until help arrived. I was surprised at how much better that was than being upright.

Lactulose will help soften the stools and get it going. After than the bran stuff is good. We all left hospital (those with any stitches) with prescriptions for it!!!

gp gave me lactulose and a numbing gel (I think it's supposed to be for piles). the 1st poo for me was so easy that I really thought I'd got away with it but the second was horrendous. I ended up with dd laid on the bathroom floor wrapped up and dh perched on the side of the bath holding my hand as I breathed through the poo. It was like giving birth again. (dh had never been in the same room as me when using a toilet but I needed him.

This time I've told dh that he has to bring in some fresh fruit for me to eat and orange juice (these have helped with constipation from iron tablets for me).

It will get better x

It is so good to know it's not just me that goes through these things. The first time it happened I managed to block the toilet with it when it finally came out (sorry!) and my DH had to unblock it.

It's what the marriage vows were made for!

Going to try the lactulose and get my GP appt very soon. Thanks all.

Drink loads. After the birth and bf (if you are) you are likely to be dehydrated.

I'm meant to say also gravity will help - walking or when you are up to it jogging.

I would say a bit of lactulose and detrmination will get things moving. Im pleased my giving birth days are over. You forget about the little things afterwards. Good luck

I suffer from IBS too and find any thing wheat based makes it worse. Instead if fybogel I take Regulan. Its the same idea only maize based and does the trick...eventually

I got some lactulose today plus a prescription for something else which DH is picking up this evening. Good job as i had same problems going to the loo today. Can't cope with it for much longer...

Any ideas how long lactulose takes to work?

I ended up (tmi warning) putting on a rubber glove and helping the poo out with my fingers. (on Christmas Day while the Queen's speech was on. Never looked at the Monarchy in quite the same way again!) Once I had done that, lactulose helped a LOT, and drinking loads of water

Seeker I am so glad I am not the only one who has done that but sorry you had to go through it too of course!

I have been prescribed Movicol - just taken my first sachet so we shall see.

One question I have: I would like to have more children (probably within the next two years due to my age of 41yrs) and I would like a c-section due to the trauma I had at birth which was bloody awful. If I do have one, does that mean I would avoid the constipation problem or do you also suffer if you have a c-section?

ng1412
I had a c-section and suffered from the same problems with going to the loo and like princessscrumpy above ended up with my partner in the bathroom holding my hand while i screamed the house down! one thing i will say about this problem coupled with having a c-section all the straining makes your wound very sore, unfortunately looks like were gonna suffer which ever birth route we take :( . Im looking to do the opposite an go for a vbac if we have another and if im allowed! lol!

Oh bugger misshey, sounds like my plan to avoid it is scuppered! I guess next time at least I will know what to expect and will avoid codeine in the hospital (the devil's drugs IMO!).

seeker - no Queen but just my DD screaming her head off in the bedroom. Not sure which is worse

With my 2 birth was completly different .. 1st epidural, 4th degree tear, having lactulose :( and having anal fissures due to them stitching me up to tight!! suffered for a year then went away for a while after it healed great then got pregnant again and had a natural birth with no drugs (well failed epidural 3 times!!) to having no tears and having no fissures just say the second baby was bigger!! i would defo do it again if i could but not allowed !! :)