First poop after childbirth...

[PeaceLillyDoge]

So DD is 2 days old and I am scared to death of going for my first poop.

Was very fortunate to have a straight forward home birth with only a graze to the labia rather than a tear. Weeing really hurts!

I've defo got a poop brewing, I can feel it (or maybe it's haemorrhoids !) Reckon I can hold it in for another week or so if I put my mind to it...

Please tell me it's not as bad as I think it will be
..? Any advice for how to make it hurt less?

take some lactulose.

I held mine in for a week
I was terrified but the fear was worse than the reality if that makes sense?
Have you got any stool softeners you can take? I'm still in pain when I go to the toilet almost 7 weeks PP but I think that's because I had a pretty severe 2nd degree tear and I developed piles during pregnancy/childbirth. Got my 6 week check so going to mention it to the GP.
It honestly won't be as bad as you think!

whatever you do, don't push!

just let it come out on its own.

and don't hold it in, either

Don't hold it in and don't squeeze. As Heart says just let it come out on it's own.

If it gets to much just stand up then sit back down when you feel the 'urge'

If it hurts when you pee take a water bottle to the toilet with you and pour while you pee.

DS2 is 7 months now and the first poop ritual is still fresh in my mind. :o

Dried apricots

Great advice thank you! I was wondering if it was possible to just let it come out on its own without pushing, clearly it is!

I sneezed earlier today and thought my innards were going to fall out so the thought of pushing in that direction fills me with fear!

Just wanted to add - drink lots and lots of water, especially if you're breasttfeeding.

I thought my insides would fall out. The advice I was given that really helped was to hold a clean maternity pad over your vulva and perinium to make you feel a bit more secure. It's honestly not that bad! Oh and use a footstool or something to raise your feet up - again it helps the poo to come out easier.

Drink loads of water to keep your wee diluted so it doesn't burn and use a water bottle filled with warm water to squirt down there when you wee and afterwards.

Congratulations and enjoy the newborn snuggles!

Yes, yes lots of water is a big must. Just go when you're ready, trust me you'll know.

If it's not going well then talk to your midwife and she can help with some suppositories.

It takes two seconds but really helped me when I had DS1.

Prune juice! Get a bottle and go glass by glass. Drink lots of water, especially if you're breastfeeding.

Take your time, maybe a warm bath first? Go sooner than later though - holding on will make it more difficult. You won't actually lose your insides (but you will fear it). Lifting your knees does help too. It gets easier (mentally at least) after the first.

Take a fibre supplement. When you do finally "go" hold a clean pad on any stitches and relax.

Glycerin suppositories! Seriously, they are amazing - soften things up nicely so that you don't have to strain. Lactulose and prunes etc are all good and well but when you don't go for a few days you need to tackle things from the other end! IMO they should be given to all women n discharge from hospital.

Mine came within a couple of days and there wasn't much I could have done to stop it - my muscles were shot!

My mantra was: 'don't think just poo'

ie just let it ease its way out without thinking about it and getting scared and without pushing much.

Good luck!

prune juice

I held mine in way too, think I lasted a week, I was just way too scared. In. My defence, I had to have an EMCS so was sore to breathe too fast let alone anything else.

As pp's have said, just let it come on it's own - I didn't and was close to tears

HTH

I held mine for 2 weeks and regretted it. I was in agony when I did it, like labour again!

If I had another I would use still softeners to get the first one done sooner. The sensation was the same as pushing and I couldn't bear it!

I was terrified, but in reality it was absolutely fine, no pain at all.

Which made a nice change from only being able to pee with my undercarriage perched over the side of the bath, with a lukewarm shower directed at my patchwork fanjo!

I wouldn't hold it. Just relax, get someone else to look after LO so you can't hear any crying or be worried about them and go with the flow. Take a long time if you need.

I found it a bit painful for a few weeks (weird as I had a cs!) but manageable. Even if you are bf'ing you can take paracetamol so you could always take a couple about half an hour before you go!

not sitting on the seat fully but sort of squatting from on high helped including during pregnancy too. it seems to help this happen naturally rather than pushing, may be to do with gravity [
I'm pretty sure ante-natal,mid-wives etc never mentioned post birth toilet situations to me so it was all a shock. I remember crying in a coffee shop as I really needed to have a pee but knew that it was going to sting like crazy.

I've eaten loads of fruit and drunk lots of water before all of mine and they've been ok.

Poor you - I really worried about this too but it was fine when it came to it! Lots of water and fruit and just let it happen rather than pushing. I'd get something like lactulose if it doesn't happen soon though. Weeing doesn't need to hurt; jug of warm water and pour it over your bits while you wee, totally eases the pain.

Prune juice, water, maternity pad pressed on.

I was terrified and it was absolutely fine! No pain at all.

Thank you all DP has gone off the supermarket with a long list of your suggestions!

Am thinking having a nice relaxing lavender oil Bath followed by a suppository and then increasing my prune juice/fruit and fibre intake over the next few days.
Oh the joys of childbirth! No one warned me that I would feel this sore all over, I can't imagine how much worse it is for those of you with more than a graze.