Way too much information - problems going to loo over a year after childbirth

[Lazaringo]

Apologies in advance - if anyone's just had a meal you might want to stop reading now. This is highly embarrassing, and I'm only posting here in the hope someone can shed some light/offer some advice, since none of the dozens of health visitors, midwifes, doctors, nurses or physio experts I've seen seem to be able to do that.

It's a big long winded (probably a bad choice of words), but I'll try to be succinct.

In the third trimester of my first pregnancy I became anaemic and was taking iron tablets. This made me very, very constipated and I was glugging Lactulose like it was Prosecco.

Because of various, unrelated complications, I was induced at 38 weeks. I spent 4 days in slow labour, during which time I was completely unable to go to the loo for a number two, despite all the lactulose I was drinking and the glycerine pessaries that nurses were sticking up my bum round the clock. By the time I was 6cm dilated, I hadn't been to the loo for pretty much a week. This meant my bowel was completely compacted with poo, but no amount of pushing budged it. I begged and begged for an enema, but the midwives refused, saying that they don't offer those anymore as it's "old fashioned". My biggest fears at this point were that I either had the weakest pelvic floor in the western world and that if I couldn't push out a hard poo, how the hell was I going to manage a 9Ib child? The other was that there was going to be a major poomageddon during the end stages of my labour and the midwives were going to be very sorry indeed that they hadn't done an enema.

Anyway, bottom line (another bad choice of words, sorry), not a single scrap of poo came out during all the ferocious pushing I did in labour. Two days post natal, my stitches bulging from the week's worth of poo stuck in my bum, I decided that I'd have to quite literally take matters into my own hands. To say that the manual excavation was agonising is an understatement, but the relief I felt afterwards was immense. Plus it really helped with the postnatal weight loss - I reckon I must have shedded about 3 pounds.

I thought/hoped that would be the end of it.

Unfortunately, for the next 6 months or so, I was unable to have a regular bowel movement. There didn't seem to be any issue at all with 'producing'. I just wasn't able to budge it. Sometimes, I felt like I really needed to go, but just couldn't push it out, and so had to manually excavate. Other times, I had no sensation of fullness, and so would have to regularly check whether I was full and on discovering I was, would have to do something about it.

During this period I was back and fore doctors and health visitors/midwives etc. I was told to do my pelvic floor exercises, which I did. I was told to take laxatives, which made no difference. One doctor stuck his finger up my bum very roughly, and asked "Can you feel that?". I meekly replied "Yes" (what I wanted to say was "You've practically got your entire arm up my backside, of course I can bloody well feel it you fool"). To which he replied: "You're fine then" and sent me on my way.

After about 6 months post labour, thinks slowly started going back to normal. It was a bit stop start, but before long I was able to go again the normal way.

However, I then fell pregnant again, and pretty much straight away the problem came back. This made me think it was less a pelvic floor issue (I've never had incontinence or anything like that), and that it was hormonal? Anyway, either way, I've spent my entire pregnancy having to manually excavate. Same issue: I either feel full but can't push, or I can't feel that I need to go until I go check what's going on up there.

Knowing what I know now I'll make sure that before this baby is due I'll have a good clear our before labour. I'm convinced that the reason I needed ventouse intervention with my first is that the birth canal was effected by the fact my bowels were so full and not budging. Obviously I don't want that again.

So, there you have it. I am desperate for some reassurance that I'm not the only one out there this has happened to and that there might be some light at the end of the tunnel. I'm really hoping I don't have another 6 months of this after my second delivery. It's a truly horrible way to live.

This hasn't happened to me but it sounds awful. You poor thing. There is no way you should have to put up with this and I feel very angry for you that you have been fobbed off. Have you had an obstetric physio referral? Who were the doctors you've seen? I think I'd print off what you've written here and give it to your GP (not one you've seen before) and ask for the appropriate referral. Hope it gets sorted.

I had to manually evacuate due to sheer desperation during my first pregnancy, but only once. I told my consultant and she said not to worry about only pooing once a fortnight as I had hyperemesis and their was nothing there to get out (!) I was also given laxatives/suppositories during the early stages of an induction, but they worked.

If you need to manually evacuate and laxatives/suppositories aren't working, you need to hound your GP/midwife to help you/send you to hospital for enemas. I know the consensus on here is that you should only present at A&E if you're virtually dead, and normally I'd agree, but if your GP/midwife are unhelpful this time around and you are in pain I'd go to A&E if you're impacted.

Poor you. It sounds really unfair. I think you should keep returning to talk to your doctor until you get some help with this. Take care.

Just wanted to add that I had hyperemesis too and had to manually evacuate numerous times during my pregnancy, including right before a senior meeting as was told I couldn't go home 👎

The hospital Reg prescribed movicol which worked probably 80 - 90% time and I had enemas for the others.

Absolutely echo PP keep pestering them. No, it probably won't kill you - although fecal impaction is a medical emergency apparently - but it is horrendous and there are things to help.

Good luck xxx

Have you tried Laxidol/Movicol?

If it gets worse please go back to the drs and insist they give you something stronger. I had to have 5 hours of aggressive treatments at hospital due to constipation (pessaries, enemas, colonic irrigation, tablets, magnesium drink etc etc) the month before I gave birth as they fobbed me off for a week even though I was telling drs how bad it was.
It was horrifically painful and I felt completely embarassed with having to have so many procedures done in one session. Thankfully it worked and I felt so much better afterwards but it did take 1 week to get back to normal.

That sounds absolutely horrendous. No advice, but massive support.
No one should ever have to put up with that level of risk, discomfort/pain and the obvious feelings of embarrassment you're experiencing. I second/third A & E if you don't get the help you need: I am astounded that you're not being helped under these circustances and I would furious if I were you.

That sounds terrible OP The things women are expected to put up with because of the childbirth excuse is shocking, and this is no exception.

Only suggestion I have is that Laxido worked so, SO much better for me than Lactulose (which did nothing). Although I appreciate you've probably tried that already.

Hi OP,

What you are going through is horrendous and you don't have to put up with it. I don't know why this is happening to you but surely someone does.

I was referred to a colorectal department post birth for feacal incontinence and for research purposes I agreed to fill in a detailed questionnaire about my toilet and sex habits (and again 6 months later). The questions asked were an eye opener to what some women suffer .
Go back to your GP and don't leave without a plan of action/referral. You need to know which tests can be carried out or what specialist you need. Don't leave until you know this. Do ask "have you had a case like mine before?" and "what is the most likely to the least likely cause?".
If the GP doesn't know, ask for your case to be reviewed by the other GPs at the surgery so they decide which tests/referral you need.

The way you are being fobbed off is terrible. Could you pay to go for a private consultation. It is about 200 quid but could be worth it to get a proper diagnosis? There is a support group for people with Colo rectal type problems, I forget the name but a google should turn it up and they may be able to give good advice.

@Lazaringo how are you now? I’m going through similar and it’s been one year since I’ve had my baby. The urge to go wakes me up at night but I produce nothing