Bowel movement after birth

[Winter2019]

How long after birth til you went for no. 2?
Had my second DD 2 days ago and have problems with emptying my bladder fully, had catheter in and out, now getting urine drained every 3 hours. Can pee on my own now but not fully. Feel like I will need to go for no. 2 soon but am terrified, got stitches and it's all swollen down there. Will try to get something against constipation, hopefully it will do the trick.
I know the birth is over and I'm so chuffed that our baby is out but I'm so upset over these issues.

Hi, I understand how stressful this can be. I can be quite constipated normally but I've found since having my baby I go more regularly (post birth piles are still pissing me off though) and I found that drinking tons and tons of water helped me go. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I used spritz for bits and just sprayed it everywhere I had stitches. Good luck!

Take a deep breath, take your time and hold a pad against your stitches while you go

I had a third degree tear and the first poo wasn't fun, I won't lie, but it was much easier after that. You could ask the midwives for lactulose, I was given a big bottle of it to take home x

Congratulations on your baby

Lactulose is your friend. And for the swelling/stitches, have a nice soak in a salt water bath.

Congratulations

It took me till day 10...eek. And even then it was a massive struggle!

I remember this with DD, I had stitches and just sitting on the toilet made me feel like the whole world was falling out of me. Like others have said, take your time hold a clean pad against the stitches and try to relax. It's feels worse then it is if you know what I mean

Thanks everyone for your replies.
And as for bladder issues.. Is it ever gonna be okay?! I had similar issue with DD1 so I know I need to chill and give it time but I'm so worried this time it's something serious. I can only feel urge to pee once my bladder is totally full

My MIL did me a big plate of fruit the day after giving birth as I needed a poo but was terrified. she said it would work and it did! No pain at all and was nowhere near the dread I was expecting. Good luck!

Oh and I also had a second degree tear x

I think I was a week every time, thought it would be dreadful due to the length of time but it wasn't. Make sure you're getting plenty of fluids.

2 days. I had a 3rd degree tear so they asked me to poo before discharge to make sure it was ok. Otherwise I'd probably have kept it in for days 😖
I took lactulose from day one though so it was actually pretty easy and painless. However I got anal fissures which didn't heal for months. If I had spoke to the GP and got some cream it might not have got that bad, so if you do have pain and blood when you go in future go and ask for some bum cream.

I had a 4th degree tear and remember the fear well. The midwives told me that the longer you wait to go, the worse it'll be because it'll be harder and more compacted. Agree with PP that lactulose, trying to relax and holding a clean pad against your stitches all really help.

As for the numb bladder, keep on with your pelvic floor exercises. If you're like I was, you won't be able to feel them as you do them at first (and it took a good few months of doing them religiously before I felt I had real strength there).

If it doesn't start to improve by your 8 week check, speak to your GP about it. In my area you can self refer to a pelvic floor physio and it really helped me.

You won't feel like this forever, even though it all feels dreadful at the moment.

Congratulations on your new little squish

Oh sorry, it took a week before I started to feel the urge to pee again, and I started doing my pelvic floors the day after I gave birth.

DS is nearly 13 but I had a csection, born Sunday afternoon, I came home Thursday but that was after a blood transfusion and being sent home with iron tablets. I don't remember pooing in hospital so my first time was probably at home. First and only time I've ever really been constipated, I think. Bloody awful and I sympathise with anyone who gets that on a regular basis! Tmi, but I could actually feel the stool at the exit point, but could just not get it out.
I don't really suffer with constipation now but did invest in one of those stools that you put your feet on and it puts your body into the correct position for pooing, great piece of kit and quite cheap too.

I guzzled water down like crazy. It was the most water I ever drank in one day in my entire life. By the next day, I did a number two doing the pad trick and barely felt it despite the size of it. I remember reading it on a baby thread and the moment I saw the pitcher of water, started pouring myself glass after glass, finishing it in under 5 minutes and asking for a refill. I couldn’t move nor feel the catheter so I just continued drinking and ate light meals. Think I polished off maybe 5-7 pitchers of water the first 8 hours.

I had no control over either for a few weeks, I couldn't feel when I needed the toilet (1 or 2) so had to go periodically throughout the day to make sure I was never at the point I couldn't hold it anymore. I'm not saying this is what you have, but just that it did improve alot in the weeks that followed. My bladder has never been quite the same, I often don't get much warning when I need to go, and medical professionals just put it down to 'one of those things', but it's somewhat managable. I agree with others who have said to drink a load of water, and hold a pad to make it more comfortable. Good luck!

I was given lactulose as well and it didn't do much although I'm sure it helped. They gave me a glycerine suppository before I was discharged and that worked a treat, everything out within 30mins. Was fine and dandy for a couple of weeks after but got ridiculously constipated by week 3! 🤷‍♀️ Been a bit of struggle, but the lactulose has helped. Good luck!

So I got a glyceryn pessary (is that what it's called?!) and did it. Mind you, it was just a small one (TMI) but at least something :)
As for bladder.. They've been draining my pee and I've gone couoke of times myself between draining and also right before draining and there's still significant amount left 🤷‍♀️

Put your feet up on something to raise your knees up - this helps. Don’t strain, blow out like you’re blowing candles.

My pelvic floor physio said that having some left after you've been is very common. You can use your hands to press in to your bladder and lean forward, so you push it out manually while you're on the loo (if that makes sense).

Oh god, this brought back memories.

My first poo (after a large episiotomy) was about 2-3 days post-birth and I remember that it was the most terrifying thing and I thought that the stitches had burst and the poo had gone into my vagina and had come out my vagina .

I was still bleeding a LOT at that point. I cried to the midwife about it and that I thought it had come out the wrong place and she said "well in 30 years as a midwife, that would be a first".

Turns out that I had just passed a very large clot at the same time the poo eventually came out which is why it felt like it came put the wrong place.

Took me 5 days and the pain was horrific.

First baby and I didn't heed their advice to take the lactose! Certainly will this time.