bowel movement after childbirth

[mckenzie]

sorry to have to ask these questions but....

how long can I safely go without having a bowel movement after childbirth?

Apart from eating lots of fruit and veg (which I do anyway) any other tips for making it happen?
I really want to go but I think I'm scared.

There's another thing Dr Miriam Stoppard doesn't tell you
Congratulations mckenzie on the birth of your baby & your first poo !!!

For me it was awful! Turned out I'd torn my anus from the inside out and no one had realised! Passed out having bowel movements for a few months afterwards.

I won't tell my children THAT or I'll never have grandchildren...

get some lactose tablets ,ask for ones that are safe whilst bf (if this applies to you)

definately works, don't worry it will be fine!

Oh god, morningpaper!

Have a top tip, if you can handle it. Ummm, how to describe this??? urrr... Press your perineum sideways so your poo gets squashed a bit, and it doesn't make your arsehole gape so much as it comes out.

works a treat - 3rd degree girl here too!

lol spots! How um ladylike... !

I know I shoudn't be laughing and that this can be a big deal but it's just so funny! Can you imagine talking about this in real life??

It's not covered in antenatal classes is it?

I went to a consultant about it and he said "Ah yes we can fix that with an operation. There's a 20% chance of fecal incontinence though."

You couldn't see me for dust.

TWENTY PERCENT?!!! Actually after about 18 months it got a lot better.

No I definitely missed the antenatal classes that covered arseholes gaping.

I hadquite a bad 2nd degree tear but pooed without to much difficulty after 3 days (I think). Had to breathe it out, a bit like giving birth again, lol, but it really wasn't too bad.

Big warning though - take the lactulose, or drink prune juice, even if you only take a half-dose, but keep on doing it for a couple of weeks at least. I was eating lots of fibre and had had about 3 good soft poos (and after the first they were pretty much pain-free) but at about 10 days suddenly had the worst constipation I have ever had in my life. I spent 6h writhing around on the bathroom floor in agony trying to pass it. Luckily my parents live nearby and mum came over to look after ds, while dad kept rushing out to the chemist - first for lactulose, then for suppositories, then for an enema. Ow argh yuck not pleasant at all. I'm not even going to tell you what else I tried - that really would be TMI. In the end dh came home from work so to take me to hospital, I was in such agony from it. But thank goodness I finally managed to 'go'.

It was probably caused by the hormone changes, but also quite likely made worse by my not recognising my body's extra need for fluid because of breastfeeding.

I had an episiotomy, tear and loads of stitches, but first BM was fine. whatever pain killers they gave out on the ward did make me a bit constipated tho (iirc coproxamol). I refused the lactulose as my bladder was iffy (ended up on catheter for 36 hours) and wanted to get one function at a time sorted out!

I waited 4 days i think before i dare go, but like everyone's saying it's not that bad really. I had 2nd degree tear as well.

lol Spots!
Actualy stuff like this should be covered in ante natal classes!

This has really made me chortle.... you really can talk about anything on here!!! I lied for days because i couldnt sit down on loo seat without worrying that my insides would fall out. I sort of held my bits and eventually it happened - was in hospital for a week so hospital food did it for me!!!!

Message withdrawn

I didnt need lactulose i was just soooo scared!!! I bled really badly and was convinced they had cut me so much I only had one hole..... this is getting a bit personal!!!! LOL

I didnt need lactulose i was just soooo scared!!! I bled really badly and was convinced they had cut me so much I only had one hole..... this is getting a bit personal!!!! LOL

I didnt need lactulose i was just soooo scared!!! I bled really badly and was convinced they had cut me so much I only had one hole..... this is getting a bit personal!!!! LOL

oops

I had an elective CS. The nurses gave me loads of fruit juice to drink the same day and I also drank loads of water, as well as a drip for 12 hours. I don't know if it was just me or the massive amounts of fluid, but when they took the catheter out the next morning I went to the loo 1 hour later and peed and pooed with no bother!