Any advice regarding my constantly poorly tummy would be lovely (tmi?)

[ilovewashingnappies]

Hello wise ones,

ALways had a FABULOUS set of bowels that gave next to no jip at all pre-baby.

I now am having to go to the toilet 5/6 times a day and through the night and there is often little warning. Stools are all different (sometimes runny, sometimes hard, all differnet colours etc) My tummy feels very sluggish and painful.

Went to doctors ad the general thing seems to be 'you had a c-section - wait for it to settle down for 6 months' Then recently they said 12 months. I feel I have little energy [even when sprog is sleeping relaltviely well] as I'm up in the night and don;t feel great.

Besides this am very happy and hate to winge but its been 9 months now.

Any thoughts?

I had my appendix out and it all turned to custard. I had some piles taken care of and haven't eaten gluten for 2 years and I am now pretty good. I feel better if I exercise regularly and if I sit or stand around in the cold it all goes wrong for me bowel wise.

I have had an endoscopy and a colonoscopy so I know there isn't anything serious wrong with me - i just have to be careful with diet etc.

Have you been offered a colonoscopy? The girl who got my job when I went on mat leave got pregnant about a week later, had baby, kept complaining of bowel issues - was told it was down to CS, would settle down. It was bowel cancer. I'm not for a moment suggesting that you have bowel cancer - just that 9 months after having a baby they should be ignoring that as a cause and looking for some other stuff.

Self bumping due to it feeling crappy

Irritable bowel syndrome???

My friend has this - she has to be careful with her diet.

Take psyllium husks and a good capsule probiotic. This might regulate things, but I would go back and talk to the doctor too.

that doesn't sound right. what do you eat? can you happily list all your food and drink and be sure that the answer isn't before you?

otherwise second opinion. oh, if you had cs then will have had many antibiotics, which do exactly what they say, so eat some live yoghourt.

It's probably IBS but I'd go back to the GP. There's no way a c-section could still be upsetting your bowels this long after! Ask for a blood test to exclude coeliac disease, too.

Hi ilovewashingnappies, no advice but I just wanted to say that I had a cs 5 months ago and am experiencing the same problems... so it could be as a result of cs? Looking forward to seeing what advice you get, hope you feel better soon!

sorry you are feeling yucky.

I was dignosed with coeliac disease when my DS was nearly three. My bowels had been OK pre having him, although looking back there were a few incidences of tummy nastiness before that point.

Anyway, transpires I've always had it, albeit non-symptomatic in the bowel department (Id had skin problems for ever though), until after DS. Was told by the gastro-bod that pregnancy can often be a trigger for semi-dormant or mild auto-immune disorders.

I would ask them for further investigations as I would have though it would settle down after 9 months if it was just due to the c-section.

Lots of empathetic vibes for you; I know how horrible I felt when things were at their worst.

ilovewashingnappies, I had 2 c-sections and no bowel issues, though I have heard it can cause them. However, if 9 months down the line you're still trouble go back to see your GP and pester him/her.

It might be IBS or some intollerance to a certain food? I for example can't eat certain things since I've had ds as they make me feel awfully sick and some of them used to be favourite foods before ds!

Also find bread is a major culprit if I get bloated, irrational tummy.

It can be so many thing, as I said go back to see your GP again even just to rule out more severe things!

I would be asking my doctor what his next step would be if I'd not been pregnant (or a man!) and then say - well I'd like that please.

Agree with everything Lackadaisycal says. Fellow coeliac here too and was diagnosed as a child...throughout university I was naughty and did not stick to my diet ..so in affect I ate like I never had coeliac disease and had no symtoms at all....even doubted the original diagnoses. As soon as I got pregnant my problems started again...and oh boy did they rear their ugly heads..took me months to get back on track with my tummy pain and bowels. I have never strayed of the path again cos jsut not worth the pain and suffering. So what I am saying is I think you should go to the Gp and ask for some blood tests.
9 months is a long time for the c section to be the cause I think. FWIW my sister has just given birth via c section in America and had constipation for a week or so ..they did tell her the bowels can be affected for a little time after an operation like this, I think they meant weeks not months.

Hope you get it sorted, you have my sympathies .

I was always fine until I had dd. 7 weeks after she was born, I was rushed into hospital as they suspected kidney stones (but found nothing). Then, when she was 16 weeks old, the same thing happened again, this time they suspected pelvic infection.

It turned out that I had had 2 really violent attacks of irritable bowel syndrome. Never had it before, but have had it ever since.

I now take aloe vera juice every day, and avoid fatty foods.

Califrau - I also have a beautiful colon. I would rather have an ugly one that worked! Apparently one section is very long, and they couldn't get the camera thing up and past it because of it's length. The doctor suggested that my food would have a similar problem in reverse and that it could explain everything. Sadly nothing you can do about an extra long colon bit - and it really does not explain why I was fine prior to having my appendix out.

oh no!
But I love bread and fatty foods......

Am going to go to the doctor and cross my fingers its not a food intolerance. Food is my vice and a real pleasure. Though I do eat a relatively healthy diet and no caffeine, alchohol or smoking.

Like the idea of asking what they'd do if I hadn;t been pregnant.

Am off on friday to will see doctor then.... thanks guys