Constipation REVELATION

[feelingtheurgetoshare]

NC'd for this as a bit tmi, but felt it was so revelatory I had to spread the news:

PREGNANCY CONSTIPATION PRETTY MUCH STOPS BEING A PROBLEM IF YOU SQUAT!
(or at least raise your legs on a small stool/towers of loo rolls so your knees are more up at chest height)

To briefly explain, I have been hideously constipated throughout (now 23 weeks), copious amounts of every remedy under the sun doing virtually nothing. I followed some link (possibly from a thread here or possibly from somewhere else) the other day, that led to some (suspiciously pseudoscientific-looking) website that was evangelising about the evils of sit-down western toilets. Apparently we're meant to poo squatting, doing it sitting puts unnecessary strain on all kind of things and causes all kind of nasty diseases and so on and so forth, whereas squatting makes much better use of our anatomy to help everything out... In any case, I was in fact desperate enough to try the best approximation of a squat posture that a 23-weeks pregnant lady with only a standard toilet at her disposal can, and it was pretty much the most exciting thing ever. FINALLY I'M FREEEEE!

Four days later it still seems to be working... so just thought I'd pass that on in case anyone else is in the same hideously bunged-up boat.

Consider it my good deed for the week...

I learned this when I was about 9 and always found I needed a poo when I was at the library... worked out it was all the squatting down to look at the books on the bottom shelf!! Now I sit on the loo with my feet on the bathroom bin...
Glad you're feeling better!

I remember watching This Morning years ago, and Richard Madeley was demonstrating this concept on a pretend toilet (trousers on, thank the sweet baby Jesus) with a stack of loo roll. I think the image will stay with me forever.

It didn't help me during pregnancy unfortunately, but I was horrendously bunged up.

Glad you're feeling better though OP!

Oh god, Richard Madeley!! I can just picture him doing that!

Have you ever looked him up online? There are some fantastic sites with all his lovely little sayings.

Lol i always go like this :p i kinda sit forward a bit and raise my feet to tiptoes and it always works :) i do find it easier aswell. Although i have ibs and sometimes it doesnt work x

I heard this too although didn't especially work for me.

Best thing i can recommend is prune juice. i drink a small glass every day just in case, following a bad spell a few weeks ago. It's been genius!

I agree with EssexGirlLottie squatting does zlich for me (I can recall being bunged up in France as a child and the squat loos at the camp sites failed me big time) but 1 glass of prune juice last thing at night, perfect.

Is the Prune Juice just with the other fruit juice? I was going to try "Syrup of Figs" but couldn't find it in Tesco. Got some fibre drinks instead but they don't seem to have done anything. GP recommended Latulose today so giving that a try!

Just goes to show how position is important for childbirth as well! It always amazes me on shows like One Born Every Minute that they all give birth on their backs, when apparently being on all 4 is so much easier to get the baby out!

What are you actually pooing into though?? i've a vision of you pooing into a potty!! i presume it's not possible to squat over your regular toilet- or is it??

I've also found that if I bounce on my ball for a while it helps get things shifted, presumably on the same principle as it drops my pelvis and helps open it. It's an added bonus on top of shifting baby down and relieving my rib pain.

chicamomma I would squat on the floor in the bathroom (clothed, but maybe with jeans unzipped) then once you can feel it's having the desired effect nip up onto the loo! Or you get almost the same effect by propping your feet up while sitting on the loo, but I think the torso forward aspect of proper squatting helps quite a lot.

ah ok.. gotcha.. off to the loo to road test it now lol

It's good thigh exercise if nothing else :)