Postpartum poop tips

OMG - listen, I am embarrassed even writing this but YOU HAVE TO KNOW. I am HERE for you and my fellow mamas and people need to talk about this! Literally this is one of the TOP 5 things someone asks me about when talking about postpartum so naturally it MUST BE WRITTEN ABOUT.

I’m dedicating this post to my new friend Eliza who inspired this post. Hey girl!

You want to be prepared for pregnancy, motherhood… but no one wants to talk about the details in between when it comes to giving birth and ALL the stuff your body has to go through before, during and after the fact. I’m here to touch on just ONE of those things - but a pretty major moment.

If for some reason, you were blessed with amazing bowels and you’ve never had an issue with this - my sincerest congratulations.

So here it is - let’s talk about what it’s like to poop for the first time after you give birth. And then show this to your partner who is NOT giving birth and make them feel really bad :)

Pregnancy

First things first, PRE-baby, you go through a lot of back and forth with your systems: nausea, constipation, hemorrhoids, peeing 4937548 times a day, leaking when you don’t pee in time.

Side note for another post some day - I actually found out that my pelvic floor is really messed up from having kids, and I need to see a physical therapist about this! But having pelvic floor dysfunction can lead to urine leakage as well as bowel issues. You might want to ask your doctor or midwife about this if you are experiencing any issues!

Will you poop when you give birth?

Absolutely possible. You are pushing a baby out - and you are supposed to “push” from your rectum, so naturally other things can come out. ;-) Don’t worry, the nurses are God-sent angels and clean it up quickly.

Now…post-partum!

Well, depending on your hospital - you may be forced to poop before you can leave. It used to be a thing. It wasn’t a thing with Graham.

Now, the things our body has that keep us from pooping our pants at random times, are the same ones that make us have to push in order to get it done. So, you can imagine that the thought of any sort of pushing after pushing out a baby - MiiiiiiiGHT make you start sweating at the thought of breaking your stitches. It also makes you constipated.

Will it hurt?

Yes.

(For most.)

I honestly think half of the pain is made up in our heads, though, because we THINK it is going to hurt and that we are going to bust our stitches. Do this at a time where you can be alone for a while, take your time, and sit with your feelings (physical and emotional lol).

Now, let me tell you about something else just as fair warning. I find the INTESTINAL pain to be worse than the actual deed. I always had (a few days to weeks after) - intense pain in my intestines as the kinks were worked out. It felt like contractions all over again, but in a different place. Because of this - I continue to take the stool softeners and drink tons of water. I’ve asked my midwives about this and they agree it’s just part of the “constipation”.

Ok, so things you can do to help yourself out -

>> Take the stool softeners while you are still in the hospital - don’t wait. Don’t like meds? Me either. But I find these to be really helpful and temporary! I took mine until the intestinal pain was completely gone, about 1-1.5 weeks later.

>> Use the Tucks pads, cooling creams/sprays, do it all. Wine helps too.

>> Drink tons of water. Like, double and triple what you are used to. You just ran a marathon, you may be breastfeeding, and now you also have to deal with lubricating your intestines. AND - drink warm lemon water every morning. Warm - not hot or cold.

>> Apply counter pressure. If you are worried about your stitches, THIS tip is pure gold. You can freeze a pad and use that to hold them in place. It’s half science, but half a mind game.

>> Limit the foods that cause you GI issues - dairy could be one of them. Up your intake of fiber-rich foods like fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains.

>> Keep in mind that painkillers are constipating (!!!!!) so gobble up your Motrin, mama, but be warned and be proactive about some of the other tips above.

I hope this is helpful, but if you have any specific questions - let me know below!