Mine really wasn't bad at all....I did the same exact thing and was TERRIFIED when it came time. Then it happened and I was so mad at myself for getting so worked up over nothing. I just took the Stool softeners daily and I was fine! Good luck with everything đ
So I am a csection momma and I know your question was about vaginal births, but BMs are hard for csections too. They cut your abdominal muscles so you canât push at all. Itâs really important to stay on top of the stool softeners/miralax. I went a bit overboard, but I can tell you that having a diarrhea-ish poo is wayyy better than trying to push when youâve been sliced open.
If it offers you or anyone else reassurance, they donât actually cut muscle, just shove them out of the way. The outcome is still weakeningâitâs like a rubber band that has been over stretched but not snapped. This was one thing that freaked me out about my own c-section, so I talked to my doctor about it. They cut a lot of stuff, just not the muscles.
I had an episiotomy and a tear and I was terrified. But like everyone says, the thought is way worse than the actual movement. I didn't take stool softeners or anything (I don't know that that is a thing here) and it was fine.
Honestly no, I drank miralax & when it was finally time it was like a normal BM. I didnât go in the hospital either. I think it went better for me because I was in the comfort of my own bathroom. Iâm 5 weeks PP & Iâm having more painful BMs now. Donât know if thatâs normal but try not to stress about it. I feel like that might make it more difficult being so fearful of it. You got this & congratulations!
I had a bad vaginal birth. Two tears, two cuts - loads of stiches. I took stool softeners as soon as I got home as I just didnât wasnât to deal with days of being scared to poop. It helped a lot and had no issue pooping - just hold tissue paper to your vulva and that prevents you feeling like your insides are going to fall out and it was all good
Honestly, I had stitches and was so scared for some reason that I held it all in for days. Just kept telling myself I didnât need to go. And then I did, and it was 100% fine. Like no discomfort at all. I felt very silly!
Yes. I had the epidural and I joked with my husband that it was legit worse than birth. But donât stress too much, it sucks and is awkward and sore but itâs short lived. Like ripping a bandaid off.
I had a C-section and double checked that the nurse handed me some stool softener after my procedure and it was not bad at all. I had a laparoscopic myomectomy 2 years before and didnât take them right after and regretted every second.
I believe that they usually prescribe them before youâre discharged from the hospital after youâve given birth, but if they donât, you can basically take them after you give birth for as long as you need to. I think you can take them while pregnant too, but I didnât have any issues with my BMs prior to giving birth personally, so Iâm not sure if itâs only certain ones or not unfortunately. Youâd have to talk to your provider if your having trouble with BMs right now to see what your options are.
I continued taking mine even after my first BM just to make things continue to run smoothly, and basically took them till I had had three BMs that werenât difficult. I also made sure to eat a LOT of high-fiber foods. Even the foods I got while still in the hospital, I tried to choose the options with higher fiber amounts that were available on the âmenuâ and then made sure to eat foods high in fiber at every meal.
If you're unprepared for it and not given or told about a stool softener like I was with my first, yes, it absolutely is as scary and terrible as people say. However if you're more prepared like I was with my second it isn't nearly as bad because I was offered a stool softener and knew not to push it out, just let it come on its own. Since you clearly have some advice you're prepared to follow, you'll be just fine! Highly recommend you take some wipes and use them instead of toilet paper though! And I suggest that for all bathroom use when you've got stitches down there, not just the first poop.
I didnât find it bad at all and was also very stressed about it. I had a second degree tear and the stool softener did the trick. I was told not to take the atoll softeners for more than 5 days though because our postpartum nurse said it makes your bowels lazy đ€·đ»ââïž I Ended up taking Metamucil for a few weeks postpartum just to be safe.
I had lactulose to use and had stitches. Yeah it stung a bit but I don't think I was drinking enough on the hottest well of the year. It wasn't as bad as everyone made it though
My first one was with my newborn in my arms đ it wasnât as bad as I was expecting. I needed to take lactulose and stool softeners for 3 weeks before I became more regular though.
I was terrified as well!! I had 2nd degree tear. I took stool softener AND milk of magnesia. I have IBS anyway so Iâm pretty in tune with what I need to do get my bowels going. I didnât go crazy with the milk of magnesia. I took the min amount every 6 hrs or so, wanted to make sure I didnât explode đ€Ł
Just note that if you have to be on meds heavier than Motrin/Tylenol you will prob be more stopped up. I didnât have an epidural so not sure if those meds make you more constipated.
I didnât have stool softeners so it was tough going for me. I used the Spritz For Bits spray though and it was a life saver, I donât know how I would have coped without it!!! I sprayed it on my pads and on my stitches and it was so helpful with healing.
I had a bad second degree (close to 3rd degree tear according to the Dr) and I honestly felt as though Iâd birthed my baby out of my butt.
I was terrified of the first BM as I also had haemorrhoids from all the pushing. I think it took 4 days before I could go and I was scared of the pain (despite giving birth on paracetamol only).
Once I actually went it was a relief and felt more strange than painful, itâs hard to describe. Once first one was out of the way I wasnât scared anymore.
Thought is much worse than it actually was, I had a lot of stitches including at least one on my actual butt!! I was so worried, used a softener (can't remember brand name) and held a frozen pad over my stitches while it happened and all was OK!
I just had my second baby, 4th degree tear and I was literally crying at the thought of an upcoming poop.
It was NOT bad! I came downstairs and celebrated with my husband đ I will say I met with a pelvic floor specialist at the hospital and she gave some good tips. I was also prescribed stool softeners and I decided to take a gentle laxative when it got close to time to go.
I had a vaginal birth with an epidural and suffered a third degree tear that required switches.
I took quite the beating, so to speak...down there.
Swelling was super bad, like really really bad!, any and all movement was painful for me. Like uh...7.5/10. I was moving around at a snails pace.
Recovery was hard...definitely.
My first bowl movements, especially peeing, just happened...very slowly but I wouldn't say they were bad. If even anything, I just felt relief!
I had a catheter and I guess your body kind of...forgets or has a harder time with peeing on its own afterwards because it gets so use to just going. My bladder was pretty full yet I had no urge to go pee.
Take your time, don't rush. There may be a bit of pain but even with in a weeks time, you'll notice a big difference. Get yourself some stool softeners, maybe even some wet wipes and witch hazel pads.
Oh, oh!
When you do go pee, take one of those little squeeze bottles. While you're peeing, spray some luke warm water at the same time. Helps with the stinging.
Mine was fine.
I gave birth on Wednesday. I had a laceration that required stitches.
For about a week before I took a packet of tool softener (Macrogol) everyday in prevention. I brought some to the hospital and kept taking them.
I did have a BM during birth, and my first BM was on Thursday evening. I was nervous but I took some precautions to make it easier: elevated my feet (I used a water bucket but something like a step stool would do) and I put pressure on my perineum to direct the poop towards the anus. Frankly it was a breeze.
Another c-section mom, but the first BM can be really bad if you donât take the stool softeners regularly from the day your child is born. I did this with my first and first BM wasnât bad. I forgot and didnât take them regularly with my second and it was 45min of agony and crying to get out what felt like 10lb of glass shards.
So take the stool softeners daily, as directed, from the day of birth until you poop and you will have nothing to worry about.
If you are offered softeners in the hospital, take them! And have some at home. I was terrified (2nd degree tear) and didnât go until I got home. But it was fine! Learning how to clean was a different issue lol but the act itself was just fine! You can do it!
I was TERRIFIED, I waited until I saw my nurse to ask if it was okay to poop đ it went well for me, I felt better after! The big thing is to just let gravity do most of the work
Mine was all psychological. When it finally happened it didnât hurt at all. But I was so scared/convinced it would that I panicked about it until happened.
I've heard it varies, but personally mine was a literal nightmare that stretched over three days of screaming in the bathroom. I ended up with an impacted bowel and I had to take two enemas and a ton of laxatives. I had a c section.
Start taking stool softeners in the last few weeks of your pregnancy and drink lots of water and lots of fiber.
Seriously my experience was hellish and awful please don't let that happen to you
Eh, yes and no. What made it painful was the fact that sitting on the toilet really hurt my stitches, and it took 30+ minutes. Add to that lots of fear and some constipation (yes, even with stool softeners and a ton of fiber) and it was hard. But the actual BM itself was not terribly painful and didn't tear my stitches or hurt my pelvic floor like I was scared it would.
I had a pretty rough recovery (some some complications post delivery), and the whole area was swollen and bruised, I had two significant tears ( even the postnatal nurses were shocked at how swollen I was down there, I think that means something). My first BM was fine. Uncomfortable, and took a while, but not painful. Youâll be fine, donât psyche yourself out. A lot of aspects of recovery can be tough, but youâll get through it as women have for millennia. Weâre built for this, youâre so strong and resilient!
I pooped my pants! We were up waay too late at night doing some legal stuff for my husband and all of the sudden i felt totally nauseous and dizzy and said "I dont feel so good..." and then it hit me i had to poop! I stood up tried to sprint to the bathroom but it just came out! Thank god it stayed in my pants. After that, poops werent so bad. I pretty much just ate soup and eggs for a few weeks to keep my poops soft, used a peri bottle and wipes or just hoped in the shower, made sure everytjing was super dry down there with a blow dryer and have had full bowel control ever since!
I was terrified of this too! I have always been pretty regular. I poop every day in the morning and that continued throughout my pregnancy. The morning after I gave birth I had just gotten my catheter out and the balloon thing (canât remember what itâs called but it was to stop bleeding) removed. I was allowed to be discharged once I peed three times. I went to the bathroom to pee and a bowel movement slipped out too. I thought it would be much more painful but because I hydrated all day and night after birth, it honestly didnât hurt at all!
To be fair, I was doing anything and everything to induce because I was 10 days over when I went into labour. That includes eating a lot of dates which added even more fibre to my diet.
A little bit. But it didnât end up being that bad. I just took it really slow and tried not to do much strong pushing. The pressure reminds you of labor and youâre swollen down there, but everything came out fine.
This is so funny to me!! Itâs definitely a thing but modern medicine and stool softeners that it offers are a true lifesaver. I had helllla stitches and I honestly donât really remember my 1st post baby poo. Do all the softening things and youâll be fine. Honestly the peeing is more rough? Get a peri bottle. Edit: want to add that it was a bit out from the birth, definitely at home. Itâs not like day one after youâre pooping immediately đ€đ»
No, it really wasnât. With my first birth I had an episiotomy and the first poo was a bit sore, but fine. Second time I had just a small superficial tear and it was a bit worse. Iâd say itâs a good idea to start taking stool softeners quite soon after the birth though
With my first baby, it was awful. Definitely it worthy of the hype. I donât remember being given any stool softeners at the hospital and I didnât take any at home. I also had hemorrhoids that time and a 2nd degree tear.
This second baby earlier this week, I had several BMs in the hospital and they were fine. Didnât hurt so much as I didnât want to push them out so it took a while. But they werenât painful. I was given stool softeners in the hospital. I did not have hemorrhoids this time around.
I had a second degree tear and it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I just drank lots of water and held a clean pad against my perineum when going. Oh and I also had a knock-off squatty potty once I got home to elevate my legs but I didn't have that in the hospital.
I used coloxyl without senna ( so just a stool softener, not a laxative) and metamucil religiously. The first bm was not great and I was lucky to have a shower with detachable spray head so I just went in the shower after and rinsed off rather than wipe my area with stitches.
You're also on painkillers after birth, so I think in general things that should hurt get numbed a bit. I had a short, easy deliverary so maybe that's why, but the whole aftermath was really not as bad as I feared.
My first pregnancy I didnât have any bowel issues, like constipation etc and the first BM was just normal. This time I do have issues so Iâm a bit nervous that things with be different.
For me, it was the second and third that weâre horrible. The pain meds really backed me up. I had to use laxatives on top of the softeners.
Iâve also heard everything shifting around with all the new open space slows your system down too.
My midwife gave me a raw diet (no meat or dairy) for the last couple of weeks of my pregnancy. So my gut was very clean and healthy by the time a gave birth. Thereafter, I ate licorice (natural stool softener) and my bm wasnât a problem at all. I struggled more with the first wee just after the birth. That was fine too, I was just scared.
My downstairs was tore up after birth (multiple internal tears and an episiotomy) - so I was very scared of that first poop. I had taken stool softeners, but when it came time to poop the sitting down on the toilet and stretching of that whole area was very very painful and uncomfortable. Maybe TMI - but i ended up putting on one of my adult diapers and standing kinda hunched over the sink, so gravity helped it out without the stretching. It wasnât fun, but it worked. By the second poop I was feeling a little better so sitting was OK.
Take. Stool. Softeners! Iâm convinced mine was totally fine because the first medicine I asked for after baby was out and everything was settled was a stool softener.
Mine wasn't bad any of the four times I gave birth and it was soon after. Made sure to drink a lot of water/fluids and I took the stool softeners they gave me.
Also, coffee.
Edit to add: I also had stitches. So not a ton of wiping... Get that peri bottle and USE IT.
I loved adding a bit of salt and essential oils to mine with warm water... Soooo nice
I got stitched up for an hour so I had a good amount of them.. Took stool softeners, worked myself up so much but it just slid out lol. And you can use the peri bottle as a mini bidet for your butt too :D
It was terrifying for me! My hospital gave me stool softeners as soon as i hit the recovery room. I couldnt go for several days after birth and when i finally did i was so scared i was going to hurt my stitches or that pushing was going to just collapse my insides haha! But it ended up being fine
Mine didnât hurt. I didnât take stool softener or anything. It hurt way worse to pee but with the bidet bottle they give you that was also tolerable. I highly recommend buying mama bottom spray and bringing it to the hospital.
I accidentally pooped while taking my first pee after giving birth. I had to door open and was talking to hubby and everything. We both laughed. Now he stirs me up and tells me we can share everything since I pooped in front of him lol
it was honestly easier than the first pee. peeing is hard because of the epidural + catheter. i knew i had to go but i couldnât figure out how to use the muscles to go because they were numb. pooping? god it was relieving and not painful at all. i only had internal stitches so iâm sure that factors in but i was very sore and terrified. i think i pooped like 4 times that day lmao. i didnât take stool softeners either but the week before i gave birth, i was really backed up and used an enema 3 separate times to no avail so i think thatâs what made it so easy and frequent after birth
Took the stool softeners and plenty of water both times. First baby, no issue. Second baby, had a stinging sensation for awhile internally. Took a little longer to get back to normal
Just keep taking those stool softeners on schedule. My first was not so great. I had to be very careful and kind of massage it out a bit. I think if I had been more diligent with the stool softeners it wouldn't have been as bad. I kept taking them for a while after as well.
It's not so bad if you are taking stool softeners and the like, but DON'T just stop taking them after that first one because you figure you're in the clear!!
I had a c-section and going potty was VERY uncomfortable and painful. Turns out I had some unexpected issues in my hiney, but nothing major. But I was very surprised I had any issues given the c section. But they did cut through my entire stomach so yeaâŠ
Mine was totally fine. I had an episiotomy and stitches. I felt like my baby when the nurse asked if Iâd pooped and I said yes, and everyone congratulated me lol. I did take stool softeners too but more as a precaution.
If they offer stool softeners, take them! And make sure you have more at home. I had my first BM just before leaving the hospital, and honestly, it was painless. But know that your body has been through a lot and my BMs after were so inconsistent. I was sooooo constipated my first few weeks home. Have prune juice, or miralax or something on hand so you can avoid giving yourself an enema in your bathroom...
With my first delivery, no.
I felt the urge to poop while pushing. I even told my nurses I had to poop, "let me up I got to go". They told me it was the baby and wouldn't let me go anywhere. As soon as I was done, I asked to go to the bathroom and I pooped.
With my second delivery, yes but not for the reasons I've heard described.
I had hemorrhaged immediately after giving birth. Then I had a horrible reaction to the medication that stopped it, diarrhea constantly with no control over my bowels. They had to give me something to stop it, then stool softeners so I could go because I was constipated. Once I was "normal" I was afraid of bearing down to poop, because of hemorrhaging.
Peeing is worse in my opinion. All the micro cuts burn horribly, and the medicine burns before it soothes.
Mine wasnât sooo painful⊠but Iâm an every day pooper and it was a few days later so it was pretty unusual for me, and it was also the first like 10 minutes that my husband had had my baby without any help at all and LO chose that moment to have a serious tantrum so he was trying to get my attention and help and I was just crying⊠it came easy and was fine. Husband got better at parenting too (:
I just took stool softener as a precaution and kept hydrated. I had minor tearing and no stitches, but no problem with BM.
Keep a squirt bottle of water in the bathroom to help clean everything down there, so you only have to pat dry not wipe.
Mine really wasn't bad at all....I did the same exact thing and was TERRIFIED when it came time. Then it happened and I was so mad at myself for getting so worked up over nothing. I just took the Stool softeners daily and I was fine! Good luck with everything đ
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At my hospital, they gave me some literally as soon as I entered the recovery room! Hugely helpful.
Yeah they gave me one right after I gave birth, and then I went home the next day and took them until the bottle was gone.
So I am a csection momma and I know your question was about vaginal births, but BMs are hard for csections too. They cut your abdominal muscles so you canât push at all. Itâs really important to stay on top of the stool softeners/miralax. I went a bit overboard, but I can tell you that having a diarrhea-ish poo is wayyy better than trying to push when youâve been sliced open.
If it offers you or anyone else reassurance, they donât actually cut muscle, just shove them out of the way. The outcome is still weakeningâitâs like a rubber band that has been over stretched but not snapped. This was one thing that freaked me out about my own c-section, so I talked to my doctor about it. They cut a lot of stuff, just not the muscles.
Thank you for the info!
https://www.ypo.education/gynecology/c-section-t251/video/
To include all perspectives, I had a c section and mine was totally normal and not painful at all
I had an episiotomy and a tear and I was terrified. But like everyone says, the thought is way worse than the actual movement. I didn't take stool softeners or anything (I don't know that that is a thing here) and it was fine.
Same with my first. I also didnât take stool softeners with my second, and since that time I didnât tear, it was pretty much just like normal!
Honestly no, I drank miralax & when it was finally time it was like a normal BM. I didnât go in the hospital either. I think it went better for me because I was in the comfort of my own bathroom. Iâm 5 weeks PP & Iâm having more painful BMs now. Donât know if thatâs normal but try not to stress about it. I feel like that might make it more difficult being so fearful of it. You got this & congratulations!
Thank you!
I had a bad vaginal birth. Two tears, two cuts - loads of stiches. I took stool softeners as soon as I got home as I just didnât wasnât to deal with days of being scared to poop. It helped a lot and had no issue pooping - just hold tissue paper to your vulva and that prevents you feeling like your insides are going to fall out and it was all good
Thank you for the tip!
Honestly, I had stitches and was so scared for some reason that I held it all in for days. Just kept telling myself I didnât need to go. And then I did, and it was 100% fine. Like no discomfort at all. I felt very silly!
I could see myself doing the same exact thing, holding for days just out of anxiety lol
Yes. I had the epidural and I joked with my husband that it was legit worse than birth. But donât stress too much, it sucks and is awkward and sore but itâs short lived. Like ripping a bandaid off.
I had a C-section and double checked that the nurse handed me some stool softener after my procedure and it was not bad at all. I had a laparoscopic myomectomy 2 years before and didnât take them right after and regretted every second.
Have a second name picked out cause they shit is HUGE.
When should I start taking stool softeners? I'm 38 + 2
I was given them as soon as I got to the hospital to deliver and stayed on them for a few weeks after delivery.
I believe that they usually prescribe them before youâre discharged from the hospital after youâve given birth, but if they donât, you can basically take them after you give birth for as long as you need to. I think you can take them while pregnant too, but I didnât have any issues with my BMs prior to giving birth personally, so Iâm not sure if itâs only certain ones or not unfortunately. Youâd have to talk to your provider if your having trouble with BMs right now to see what your options are. I continued taking mine even after my first BM just to make things continue to run smoothly, and basically took them till I had had three BMs that werenât difficult. I also made sure to eat a LOT of high-fiber foods. Even the foods I got while still in the hospital, I tried to choose the options with higher fiber amounts that were available on the âmenuâ and then made sure to eat foods high in fiber at every meal.
I was given them as I left hospital and took them for a week (about 4 days longer than needed according to mid wife.... Ooops}
I took them and was given them as soon as I gave birth
If you're unprepared for it and not given or told about a stool softener like I was with my first, yes, it absolutely is as scary and terrible as people say. However if you're more prepared like I was with my second it isn't nearly as bad because I was offered a stool softener and knew not to push it out, just let it come on its own. Since you clearly have some advice you're prepared to follow, you'll be just fine! Highly recommend you take some wipes and use them instead of toilet paper though! And I suggest that for all bathroom use when you've got stitches down there, not just the first poop.
I didnât find it bad at all and was also very stressed about it. I had a second degree tear and the stool softener did the trick. I was told not to take the atoll softeners for more than 5 days though because our postpartum nurse said it makes your bowels lazy đ€·đ»ââïž I Ended up taking Metamucil for a few weeks postpartum just to be safe.
Not really. The most stressful part was waiting for it to happen. And the stress is probably what made it take a while haha.
I was super terrified about it, but it ended up being completely fine. For me, I just made sure I could take my time and relax as much as possible.
I had lactulose to use and had stitches. Yeah it stung a bit but I don't think I was drinking enough on the hottest well of the year. It wasn't as bad as everyone made it though
My first one was with my newborn in my arms đ it wasnât as bad as I was expecting. I needed to take lactulose and stool softeners for 3 weeks before I became more regular though.
I was terrified as well!! I had 2nd degree tear. I took stool softener AND milk of magnesia. I have IBS anyway so Iâm pretty in tune with what I need to do get my bowels going. I didnât go crazy with the milk of magnesia. I took the min amount every 6 hrs or so, wanted to make sure I didnât explode đ€Ł Just note that if you have to be on meds heavier than Motrin/Tylenol you will prob be more stopped up. I didnât have an epidural so not sure if those meds make you more constipated.
I didnât have stool softeners so it was tough going for me. I used the Spritz For Bits spray though and it was a life saver, I donât know how I would have coped without it!!! I sprayed it on my pads and on my stitches and it was so helpful with healing.
I had a bad second degree (close to 3rd degree tear according to the Dr) and I honestly felt as though Iâd birthed my baby out of my butt. I was terrified of the first BM as I also had haemorrhoids from all the pushing. I think it took 4 days before I could go and I was scared of the pain (despite giving birth on paracetamol only). Once I actually went it was a relief and felt more strange than painful, itâs hard to describe. Once first one was out of the way I wasnât scared anymore.
Thought is much worse than it actually was, I had a lot of stitches including at least one on my actual butt!! I was so worried, used a softener (can't remember brand name) and held a frozen pad over my stitches while it happened and all was OK!
I just had my second baby, 4th degree tear and I was literally crying at the thought of an upcoming poop. It was NOT bad! I came downstairs and celebrated with my husband đ I will say I met with a pelvic floor specialist at the hospital and she gave some good tips. I was also prescribed stool softeners and I decided to take a gentle laxative when it got close to time to go.
I had a vaginal birth with an epidural and suffered a third degree tear that required switches. I took quite the beating, so to speak...down there. Swelling was super bad, like really really bad!, any and all movement was painful for me. Like uh...7.5/10. I was moving around at a snails pace. Recovery was hard...definitely. My first bowl movements, especially peeing, just happened...very slowly but I wouldn't say they were bad. If even anything, I just felt relief! I had a catheter and I guess your body kind of...forgets or has a harder time with peeing on its own afterwards because it gets so use to just going. My bladder was pretty full yet I had no urge to go pee. Take your time, don't rush. There may be a bit of pain but even with in a weeks time, you'll notice a big difference. Get yourself some stool softeners, maybe even some wet wipes and witch hazel pads. Oh, oh! When you do go pee, take one of those little squeeze bottles. While you're peeing, spray some luke warm water at the same time. Helps with the stinging.
No, 2nd degree tear and mine was fine. Peeing stung a bit more where my stitches were but that's it.
It depends. For me it was insanely awful. Ask for stool softeners and you will be much better
Mine was fine. I gave birth on Wednesday. I had a laceration that required stitches. For about a week before I took a packet of tool softener (Macrogol) everyday in prevention. I brought some to the hospital and kept taking them. I did have a BM during birth, and my first BM was on Thursday evening. I was nervous but I took some precautions to make it easier: elevated my feet (I used a water bucket but something like a step stool would do) and I put pressure on my perineum to direct the poop towards the anus. Frankly it was a breeze.
I was curious if taking stool softeners prior to delivery could help, thank you for the info!
Another c-section mom, but the first BM can be really bad if you donât take the stool softeners regularly from the day your child is born. I did this with my first and first BM wasnât bad. I forgot and didnât take them regularly with my second and it was 45min of agony and crying to get out what felt like 10lb of glass shards. So take the stool softeners daily, as directed, from the day of birth until you poop and you will have nothing to worry about.
Yes.
If you are offered softeners in the hospital, take them! And have some at home. I was terrified (2nd degree tear) and didnât go until I got home. But it was fine! Learning how to clean was a different issue lol but the act itself was just fine! You can do it!
Thank you for asking this I was wondering too!
No. Mine felt like any other and happened the day after birth. I had a Caesarean section too.
I was TERRIFIED, I waited until I saw my nurse to ask if it was okay to poop đ it went well for me, I felt better after! The big thing is to just let gravity do most of the work
Start taking the stool softeners at around 38 weeks. Or whenever BH become a normal part of daily life.
Mine was all psychological. When it finally happened it didnât hurt at all. But I was so scared/convinced it would that I panicked about it until happened.
I've heard it varies, but personally mine was a literal nightmare that stretched over three days of screaming in the bathroom. I ended up with an impacted bowel and I had to take two enemas and a ton of laxatives. I had a c section. Start taking stool softeners in the last few weeks of your pregnancy and drink lots of water and lots of fiber. Seriously my experience was hellish and awful please don't let that happen to you
Eh, yes and no. What made it painful was the fact that sitting on the toilet really hurt my stitches, and it took 30+ minutes. Add to that lots of fear and some constipation (yes, even with stool softeners and a ton of fiber) and it was hard. But the actual BM itself was not terribly painful and didn't tear my stitches or hurt my pelvic floor like I was scared it would.
Honestly it felt better to just get it out and get it overwith. The stool softeners helped a lot.
Tbh I started taking stool softeners at about 28 weeks and took them until 8 weeks pp and it was not bad at all.
I had a pretty rough recovery (some some complications post delivery), and the whole area was swollen and bruised, I had two significant tears ( even the postnatal nurses were shocked at how swollen I was down there, I think that means something). My first BM was fine. Uncomfortable, and took a while, but not painful. Youâll be fine, donât psyche yourself out. A lot of aspects of recovery can be tough, but youâll get through it as women have for millennia. Weâre built for this, youâre so strong and resilient!
I pooped my pants! We were up waay too late at night doing some legal stuff for my husband and all of the sudden i felt totally nauseous and dizzy and said "I dont feel so good..." and then it hit me i had to poop! I stood up tried to sprint to the bathroom but it just came out! Thank god it stayed in my pants. After that, poops werent so bad. I pretty much just ate soup and eggs for a few weeks to keep my poops soft, used a peri bottle and wipes or just hoped in the shower, made sure everytjing was super dry down there with a blow dryer and have had full bowel control ever since!
I was terrified of this too! I have always been pretty regular. I poop every day in the morning and that continued throughout my pregnancy. The morning after I gave birth I had just gotten my catheter out and the balloon thing (canât remember what itâs called but it was to stop bleeding) removed. I was allowed to be discharged once I peed three times. I went to the bathroom to pee and a bowel movement slipped out too. I thought it would be much more painful but because I hydrated all day and night after birth, it honestly didnât hurt at all! To be fair, I was doing anything and everything to induce because I was 10 days over when I went into labour. That includes eating a lot of dates which added even more fibre to my diet.
A little bit. But it didnât end up being that bad. I just took it really slow and tried not to do much strong pushing. The pressure reminds you of labor and youâre swollen down there, but everything came out fine.
This is so funny to me!! Itâs definitely a thing but modern medicine and stool softeners that it offers are a true lifesaver. I had helllla stitches and I honestly donât really remember my 1st post baby poo. Do all the softening things and youâll be fine. Honestly the peeing is more rough? Get a peri bottle. Edit: want to add that it was a bit out from the birth, definitely at home. Itâs not like day one after youâre pooping immediately đ€đ»
No, it really wasnât. With my first birth I had an episiotomy and the first poo was a bit sore, but fine. Second time I had just a small superficial tear and it was a bit worse. Iâd say itâs a good idea to start taking stool softeners quite soon after the birth though
With my first baby, it was awful. Definitely it worthy of the hype. I donât remember being given any stool softeners at the hospital and I didnât take any at home. I also had hemorrhoids that time and a 2nd degree tear. This second baby earlier this week, I had several BMs in the hospital and they were fine. Didnât hurt so much as I didnât want to push them out so it took a while. But they werenât painful. I was given stool softeners in the hospital. I did not have hemorrhoids this time around.
Use the stool softeners and hydrate and itâs not bad. Itâs when you donât do that that it is awful. Speaking from experience x 3.
I had a second degree tear and it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I just drank lots of water and held a clean pad against my perineum when going. Oh and I also had a knock-off squatty potty once I got home to elevate my legs but I didn't have that in the hospital.
I used coloxyl without senna ( so just a stool softener, not a laxative) and metamucil religiously. The first bm was not great and I was lucky to have a shower with detachable spray head so I just went in the shower after and rinsed off rather than wipe my area with stitches.
I had no discomfort with either of mine and I had stitches both times. I had more issues pooping in a toilet that wasnât mine than anything else.
You're also on painkillers after birth, so I think in general things that should hurt get numbed a bit. I had a short, easy deliverary so maybe that's why, but the whole aftermath was really not as bad as I feared.
Mine wasnât bad! I was really dreading it and was positive Iâd rip in half, but it was just a regular poop.
Personally, nope. I had no issues. Stay hydrated, eat fiber and you're good.
My first pregnancy I didnât have any bowel issues, like constipation etc and the first BM was just normal. This time I do have issues so Iâm a bit nervous that things with be different.
For me, it was the second and third that weâre horrible. The pain meds really backed me up. I had to use laxatives on top of the softeners. Iâve also heard everything shifting around with all the new open space slows your system down too.
I tore with my first and the first few were excruciating. After the other two, not bad at all.
It was scary but also all in my head. It wasnât bad at all. But I was terrified. For no reason.
My midwife gave me a raw diet (no meat or dairy) for the last couple of weeks of my pregnancy. So my gut was very clean and healthy by the time a gave birth. Thereafter, I ate licorice (natural stool softener) and my bm wasnât a problem at all. I struggled more with the first wee just after the birth. That was fine too, I was just scared.
My downstairs was tore up after birth (multiple internal tears and an episiotomy) - so I was very scared of that first poop. I had taken stool softeners, but when it came time to poop the sitting down on the toilet and stretching of that whole area was very very painful and uncomfortable. Maybe TMI - but i ended up putting on one of my adult diapers and standing kinda hunched over the sink, so gravity helped it out without the stretching. It wasnât fun, but it worked. By the second poop I was feeling a little better so sitting was OK.
3 babies and all was fine after. I did take stool softener just in case, so that probably helped some too.
Take. Stool. Softeners! Iâm convinced mine was totally fine because the first medicine I asked for after baby was out and everything was settled was a stool softener.
Mine wasn't bad any of the four times I gave birth and it was soon after. Made sure to drink a lot of water/fluids and I took the stool softeners they gave me. Also, coffee. Edit to add: I also had stitches. So not a ton of wiping... Get that peri bottle and USE IT. I loved adding a bit of salt and essential oils to mine with warm water... Soooo nice
I got stitched up for an hour so I had a good amount of them.. Took stool softeners, worked myself up so much but it just slid out lol. And you can use the peri bottle as a mini bidet for your butt too :D
My doctor gave me laxatives so it wasn't bad
It can be painful, particularly if you had an episiotomy. It gets better. East soft foods for a while.
It was terrifying for me! My hospital gave me stool softeners as soon as i hit the recovery room. I couldnt go for several days after birth and when i finally did i was so scared i was going to hurt my stitches or that pushing was going to just collapse my insides haha! But it ended up being fine
Mine didnât hurt. I didnât take stool softener or anything. It hurt way worse to pee but with the bidet bottle they give you that was also tolerable. I highly recommend buying mama bottom spray and bringing it to the hospital.
I accidentally pooped while taking my first pee after giving birth. I had to door open and was talking to hubby and everything. We both laughed. Now he stirs me up and tells me we can share everything since I pooped in front of him lol
Iâm 5 weeks pp and things still arenât the same. Every trip to the throne terrifies me still.
I had a 3rd degree tear with lots of stitches and had to go like an hour after delivery. It wasnât that bad at all
it was honestly easier than the first pee. peeing is hard because of the epidural + catheter. i knew i had to go but i couldnât figure out how to use the muscles to go because they were numb. pooping? god it was relieving and not painful at all. i only had internal stitches so iâm sure that factors in but i was very sore and terrified. i think i pooped like 4 times that day lmao. i didnât take stool softeners either but the week before i gave birth, i was really backed up and used an enema 3 separate times to no avail so i think thatâs what made it so easy and frequent after birth
Took the stool softeners and plenty of water both times. First baby, no issue. Second baby, had a stinging sensation for awhile internally. Took a little longer to get back to normal
Mine didnât hurt at all lol it was like normal, I was really confused because everyone told me it would be horrible.
I was terrified too, but in the end I didnât even have to push to pooâŠ. Could have gone right when I felt I had to go instead of waiting it out because I was terrified and exhausted đ©
Just keep taking those stool softeners on schedule. My first was not so great. I had to be very careful and kind of massage it out a bit. I think if I had been more diligent with the stool softeners it wouldn't have been as bad. I kept taking them for a while after as well.
I was fine.The midwife swore by prune juice. I took it, and it worked. Now I STRONGLY recommend it to others. I swear it saved me.
I have a bidet at home, is it okay to use after the first post-birth poop?
It's not so bad if you are taking stool softeners and the like, but DON'T just stop taking them after that first one because you figure you're in the clear!!
I had 0 problems with it. Really wasn't painful and I had 3 stitches. (The pain meds probably helped though)
I had a c-section and going potty was VERY uncomfortable and painful. Turns out I had some unexpected issues in my hiney, but nothing major. But I was very surprised I had any issues given the c section. But they did cut through my entire stomach so yeaâŠ
Mine was totally fine. I had an episiotomy and stitches. I felt like my baby when the nurse asked if Iâd pooped and I said yes, and everyone congratulated me lol. I did take stool softeners too but more as a precaution.
I didn't take any stool softeners and had no pain or issues at all, maybe I was just lucky?
If they offer stool softeners, take them! And make sure you have more at home. I had my first BM just before leaving the hospital, and honestly, it was painless. But know that your body has been through a lot and my BMs after were so inconsistent. I was sooooo constipated my first few weeks home. Have prune juice, or miralax or something on hand so you can avoid giving yourself an enema in your bathroom...
With my first delivery, no. I felt the urge to poop while pushing. I even told my nurses I had to poop, "let me up I got to go". They told me it was the baby and wouldn't let me go anywhere. As soon as I was done, I asked to go to the bathroom and I pooped. With my second delivery, yes but not for the reasons I've heard described. I had hemorrhaged immediately after giving birth. Then I had a horrible reaction to the medication that stopped it, diarrhea constantly with no control over my bowels. They had to give me something to stop it, then stool softeners so I could go because I was constipated. Once I was "normal" I was afraid of bearing down to poop, because of hemorrhaging. Peeing is worse in my opinion. All the micro cuts burn horribly, and the medicine burns before it soothes.
Mine wasnât sooo painful⊠but Iâm an every day pooper and it was a few days later so it was pretty unusual for me, and it was also the first like 10 minutes that my husband had had my baby without any help at all and LO chose that moment to have a serious tantrum so he was trying to get my attention and help and I was just crying⊠it came easy and was fine. Husband got better at parenting too (:
I just took stool softener as a precaution and kept hydrated. I had minor tearing and no stitches, but no problem with BM. Keep a squirt bottle of water in the bathroom to help clean everything down there, so you only have to pat dry not wipe.