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Warning: You may not want your children to read some topics in this section. |
After the birth, it is normal not to open your bowels for up to 2 to 4 days (Mother Nature is kind). This is not regarded as constipation, rather an after effect of having diarrhoea during prelabour and/or early labour, possibly opening your bowels during the pushing phase of the birth, and the natural slowing of the bowel's movement during labour. However, some women may confuse a feeling of 'fullness' in their lower body (as a result of the swollen tissues around the vagina, perineum and anus) as a 'need' to open their bowels, even though this may not be forthcoming.
When it comes time to open your bowels, try to avoid straining and placing extra pressure on these areas. The pelvic floor is usually weakened after a vaginal birth, and many women feel they do not have sufficient 'oomph' to open their bowels. To help 'splint' your pelvic floor, you can fold up some clean toilet paper (or use a clean pad) and place this on your
perineum. Keep your hand in place while you open your bowels, to provide some counter-pressure and support to the area. You may find you need to do this for a few weeks, until your pelvic floor strengthens again. You may wish to read
pelvic floor exercises.
If you do have difficulty opening your bowels after a few days, your caregiver may offer you a glycerine
suppository (these are not medicated, just aimed at softening the bowel motion in the rectum), or possibly a mild laxative. However, in the meantime, you can concentrate on drinking plenty of water and fruit juices (prune and fresh vegetables juices are good), eating fresh and dried fruits, vegetables, wholegrain breads and cereals to help the process naturally. Some women will put psyllium on their cereal, to help with fibre intake. Be aware that medications containing codeine can cause constipation.