Constipation - Warning: TMI

Upper West Side

I cannot believe I am posting this online, but I am absolutely, desperate. 

 Stop reading now if you don't want to hear the details of my constipation! 

 

 For the past week, my bowel movements have been small, hard, and round.  I haven't had a BM since Sunday and I have a large, impacted stool that I can't pass.  I have the urge to go, but the stool is too big and hard to go.

 I've tried prune juice, milk of magnesia, and (at the doctor's okay) a stool softener.  My doctor said that these treatments might not help since the stool is already impacted in the rectum.  She said that if I don't pass it by tomorrow, I should go to Urgent Care to get it digitally removed.  

 I cannot bear the thought of someone sticking their fingers inside of me to remove  the stool.  My husband bought me surgical gloves so that I could try to do it myself, but I'm shuddering at the thought of it. 

 Has anyone had experience with this?  If so, please let me know any tips you have that might help!

~Kat~

I can't believe I'm even posting this, but I had to "help myself out" after DS was born. DH bought me some gloves and I was able to get a little out. I wasn't successful the first time, but once I made a little progress, the rest came out fairly easily. I would much rather do it myself then pay someone else to stick their fingers in there. 

drewiekc

Would an enema work at this point?

kellyrn9956

Do NOT attempt to disimpact yourself. Ever.

Disimpaction is a process that should be completed by a health professional only.

#1 - there is a risk of really damaging the mucosa of your rectum.

#2 - there is a large nerve (the vagus nerve) that runs through this area. If you stimulate this nerve, you'll get pale, sweaty and BOOM! You're out. This is why sometimes you sweat and get pale with a very large BM. Stimulating your vagus nerve is dangerous, especially if you are home by yourself. You can easily fall and hit your head.

If you cannot have a BM tonight, you need to go to have yourself disimpacted by a health care professional.

ChevyFam717

drewiekc:

Would an enema work at this point?

This. I'd try for any other option first. GL

PansyPants

I had to do some "helping" after the birth of my son. Defiantly try an enema or two in case the water will loosen things up and you'll be able to complete the job without digital intervention.  

 

Additionally, I had to do 3-5 prunes a day during my first pregnancy in order to keep from getting constipated. You might be similar and need to do something on a constant basis in order to prevent this from happening in the future. 

gundy21

Been there, done that.  I did get the OK from my doc to use a glycerin suppostitory 1 or 2 times a week if I hadn't hade a BM in a few days.  Check with your doc.  It has helped me some, but not completely. 

Chocodoxies

After a major surgery I needed to be dis-impacted at the hospital and I have to tell you, go to the hospital. It sounds so much worse than it is. They used a hose, which pumped water into my intestines, and then I would head to the bathroom to see if I could poop. It was not at all as bad as I feared. The nurse was very nice, this is a very common thing for a nurse to do, several a day. It was just me and this one nurse. I ended up going to the bathroom quickly, and relatively painlessly, and I made sure to take stool softeners afterward so as to avoid having a repeat. Do not try to do this yourself at home, and do not ignore it because you are embarrassed. Elvis Presley died from constipation... not a heart condition. You are pregnant, and waste is expelled from our bodies so we don't poison ourselves with it. Go to urgent care, you will feel loads better, and the staff already knows that you are embarrassed so they are very polite and discreet about it. You will likely never see them again so get the help you need and be on your way.

drewiekc

Also, once you get this particular issue resolved, you might ask your doctor for a PNV script that has a stool softener in it.  That is an easy way to stay consistent with it and avoid any further constipation issues.

Upper West Side

Thanks everyone for your advice.  Ugh, this is a tough one.  I cannot wait to have a baby, but pregnancy is rough.  Once this issue is resolved I'll definitely take plenty of precautions to make sure it doesn't happen again.  I wish I would have known that it would come to this a week ago...

dana2die4

Yep, I expierenced this EXACT same thing....and it was the worst thing ever. I was a moron and just lived with it.....My co-worker who is recently pregnant had horrible consitpation, and she removed it herself...so I dont think its an abnormal thing...

SaraSmile19

I agree to try an enema or suppository before resorting to digital disimpaction.

And please make sure anything that goes in that end has some lubricant on it.

 

Disneygeek77

I have had three c-sections and for me the constipation was the worst part, especially after the second one. Dear Lord that was awful.  By the time of the third c-section, I did everything I could to get things moving.  I drank tons of water, juice, prunes, salad, raisin bran, walking and I took every stool softener they gave me.   I even tried to prep my body by taking extra stool softeners about 10 before the c-section date.  All of that did nothing, NOTHING.  By my 4th morning in the hospital I could see the handwriting on the wall and asked for a suppository.  They gave me one with some KY Jelly.  I got relief within 30 minutes and I was so grateful I went that route instead of waiting for other methods to work. 

I would call your Dr and see if they are ok with a suppository this one time.  However, if you have to go to the hospital for a poopectomy, so be it. 

Rdomb1107

I wish I had some advice. Unfortunately, I don't. Just hoping you get relief soon

synchrosally

I haven't had to do that thank God, but I know a friend who got severely constipated when she was 8 months pregnant. It got so bad she actually passed out because her body had become toxic. As much as it sucks, it's important to try and take care of this ASAP.

pinottoparenthood

OMG, as soon as I think that pregnancy can't get any more gruesome, I hear about one more horrible symptom! So sorry you're dealing with this, hope you're better soon!

JSS1002

gundy21:

Been there, done that.  I did get the OK from my doc to use a glycerin suppostitory 1 or 2 times a week if I hadn't hade a BM in a few days.  Check with your doc.  It has helped me some, but not completely. 

 I was also going to suggest an enema / glycerin suppository.  Good luck

LCP2006

Same thing happened to me... warning, TMI ahead!!!  I'm almost embarrassed to say I "dig people out" on a weekly basis with my job! So when this happened to me a week ago, I digital stimulated my rectum, and after pushing and screaming for a good 45 mins it came out!  At my 1st appt last week my doctor prescribed a stool softener that I take 3 times a day.  It has helped some, but my stools are still hard and small rock like... just easy to push out!   Hope you get some relief soon!!!!!

secondtimemob

Grape juice works great.  Also, and I know this is gross, are there any foods that normally give you diarrhea?  For instance, does lettuce or french onion soup or garlic shrimp send you running to the bathroom?  THIS is the time to eat those! 

old_time_girl

I was very constipated after having my son. It was a horrible horrible experience. I took tons of stool softeners to no avail, and finally did an edema. It was worse than giving child birth. I'm sorry you are going through this. I feel your pain, really.
Good luck mama.

Upper West Side

Thanks again to everyone for your responses and advice! It's nice to know I'm not the only one dealing with this issue. Good news - after many tears, I had a "breakthrough" last night!   I don't think I'll be happier to see #2 in a toilet until I'm potty-training a toddler!

This is another TMI moment, but I figured that I'd share in case anyone else is  currently going through this. At my general practitioner's suggestion, I lubricated the area very well with Vaseline (wearing my surgical gloves). I think that, combined with the stool softeners, milk of magnesia, prune juice and gallon of water helped.

I've totally learned my lesson and will look out for the signs so that this doesn't happen again.  Hopefully by taking precautions it won't get this bad.

Thanks again for your help! 

markhamgurl

old_time_girl:

I was very constipated after having my son. It was a horrible horrible experience. I took tons of stool softeners to no avail, and finally did an edema. It was worse than giving child birth. I'm sorry you are going through this. I feel your pain, really. Good luck mama.

 If nothing else, this gives me reason to breathe a sigh of relief .. there's something out there more painful than childbirth!  Phew!  Since beginning my prenatal vitamins and progressing with this first pregnancy though, constipation has reared it's ugly head in my house too, so I feel your pain!  Literally.

It sounds like you've already taken care of the situation, I'm so pleased to hear that.  It really is SO worrying when you realize you NEED to "go" but physically CAN'T.  When I first got constipated at the beginning of the month, I'd sit on the toilet and would get pale and sweaty .. straining out of desperation, crying out of frustration.  Yeah, I was a real mess.  I'd go running for the bathroom when out shopping, and sit in there for a good 20 minutes, unable to go.  And then you have to waddle out of there feeling like you've got a stick shoved up your butt because it ALMOST came out, but then didn't.  Yeuck.

DH and my mom (and anyone else who would listen) got to hear ALL about it.  Lucky them!  On the third day of no #2, I finally went to the drug store and picked-up a stool softener.  A day or two later, BAM!  It came out.  I think I cried out of relief!  I worked-out that it's my calcium supplement that causes my stool to harden like that, making it virtually impossible to pass.  I subsequently decreased the frequency I was taking the calcium, because as I said to DH, there's just NO WAY I can deal with constipation like that for the next 6 mos.  No freakin' way. We're also trying to increase fiber intake to help move things along.

My mom even suggested a suppository, she said she had great success with it on the one occasion in her life that she was constipated and had relief within the hour. Anyway, I sure hope all this helps others with their inevitable constipation woes.  I'm still not very "regular" and only go every three days or so, but when it DOES come out it's no longer hard as a rock which makes it much easier to pass.

And if you want a laugh (which you do, if you're constipated): https://www.xojane.com/family/why-i-hate-being-pregnant  I nearly died laughing when I read the line about the "baby-arm-sized poop", because that's how I'd described my bowel movements to my family.