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3rd Trimester
LoriB00
member
Lurker with some Postpartum Advice (Long)
LoriB00
member
I know I liked reading birth stories and advice from others during the third trimester, so I thought I would give my two best pieces of advice even though I was a lurker for the most part.
The most helpful thing that I've done for soreness has been using my shower wand to spray the sore areas. I had a 4th degree tear (baby was face up), and using the shower wand has really, really helped! If you don't have one of those go out now and get one. For me it was so much better than a sitz bath, when you are really sore sitting on the toilet hurts too!
The other thing is start taking stool softeners well in advance!! I did not do this, but I really wish I had. The first poop was one of the scariest things of my life. I know it sounds extreme, but it was really quite disturbing. Now that it's over with I feel much better, but I know that a regiment of stool softeners would have really helped matters along.
Anyway, I hope this helps somebody out and makes their recovery a little easier. On a positive note, even with a fourth degree tear the recovery is not as bad as I expected it to be. It's all definitely worth it to have such a beautiful, sweet little girl!
Good luck!!
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Re: Lurker with some Postpartum Advice (Long)
Thanks for the info!
::note to self, buy colace::
Another boy on the way!
Agreed. That's terrifying. I have to say kudos to you lady for taking a crap at all! I would have held it in for six weeks.
I would've liked to hold it in, but unfortunately the reality is the pressure from the impending poop is almost as uncomfortable as the actual act. I don't mean to scare anyone; it may not be that bad for everybody.
In the hospital I kept asking my doctor and the nurses if anyone had ever busted a stitch while pooping; they assured me I'd be fine but when I got home and got the urge I was not convinced!!
The labor wasn't so bad for me, but I think it's because my doctor really rushed things. There was meconium in the amniotic fluid so he was in a hurry to get her out. I was fully dilated but had very weak contractions for some reason and the Pitocin wouldn't strengthen them so he went quickly to the vacuum and then forceps. She was stuck on my tailbone so he had to do something to get her out. Thank goodness I have an enormous amount of faith in my doctor or I would've freaked out.