The first poop

Snikle512 · May 2014

Not the babies, yours. After delivery. Sucks! Been trying to go for almost 40 mins and it's right there. But doesn't want to come out! Ugh!

madelined633 · May 2014

I heard that it is miserable :-( good luck!

lavendergiraffes · May 2014

I'm rooting for you!! ;-)

jsaffer01 · May 2014

You can do it!!!

awc1986 · May 2014

Laxatives. They're the greatest thing. Hope you can poop!

Krisd6 · May 2014

This is a fear of mine! Did you take a stool softener? Do they automatically give you that in the hospital?

Good luck!

yvanehtnioj · May 2014

I've been on stool softeners since 1st tri. They are miracles. Take some right now and drink as much water as you can handle.

Snikle512 · May 2014

I have been using stool softeners twice a day since delivery and I am happy to report that it hurts for a moment and then it's instant relief! But yes lots and lots of stool softener!!!! Good luck ladies!!! Three days post partum now and if I could get rid of the hemmies life would be fantastic!!

Lild09 · May 2014

I know where I live it's common to give each new momma stool softener right after delivery! I also have a box at home for the first week or so to help out if I need it..eek! Maybe keep taking probiotics? I swear taking it daily since before I was pregnant is what kept me from evil pregnancy constipation

FlemDance · May 2014

Do you have a small stool around? It helps if you can elevate your feet a bit - opens your sphincter I think.

sparklingdiamond · May 2014

They gave me a stool softener in the hospital and that really helped out. I actually had to go while I was still at the hospital and thankfully, it wasn't too horrible. Still not pleasant though!

spacepotatoes · May 2014

Krisd6 said:

This is a fear of mine! Did you take a stool softener? Do they automatically give you that in the hospital? Good luck!

My hospital gives them for c-sections, not sure if they do it for all deliveries. But I've been popping them for a while anyway so I'm planning to have my own stash, just in case. Not taking any chances!

giggler25 · May 2014

I've definitely heard that stool softener is a must! Good luck!!!

jenb_99 · May 2014

Lild09 said:

I know where I live it's common to give each new momma stool softener right after delivery! I also have a box at home for the first week or so to help out if I need it..eek! Maybe keep taking probiotics? I swear taking it daily since before I was pregnant is what kept me from evil pregnancy constipation

Probiotics won't help you with this. The dreaded PP constipation is caused by a number of factors -- relaxed smooth muscle during labor, lower body paralysis from epidural, interrupted eating schedule, dehydration from nursing, pain meds, waiting too long to go out of fear (esp. after traumatic vaginal deliveries), etc. -- and has almost nothing to do with gut flora. Most women find that stool softeners help reduce the pain and difficulty of the first BM, but many need a mild laxative such as sennosides in addition to the stool softeners to get things moving.

I made the mistake of only taking the one daily Senokot-S (combo SS/lax) the nurses offered me in the hospital. I was admitted Monday night and didn't poop till Saturday night. Talk about a horror show. I still shudder to think about it. I was convinced my incision was going to burst open. This time I'm sneaking in my own stash of Colace to take along with whatever else they give me. I'd rather end up with diarrhea than go through that nightmare again.

Also, if the first BM is large and hard, you can massage the area around the anus while you're pushing. It helps to prevent tearing.

LunaBug924 · May 2014

Ugh, I literally cried on the toilet for mine. It didn't really hurt, but it put a lot of pressure on my incision and I felt like there was a piece just stuck in there. Turns out I busted an internal hemorrhoid in the process and that's what I was feeling.

So my advice, don't strain! Take a stool softener and wait it out. It gets better ladies, I swear!

MissLadyTay · May 2014

My first pp poo was worse than delivery. Blood, sweat, and tears. Literally. Took an hour too. MH thought I had died in the bathroom. Stool softeners didn't help me at all. I should have taken a laxative.

caballo718 · May 2014

Eat a bag of prunes. I've lived on these my whole pregnancy and they have helped immensely.

momo214 · May 2014

I was absolutely terrified for this. After a vag delivery and second degree tear and not going several days before (or during) delivery I expected the worst. I had two stool softeners before I finally went and it was HUGE. Not the softest either, just normal, and I didn't experience any bad pain. I was really surprised. Expect the worst but then you may be relieved when it's not that bad.

cowpoly959 · May 2014

Does anyone know how long it's ok to keep taking stool softeners after birth? I'm still taking them and I'm almost two weeks pp. I had a lot of repair work downstairs though and it's still not fun to poop

jenb_99 · May 2014

@cowpoly959 You can take them as long as you feel like you need them. Just wean off them gradually and keep up with your fiber and fluids to make the transition easier once you decide you're ready to quit. Stool softeners generally aren't habit forming, and neither are vegetable-based laxatives (sennosides). The ones that cause trouble are the harsher chemical laxatives such as bisacodyl.

spinsoffresonance · May 2014

I feel your pain OP. after my myomectomy it took me 3 hours to push that first poop out. It was too far along to stop pushing but still wouldn't come out. After an hour I had to send DH to the store to get me laxatives. Hung out on the toilet another hour waiting for them to take effect. It was a miserable experience.

pistolpackinmomma · May 2014

I remember my first after DS. I was so scared and asked my mom how to poop without ab muscles (c/s) and she told me to just let it fall out. I thought she was nuts. It took forever but eventually came out. Not looking forward to it this time either.

awc1986 · May 2014

@cowpoly959‌ I took a liquid laxative twice a day for about 4 days and then I didn't need it anymore. It gave me borderline diarrhea, which I was actually grateful for at the time. I felt confident to go without after around 4 days of regular poops. Plus I found that when I had to go, I HAD to go. Not convenient when you're out and about. I had an episiotomy too and have had no pain.

mcnava · May 2014

For me, the worst part was cleaning after! The poop came upon me as a surprise, but cleaning with stitches and everything, I was so terrified and sore and it was awful. Luckily I took the bottle from the hospital for cleaning in general and I use that.

amberlowe08 · May 2014

Colace!

RedInLove · May 2014

When it comes to my first pp poop, I am a Team STFI.

sheriot · May 2014

After some pretty intensely painful labor, I had an e-cs and they gave me stool softeners the second day pp. Delivered 5/6, first pp poop 5/13. It hurt way worse than labor and recovery. If I ever have another child I will take a laxative two days pp and be done with it.

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