On Postpartum Poops

You Want to Talk About WHAT?!?

You may have seen my posts about birth, or perhaps some blogs about potty training. Well today is the day, my friend, that we combine these (sometimes taboo) topics. Today is the day, we talk about your first poop after having a baby.

The following advice is not medical, and if you’re seeking advice on medication/supplements, or an injury, I encourage you to contact your health care provider (midwife, GP, etc.).

So here we go…

You’ve just had a baby (whether vaginally or birthed via caesarean) and at SOME point you are going to need to poop. Let’s clear up some myths about variations of normal birth. If you birthed vaginally, you will have some tenderness/swelling in and around your genitals. Your pelvic floor will be weak from all the hard work she did pushing your baby out. You might even have a tear in or around your perineum, and the thought of re-injury is REALLY REAL. If you’ve birthed via caesarean, you might have experienced pushing, etc., and have the same pelvic floor weakness that I mentioned above. You definitely will have an incision, that doesn’t feel great when you strain to have a bowel movement. That incision is the result of surgeons cutting through your abdominal wall, so those muscles are going to need to recuperate before you feel able to poop in a way that feels natural to you. You will also most likely be crazy constipated and gassy as all get out from the surgery. So both of these birthing people are going to experience a variation in their regular poop routine. Both may experience fear or anxiety leading up to this poop. And this is completely normal.

What to do about it???

Some tips include:

• a bum soak / sitz bath pre-poop (warm water can relax the rectum and make the physical work easier)
  
• Holding a warm compress (clean washcloth) to vulva/perineum during the poop to give some counterpressure and security
  
• Hugging a pillow/towel at tummy to provide support at caesarean incision
  
• Staying hydrated
  
• Eating healthy fats (coconut milk, avocado, full fat yogurt, seed/nut butters, etc.) This will keep poops soft and manageable
  
• Make use of a stool (Squatty Potty for the WIN) for proper pooping ergonomics
  
• Hot cup of coffee/tea (warmth plus caffeine can get things moving)
  
• Peri-bottle for life. It’s like a gentle squirt gun that you spray on your vulva/bum to gently clean and soothe. I like to use room temp or warm water so as not to shock your genitals with an icy blast.
  
• Pat dry with toilet paper
  
• Check out colace if pooping is a regular problem for you. This works best in a proactive approach. Don’t be alarmed if, after using colace, you have a red poop. That the medication, not blood.
  
• Tucks Medicated Pads can feel amazing on a postpartum bum/perineum. They’re made for hemorrhoids, but are basically witch hazel on a piece of gauze. These can be bought at a drugstore.
  
• Just do it. Dim the lights, put on some music, don’t rush, get relaxed and get pooping. The longer you wait, the bigger the problem gets (literally and figuratively).
  

That’s my potty training expert/birth and postpartum doula’s guide to the perfect postpartum poop. I hope it helps, and if you need any support, reach out to your doula, or feel free to email me.

xoxo,
Laura

Reach Out to Laura