Did My First Poop Postpartum Ruin Everything?

Did My First Poop Postpartum Ruin Everything? Yes, you read that right. Pooping after your baby just came out of your vagina sucks. You have to somehow,

• Not strain
• Breathe
• Have soft enough stool that it just slides out. (Don’t skip the fiber or stool softeners your provider prescribed)

But what if that’s not the case and it’s so hard that it’s stuck, you may feel like you have to push it out or strain to get it out or even worse, take your fingers and try to dig it out. I know (yikes) but this is postpartum reality so TMI doesn’t exist here.

Okay….

So you’re worried now that you strained, maybe you’re scared you popped a stitch or you’re bleeding more or maybe you do have a prolapse now, you’re feeling something between your legs that wasn’t there before.

Here’s what to do:

1. Contact your medical provider if you think you popped a stitch or are bleeding more. Or go ahead and grab a mirror to see if it is indeed a stitch. If you haven’t looked before, then you may want to get in touch with your provider so you don’t freak yourself out.

2. Contact a pelvic expert PT for a consultation. Talk through your birth, symptoms, talk about that bowel movement and your current toilet habits. Discuss exactly what you’re feeling. Then proceed to set up an evaluation. An internal assessment has to wait til 6wks but external assessment and manual therapy can start right away.

3. Get consistent with what your provider suggested for helping with the bowels, whether that’s vitamin C, magnesium, stool softeners, fiber….. just check with them if you forget, stool consistency is very important in taking off the pelvic pressure and helping reduce pelvic organ prolapse… and many other problems like incontinence…….

4. Drink water. Lots and lots of water. Especially if your breastfeeding but no matter drink lots of water. It helps with the healing.

5. Many women are protein deficient in their third trimester. This can continue postpartum. So make an effort to have more protein sources, especially collagen which can potentially help with the elasticity of your tissue and help your body heal and recoil in this phase of recovery.

6. Commit to pelvic floor physical therapy. If you go somewhere that clears you after 1 visit then find somewhere else. You deserve restorative care and manual therapy to build your core back.

There are steps and there are stages that must be accomplished before you can fully experience the life you are meant to live. For us, we begin with transformation.

Transformation occurs through healing the pelvis, pelvic floor, belly and core muscles. This is the start.

Step 1: Identify where the issues are, what’s going on in the pelvis:

• Scar Tissue
• Alignment issue
• Ligament Injury
• Muscle Adhesions
• Muscle Tightness
• Muscle Weakness
• Joint Injury
• Pelvic Organ Prolapse
• Avulsion of Muscles
• Muscle Strain
• Soft Tissue Changes

Step 2: Heal Those Structures Through:

• Manual Release
• Massage
• Techniques To Change
• Alignment
• Myofascial Release
• Visceral Manipulation
• Joint Mobilization
• Stretching
• Strengthening
• Restore Normal Joint Range Of Motion
• Create Healthy Flexibility

Step 3: Retrain The Body

• Coordinate The Breath Patterns
• Coordinate The Pelvic Floor Muscles
• Coordinate The Abdominal Musculature
• Create Stability For Flexibility
• Retrain The Bladder For A Healthy Bladder
• Retrain The Colon For A Healthy Bowel System
• Support The Joints
• Learn Healthy Movement Patterns
• Create A Movement Program For Your Body

Step 4: Rebuild The Body

• Strengthen The Pelvic Floor
• Strengthening The Abdominal Musculature
• Strengthening The Core In A Coordinated, Holistic Fashion
• Strengthening The Entire Body
• Train Healthy, Flexible Muscle And Joints While In The Rebuilding Phase

Step 5: Maintenance:

• Maintain The Strength Through A Commitment To Your Program
• Maintain The Coordination Through Continued Practice
• Maintain Body Protection By Utilizing Consistently Safe Movement Patterns
• Monthly Tune- Up Sessions To Ensure No Small Compensation Patterns Begin To Develop And Go Unnoticed That Would Lead To A Life Of Chasing Aches & Pains

Step 6: Progress And Performance:

• Includes Increase In Maintenance Pelvic Floor And Bodywork
• Programming For Your Specific Goal, From A Birth To A Marathon To A New Sport Or Hobby