Constipation... (***TMI Warning***)

[Alan]

Hi Ashnant
Constipation after birth is not unusual.
It is caused by the abuse your bowel and intestine have taken during birth. Normally your intestine pulsates. This pushes the waste matter along the intestine. After birth your intestine can become a little bit lazy and not pulsate as well as it should. This in turn gives more time for your body to absorb more fluid from your poo making it harder and thus leading to constipation.
Coloxyl and senna tablets are a great idea. You can buy them over the counter. They contain a stool softener and a bowel stimulant.
Other ideas are pears with the skin, prunes, lots of water, exercise.
Also avoid bananas they can contribute to constipation

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Thanks MG, Kimbaz and Alan

Oh man, i swear it must be the bananas that did it!!!
Seems problems coincided with when i started having them daily as part of breakfast so i guess that has definitely contributed.

No pain meds, but i havent been up and about a lot lately so i'll get moving more frequently too.

Thanks for the explanation and ideas Alan, very appreciated. I guess I'll get back onto kiwi fruit with skin as well as they worked a treat.

[amberdee]

Ohh I can sympathise as I had the same problem for about 2 weeks after giving birth and it was awful. I couldn't believe that not pooing could be so painful!
I tried all the different products that were recommended to me and nothing seemed to help much... metamucil, agiolax granules, agarol liquid, coloxyl with senna... In the end I really found that the only thing that really seemed to help was good old prunes! (Lots! )

[summerluven]

I had the same thing, not helped by a very painful fissure which probably made me slam shut a little bit and therefore make the whole thing worse!!

My routine during that time was:

3 litres of water a day
snacking on prunes and dried appricots throughout the day
A glass of Movicol every day - this was prescribed to me by my doctor and helps with impaction, when it is all 'backed up'...lovely! But this stuff is really good.
A salad for lunch every day
Coloxyl with senna at night if I had missed a dose of dried fruit or the salad

If it is still like this it might be an idea to go and mention it to your gp if you haven't been for a few days, in case something else is going on (like an impaction). Any pushing can really make matters worse.

I am sure I had something else to tell you but Desperate Housewives has just grabbed my attention and I have just gone completely blank!!

I hope it eases up soon...it is so darn unpleasant!!!!