Maybe TMI--after childbirth BM's

[EmJo]

This isn't exactly about babies per se, but what happens after one comes...

Ever since Ben was born, my stools have not been normal, and I've been experienced a lot of...ah, er...flatulence. STINKY flatulence. Not every day, but WAY more often than b4.

Anybody else ever experienced this? If so, when did stuff get back to normal? It's been 2 months, for crying out loud! (Is there an abb. for that, FCOL?)

[breezykc2]

not experienced the gas thing...but the BM thing...taking one stool softener (NOt laxative!) a morning seems to keep things going well for me after birth...I'm 4 weeks out now and have done so since day one of delivery and did the same for my first child....kept it up for about 3 months and then things just started leveling out from there! Good luck!

[Cheeseburger]

I think it is normal... I would just check to see if you are eating anything that could be causing it, spicy foods or whatever? and make sure plenty of fiber. Mostly I just ate bland, fiber-filled foods until I returned to normal. I never took a stool softener though, but it probably would have helped LOL!

Hope things get better for you soon! I had some problems down there until maybe 6 months - the last 2 months or so the only problem I had was I could not hold my pee very long at all :oops: ... because my muscles were just shot from childbirth. it's all better now though.

[Aalena]

Is it safe to take stool softeners if you're b/f? It's something I've wondered. I was planning on asking my dr when I go in, but thought ya'll would probably know.

[breezykc2]

Yes, safe to take stool softners while breastfeeding...at least that's what the doctors (different for each delivery) and the hospital (also different at each delivery) all said! So pop one and be happy! :lol:

[EmJo]

OK, I obviously wasn't clear (but thanks for caring enough to respond :) ).

Warning: I'm about to get more graphic...TMI TMI TMI :lol:

I'm not constipated. The movements are quite regular and soft. I get plenty of fiber. But they still, more often than not, hurt somewhat coming out, and are shaped like the colon (which I've read is not normal).

I think the gas is the most bothersome, as it stinks to high heaven and is often quite loud. (Praise God I haven't had the problem in public... yet. :lol: :wink: )

So, anyone out there who can relate? I just don't want to feel alone in this, KWIM?

[JoyLynn]

I dunno, Em... could it possibly be colitis? Or, have you changed your diet in any major ways? Trying to come up with a reason for the gas. Having colitis can make you gassy and your stools abnormal... even a little too soft.

[heart]

Joy [welcomewave]

[Cheeseburger]

Well it can be normal for them to hurt especially if you had tears in your perineum. I would question them hurting after 2 months though. Did you have any stitches and have they healed properly? Did you have hemorrhoids from pregnancy? etc?

I don't know about the shape though. I would call a doc.

[buttercup_97140]

If your stools are very stinky, and your gas is pretty stinky, the flora in your intestines could be out of whack....I would try some kefir...you should be able to find some premade kefir in the health food section, or health food store....we ferment our own, and it does miracles....I can tell when I haven't had enough kefir....my gas and BM's stick way more than normal.....(dh thinks I am broken because my gas and BMs are horrible...LOL).
I agree with a PP, if you had tears in that area, they could have possibly not healed correctly, or the doc may have stitched them wrong...hopefully not, but hey, they are human. I had two tears...one in my perineum and one on my labia, and the perineum one tends to get sore here and there, and I am almost 17 months out. Like a PP said also...it could be hemmorids, but I don't have experience with that so I don't know what they feel like.
Honestly, I would call the doc and ask.....I don't think the shape of the BMs are anything to worry about...but the pain could be.....

I pray you feel better!!
Amber

[EmJo]

Well, the pain is internal. I've considered the possibilities of internal hemmoroids being the culprit. (No blood has ever come out, though.)

I highly doubt my intestinal flora is out of whack, since I've been taking 2 natural supplements which both promote the growth of the "good" stuff. I've been toying with the idea of kefir, though. Hmmm...I'm going to pm Amber about that.

I don't like the sound of colitis. Have to look it up.

Thanks, ladies, for your responses. :)