Fecal incontinence

[sew_crafty_girl]

I'm 6 days PP and experienced fecal incontinence for the first time today.

My first few BMs were solid and passed normally. Yesterday it changed to diarhea but still no problem. Today I had to hold my BM for a bit while waiting for the bathroom and I had an accident just as I got to the toilet. So the next couple of times I had to go, I ran to the toilet and it basically poured right out of me with no pushing. I've lost the ability to hold it in. I have a couple hemms that aren't bothersome and my pernineum is still quite swollen . My butt just feels wierd and numb. I just have stitches on my labia.

So here I sit, trying to do pelvic floor exercises and planning not to leave the house today.

Might this be a short lived occurence? So embarrassing. I stopped taking my EPO just in case this is what has caused the diarhea.

[HappiLeigh]

I had urinary incontinence for about two weeks after my second. I did kegels like crazy and as the swelling and pain went down, so did the problem. It was such an awful feeling, though, peeing when I didn't mean to. Hope your problem gets better soon.

[treegardner]

I tore pretty badly, 3rd degree and through my sphincter muscle. I had some incontinence issues for a while, at least 6 months PP. It wasn't so bad that I couldn't live life normally, but I could no longer hold it until it was convenient, if I had to go, I needed to find a bathroom right away. It got better for me, but I'm not how I was before either. I used to be able to hold it for a long time (I didn't like using public restrooms), but I can't do that anymore.

[sew_crafty_girl]

Thanks ladies. Its nice knowing i'm not the only one.

[Bea]

Retaining an urgent runny poop is a challenge for the best of us with a pelvic floor in optimal shape!

At 6 days PP? I challenge anyone to not have a bit of an accident if they had to wait for the bathroom.

Edited to add and I'm sorry I didn't say it first, but the poop distracted me: Congratulations on the birth of little Anna Beatrice

[lunita1]

Originally Posted by sew_crafty_girl

I'm 6 days PP and experienced fecal incontinence for the first time today.

My first few BMs were solid and passed normally. Yesterday it changed to diarhea but still no problem. Today I had to hold my BM for a bit while waiting for the bathroom and I had an accident just as I got to the toilet. So the next couple of times I had to go, I ran to the toilet and it basically poured right out of me with no pushing. I've lost the ability to hold it in. I have a couple hemms that aren't bothersome and my pernineum is still quite swollen . My butt just feels wierd and numb. I just have stitches on my labia.

So here I sit, trying to do pelvic floor exercises and planning not to leave the house today.

Might this be a short lived occurence? So embarrassing. I stopped taking my EPO just in case this is what has caused the diarhea.

Are you taking anything for pain, by any chance? Naproxen sodium (aleve, naprosyn, etc.) has this side effect for me.

[Mom2M]

Please keep an eye on it.
It may very well be normal pelvic floor post partum stuff, but if you start having problems like being unable to urinate or pain in your leg and/or back see a dr or go to an ER right away.

I have to mention it due to personal experience and my desire to make sure no one else experiences what I did. I had to have emergency back surgery because of a herniated disc that popped out during weightlifting on a leg press. Definitely not due to childbirth, lol, but you can have back problems from pregnancy and childbirth too.

[mwherbs]

I was going to say this doesn't sound like a pelvic floor issue more like a diarrhea issue - if you are taking a stool softener that may account for it or could be some other reason it is occurring food poisoning, flu, listeria , eating something you are allergic to

[Comtessa]

This happened to me too when I was a few days PP! I completely freaked out! I was like, "what?!? Nobody told me about this!!!" I think it's just the strain on the entire perineal area during pushing - I had a particularly long pushing stage, which didn't help - and hemorrhoids complicate the issue too. Don't worry, after a couple of weeks this should mostly go away. (Though I will say that at nearly 1 year PP, I still notice a slight difference from my pre-baby days as far as this goes.)

[Kelly1101]

Originally Posted by Bea

Retaining an urgent runny poop is a challenge for the best of us with a pelvic floor in optimal shape!

At 6 days PP? I challenge anyone to not have a bit of an accident if they had to wait for the bathroom.

This... I had a few incidents when I was still a week or so PP. I had a vaginal birth with just minimal tearing, but she was posterior so it was a bit rough. It had me totally freaking out. Then it just stopped. And I was not being strict on my kegels (though I was doing some-- it's just hard enough to complete a thought when you have a newborn).

Do kegels, try to make sure you're getting a good diet (as PP mentioned-- avoid anything that would give you diahrrea). If it hasn't stopped before your PP check-up, or if it gets steadily worse, I'd talk to your OB/MW, but if it goes away before then, just chalk it up to one of those gross things about childbirth that no one talks about...

[sew_crafty_girl]

Thank-you everyone. It struck again tonight and just seems to correlate with diarhea. I havent figured out what is causing the D, but I did have advil for a headache today after days of no advil/tylenol.

[Katielady]

Just wanted to add my "you're not the only one" post...I had one 2nd degree tear requiring 6 stitches and one up high that they couldn't really stitch but that caused me pain for months. I haven't had complete incontinence, but to this day, when it comes to #2, when I have to go, I have to GO. I imagine that if I had full-blown diarrhea I could end up with an accident. That reminds me...gotta do more kegels.

You are healing! Hang in there.