Ugh! TMI, but I need some relief

[cjanelles]

I know that loose bowels are a sign of labor getting closer...and when it started on Saturday, I was actually a little excited (how nuts is that?)...

But now I'm on day 5 and I feel like I've got hemmoroids or something like that and I'm very uncomfortable. I've checked, and I think it's just really sensitive skin due to all of the wiping, etc...but it hurts. I've tried epsom salt baths and sitz baths and even some PrepH cream, but nothing helps.

On top of that, my body is digesting NOTHING. Whatever I eat just goes right through me...so, on top of it all, I'm starving, too.

And, on top of that, 5 days of loose bowels and not another single indicator that labor might be happening soon.

Any suggestions?

[Willzmama]

Oh no! Could it be a stomach bug? Hope not.

I don't know, but ever since I ate eggplant parm on Sunday and some whole grain bagels with cream cheese, I have not had any similar issues. Ahem.

Maybe you could try some of those moistened wipes instead of TP? HTH!

[Munchkimo]

This is what has helped me:

Don't let yourself get dehydrated. Drink, drink, drink.

Take a warm bath.

Avoid too much ice cream or milk.

Witch hazel tucks.

Elevate your feet.

[Amber Lion]

Not in your ddc, but I've been having the same issue for very different reasons due to overloading my system with minerals... and someone on another message board (while trying to figure out why I was having this problem) said:

I know that taking a bath in Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) helps with constipation because of the magnesium sulfate absorbing into the skin and into the bloodstream.

So, you may *not* want to continue with the epsom salts, even if they feel like they're helping with the soreness.

[cjanelles]

Oh thanks for all of the suggestions!

I'd totally forgotten about witch hazel, and I had NO IDEA about the epsom salts. Well, I actually knew that if you drink water with epsom salts in it, it is a laxative, but I never thought of it working through absorbtion on the skin.

I do drink as much water as I can physically stand (it gives me serious acid reflux and I don't sleep at night for getting up to pee every 15 minutes), so I'm pretty sure I'm not dehydrated, luckily.

I also don't think I have a stomach bug because I feel perfectly fine otherwise...no crampiness, no achy sick feeling, no nausea (except when I watched Oprah's show today about battered women)...so, I really don't think it's a bug...hopefully.

But I'm definitely going to find some witch hazel pads and try to keep my feet up.

Thanks for the suggestions and support.