Wanna hear what it’s like to be pregnant and constipated?
We all know that pregnancy and childbirth comes with an interesting array of body challenges.
Itchy skin, an aversion to smells, and swollen feet are just a few of the ailments women brave through to bring a child into the world.
Even though I complained the entire time I was pregnant about these issues, I knew it was all totally worth it.
Well, almost all worth it.
Having dealt with being pregnant, impacted stool, and constipated is high on the list of reasons that I’m “two and through” when it comes to birthing babies!
In fact, I would venture to say that being pregnant and constipated is worse than childbirth.
Of course, I had two c-sections and never experienced labor pains, but I feel like my experience with constipation when I was pregnant probably rivaled that of pushing a nine pounder out of your vagina.
If you’ve had constipation before, you might know it to be an inconvenience. It’s uncomfortable and a nuisance, but you eventually get through it.
Pregnancy constipation, however, is a whole other beast.
I’m talking—it’s painful to walk, need to buy rubber gloves type of beast.
Yes, rubber gloves.
I’ll get to that.
I had other issues besides being pregnant and Constipated.
Early in my pregnancy I experienced hyperemesis gravidarum (extreme morning sickness) and had to go on medication to control it. I was also anemic so taking extra iron.
Although the pharmacy instructions for both warned that a side effect was constipation, and my doctor prescribed a stool softener at the same time, I didn’t expect what was waiting for me after a week of taking the meds and supplement.
I didn’t realize I was constipated until it was too late. I was just happy to not be vomiting uncontrollably anymore. It wasn’t until the pressure in my colon made taking steps difficult that I started to try to remember the last time I had a bowel movement.
I thought back, but that didn’t help. Asked my husband, he didn’t know. I even had my 7-year-old daughter write down what we had eaten for dinner for the past week. I thought it might help me determine if I had eaten any foods that normally made me go.
Eventually I figured that it had been at least four days since I’d last had a BM.
At that point, I was so uncomfortable that I couldn’t even stand to eat. I knew I had to do something.
I called my doctor again about the impacted stool
My doctor told me to keep taking the stool softener, increase my fiber intake, and drink lots of water. She told me that if things weren’t moving in a few days I’d have to come in and get the impacted stool removed. The last thing I wanted was someone probing up there, so I made a commitment to get unstuck by any means necessary.
The next day, I got to work. I drank a mild laxative and sat in a warm sitz bath with baking soda for a little while.
That didn’t work.
I drank warm water with fiber powder mixed in. (For some reason I feel like warm water is more effective than cold water. Not sure if that’s true.)
That didn’t work.
I ran up and down the hallway the best I could. Got on my hands and knees and rocked back and forth. Attempted an enema.
NOTHING WORKED.
I hopped on the internet and started to do some research. Did you know that no one really talks about pregnancy constipation except on closed forums? There were a couple of frilly articles with soft warnings about constipation on some mom sites, but nothing that represented what I was going through. I dug deeper and started to discover the real constipation talk.
That’s where the rubber gloves came in.
WARNING: The rest of this story is not going to be pretty. Proceed at your own risk.
HOw to remove impacted stool
On one of the forums I stumbled on, someone suggested oiling up, putting on rubber gloves, and digging the compacted stool out. After a full day of trying everything else, I knew I had no choice. I had to go in.
My husband was working that day, so I took my daughter to her grandparent’s house so I could do what I needed privately. On my way home, I stopped at the pharmacy and picked up a box of rubber gloves. Once at home, I took a shower and then got busy.
I put a large piece of plastic on the floor, and then used olive oil to oil up. Next I put one glove on one hand and two on the one that was going to be doing all the work. I squatted over the plastic and used my finger to dig and pull out what I could of the stool.
I pulled the gloves off and sat on the toilet, trying to see if the space I made would allow for the rest of the stool to come out.
It didn’t.
I tried again.
Nothing.
At this point it was late afternoon and I had tried everything I could think of get unblocked. I mean, I tried to pull poop out of my butt with my fingers. EVERYTHING. I gave up. I washed up and went to pick up my daughter, accepting that I’d be in the doctor’s office the next day for help.
How I finally got Unstuck
As I was driving to get my daughter, I felt a rumble in my stomach. Then another one. With the second rumble, I knew that I needed to find a bathroom FAST.
I was a few minutes away from my in-laws’ house so I sped up a bit to get there before it was too late. As I was pulling up to their house, I saw that both of their cars were gone. I didn’t have a key to the house.
THAT was a problem.
I drove to a nearby store, barely turned off the car before I hopped out, and ran in to the bathroom.
I made it. Barely. But, I made it.
It was one of the best feelings of my life.
I wish I could say that was the last time I was constipated while I was pregnant, but it wasn’t. After that, I carried a huge bottle of water with me everywhere I went.
I took a stool softener every morning, and ate tons of fruits and vegetables. I was even able to stop taking the meds.
A Practically Foolproof Solution For pregnancy Constipation
Oh, and I found something that helped A LOT and was practically foolproof.
If I ever get constipated again, these work in an instance!
You can purchase them with my affiliate link on Amazon or get them at your local drugstore.
If I would have known that constipation could be this bad, I think I would have been better prepared.
When you’re dealing with all sorts of crazy pregnancy symptoms, it helps to know what you’re in for so that you can get your mind right.
Being pregnant and constipated normal. Gross, but normal. We don’t need to be embarrassed or ashamed to talk about it.
Talk to your friends, Mamas. Tell them your stories of triumph over blocked stools and other yucky stuff.
And encourage them to buy a box of rubber gloves.
Just in case.
Other posts you might enjoy:
What happens to your body after you have a baby
I knew something was wrong, but never guessed it was postpartum anxiety
3 things no one ever tells you about pregnancy
THANK YOU!!! This is the most REAL and encouraging story I have read! Pregnancy is no joke! I grew up believing pregnancy is this “beautiful and wonderful” thing. Uh… no. Babies are beautiful & wonderful but pregnancy SUCKS. Let’s be honest nobody tells you or prepares you for all this. NAUSEA! not morning sickness, I’m talking ALL DAY nausea. Fatigue. And CONSTIPATION! Dear lord Jesus I dont know which one is worse being sick all the time or being in physical pain to the point where you are “gloving up” to do what needs to be done. Being real and talking about these things gives me encouragement that I am not alone! 9 weeks here, 1st baby. Dear Lord Jesus help me! Lol
I’m so glad you feel this way! We mamas need to not feel ashamed to tell the truth about what we REALLY go through!
I had faecal impaction that tore my anus and gave me haemhroids. It was the most traumatic experience of my life. I hadnt pooed in over a week and the cramps from the laxatives I had taken caused the impacted faeces to literally rip my anus open.
Honestly though, the abdominal cramping was worse than the tearing. Agony like Ive never known and I have IBS so am very familiar with abdo cramping. I could feel the faeces like a bowling ball stretching my perineum/anus making it bulge outwards just like a vagina does in childbirth. I had to dig it out with a tea spoon in between the worst cramping of my life. Squirt water up there to soften it up didnt help it was like clay and smelt like death
You are so right! I’ve had the type of constipation you are talking about and I’ve gone thru vaginal childbirth. The constipation was worse! Just awful!
I wasn’t ready for it!!! I had no clue it was possible to be sooo constipated!
I’m currently 5 months pregnant and so constipated that I am
certain child birth can not be worse. Thanks for sharing!
You are so welcome! Congratulations on your pregnancy! I pray things get easier for you!!!
I just want you to know that I love you. This was literally me this morning and I was in tears not knowing what to do. This is my 3rd and last baby. And you are 100% right. There are very few articles on the internet that tell the real facts. They frill it up. Thank you so much for posting this!!
I am so sorry to hear this, but grateful that this post helps! I’m telling you…if nothing else works, the glycerin suppositories will DEFINITELY make you go!
I am currently 16 weeks pregnant , i have been constipated every week since pregnancy and i have tried everything but nothing worked. I still have high hopes that am going to pass stool tonight to tomorrow, am also going to try to oil up with the olive oil and see what happens hopefully it will work and continue to work throughout this pregnancy.
P.S Am currently laying down on my side because it pains to sit down .
Congratulations on your pregnancy!!! If nothing else works, the suppositories will. Talk to your doctor first, but my doctor said they were gentle enough to use frequently!
Ah the pains of pregnancy! I’ve always been prone to constipation (have all the battle scars of hemorrhoids and fissures), and thought I knew exactly how to combat constipation. But constipation during pregnancy is a whole new ball game! I’m 29 weeks pregnant and my motions got so sluggish, I had to strain to go and bam, I’m blessed with a new painful hard hemorrhoid! No trick up my sleeve is working and I’m in pain everyday when I go and for several hours afterward. Good luck to all the mamas out there!
This is exactly what I needed to hear today! 6 mths preg and so constipated today, in so much pain i thought child birth couldn’t be worse but I don’t know yet. I gloved up earlier to no avail, hoping the stool softeners work asap! Thanks for being so honest about this horrible side of pregnancy. I also had daily morning sickness really bad and id prefer that over this!!
This was me today. This my second pregnancy and in this one constipation is bad. 2 times I had small pieces of hard stuck poo I had to dig out with my fingers. But tonight was the worse. Was on toilet for 1hr and nothing coming out. So used coconut oil and tried digging only few hard pieces coming out. So I got in bathtub and squatted, had the warm shower hose spraying down there too stimulate, and had to dig out hard chunks for an hour. Finally all the hard chunks, maybe 1/2pound of poo were out. After that i had strung urge, and HUGE amount of semi hard-soft poo all came out. Sorry for graphic detail, but thank you for posting yours, makes me not feel alone.
This was exactly me last night. I’m 11 weeks pregnant with my first and am so constipated, last night was the worst so far. Spent almost 3 hours in the bathroom, i knew there was a hard stool stuck in my anus but i couldnt get it out. So i did what you did. I was able to get them all out. My hemorrhoids got worse and it’s painful to sit down. I couldn’t sleep as I was stressed out thinking that what I did could be harmful to the baby. I hope it’s not. I was not ready for this type of constipation.
I am having the same thoughts after the same circumstance! Thanks for sharing
I trust you’re ok? Pregnancy progressing as normal? My “dislodging” just happened and im so concerned now haha
I am 11 weeks today and having the same issues. I strained so hard now I’m terrified I hurt the baby…. Was your pregnancy fine after this? Really needing piece of mind…
YES!!! It got much better after that one episode of constipation. Sending you so much support~
I am on baby number 4 and have had HG with all. I’m currently 22 weeks on a zofran pump and have a BM every 8-9 days….its horrible…. I plan on having a home birth but this pain seriously has me second guessing that now.
THIS. I am 12 weeks and woke up knowing today was the day i had to go. Despite the pressure and even pain, nothing was happening. Fast forward to the evening, gloved up, laying on my side. took an hour. I am skipping my workout for today as that was all the abdominal, cardio & stretching that could be done in one day.
Ok… but now I am nervous… could all that pushing and straining have hurt the pregnancy in some way!? This is my 3rd pregnancy, you’d think id have this under control…. But man all that straining really makes me wonder if I could have dislodged something or made the fragile little fetus too uncomfortable…I know I prob sound ridiculous. And at least the poop was out! I didn’t know my bowel could hold so much in ! LOL. THANK YOU THANK YOU for being SO honest and sharing your experience with us!
I am 7 months pregnant and oh boy constipation got me real bad…..i tried gloving up and that didnt work…..i pushed up a suppository and still nothing yet.Dont talk about the pain am feeling. Need help am desperate…..Thinking about going to the hospital tomorrow.
I feel everyones pain. I have rubber gloves under my sink just for this! Doctor tells me drink more water im already drowning in the 100oz i do drink. I am going from milk of magnesium to prune juice to miralax to glycerin suppositories. I can not go to the bathroom without help anymore. Im 21 weeks and this is my 3rd and last baby. I never remember my other 2 being this bad. Good luck mommas.
Thank you so very much for posting this!! I am in my 22nd week and the constipation has been crazy and very real and when I do go it’s like a rabbit poop (which I don’t get at all how that’s happening). I had to “dislodge” finally and I finally felt normal again. It’s been so bad that it just adds to my nausea and my morning sickness, or anytime of the day sickness, it’s been horrible. Thank you for being brave. All the women say “pregnancy is beautiful” but I’m not seeing it LOL. Cannot wait to have the baby and be done with all of this mess that my body is going through.
Omg. This. I had the WORST constipation of my life. I’ve had 5 babies but I’ve never pushed harder nor screamed more than I did trying to go number 2. 45ml of milk of magnesia l, some blood sweat and tears (literally all 3) and a suppository attempt later, it worked …but man does it hurt to walk now. What a fiascos
This happened to me last night! I’m so curious if you felt it stuck in there because I did and when I looked it was there and making my butt enlarged! Sorry for the TMI. But it was so bad the suppository wouldn’t even go in. It finally came out in the emergency room and was literally a size of large jawbreaker. I was in so much pain and I’m so curious if anyone else has had it this bad!
Oh no!!! I’m so glad you were able to go to the hospital to get it out! The things we do for our babies. <3