Your First Poop After Birth

The short answer

Feet up on a stool. Breathe out as you go. Do not push. Drink water, eat fiber, and take the stool softener your doctor recommends. Rinse with a peri bottle after.

Straining on the toilet is one of the worst things you can do for a healing pelvic floor. Everything on this page is about not straining.

Why it is scary

Constipation is one of the most common postpartum complaints, especially if you are on pain medication. Add a sore perineum, stitches, or a fresh incision, and the first bowel movement can feel like a threat.

It is expected. It is temporary. And a little setup makes it much easier.

Do not push

Do not sit on the toilet and push. Straining puts a ton of pressure on your healing pelvic floor, and on any stitches or incision you have.

If nothing is happening, get up and try again later. Forcing it is the thing to avoid.

Feet up

Use a stool under your feet. A Squatty Potty works great, and so does any small footstool. Feet up, knees above hips. It puts you in a natural squatting position that relaxes your pelvic floor so you can go without straining.

Every postpartum woman should have one. Actually, every person should have one.

Breathe out

Your diaphragm and your pelvic floor work as a team. When you inhale and let your belly expand, your pelvic floor relaxes and lengthens. That is the state you want on the toilet.

Slow belly breaths in. Long, easy breaths out. Let go instead of bearing down.

Water, fiber, and a stool softener

Drink plenty of water, at least 64 ounces a day, and more if you are breastfeeding. Dehydration makes everything harder, including bowel function.

Eat fiber. And talk to your doctor about a stool softener if you need one. Your OB will likely recommend one. Take the one your own doctor tells you to take. It takes the fear and the strain out of that first one.

After

A peri bottle. An angled squeeze bottle that lets you rinse with warm water each time you use the bathroom, so you do not have to wipe sore tissue. Most hospitals send you home with one. If yours got lost, get another. They are cheap and they matter.

When to get help

Leaking gas or stool after delivery is more common than you think, and it responds well to pelvic floor physical therapy. So does constipation that does not improve, or feeling like you cannot fully empty your bowels, which can be a sign of a pelvic floor that is too tight.

Heavy bleeding that soaks a pad in an hour, fever over 100.4, or severe pain that is not improving means call your provider now.

Keep reading

Pelvic Floor Exercises After Birth: When to Start and What to Do

Postpartum Essentials: What to Buy Before the Baby Comes

Postpartum Recovery Timeline: The First 12 Weeks, Week by Week

Exercise After Birth: When You Can Walk, Lift, and Run Again

When Kegels Are Not Working After Baby: Tight vs. Weak

Diastasis Recti Exercises: What to Do and What to Skip

C-Section Recovery Timeline: Week by Week to Full Healing

Sex After Birth: When, Why It Hurts, and What Helps

How to Check for Diastasis Recti at Home

C-Section Scar Massage: When to Start and How

Perifit vs Elvie Trainer: Which Pelvic Floor Trainer Should You Buy?

Best Peri Bottle After Birth: Frida vs the Hospital Bottle

Best Postpartum Pads: What to Buy and How Many

Postpartum Recovery: The Questions New Moms Ask

Your First 12 Weeks After Baby

About the author

Dr. Meg Cochran is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy specializing in pelvic floor rehabilitation, a trained doula, and a mom of four. She treats women after birth through Where You Are Physical Therapy in Oxford, Mississippi.

This article is educational and is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a substitute for in-person care. Products are named as examples. Follow your own provider's instructions. For heavy bleeding, fever, severe pain, or thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, contact your healthcare provider or call 911.