Things Women Don't Talk About: Part 2

Note to reader: the title of the post is a means of therapy for me. I've found that unless you have sisters, a mom you can talk to about anything, or close girlfriends, women don't usually talk about all the gross details of being a woman (and this particular post is... gross). Later topics to come.


CONSTIPATION (specifically during pregnancy)
 
Look, it happens, but you don't typically acknowledge it--anytime.  And while I heard (from one particular sister) that constipation can occur when you're pregnant, I was not prepared for the pain and discomfort.  Let's face it, there is a certain level of discomfort (and some intermittent pain) that comes with pregnancy anyway.  Don't get me wrong, this is a beautiful experience, but wowza--my body is a-changin', and not without a fight!!  Ligaments stretching??  Owwwww!!!!
 
So back to my backed up bowels... oh dear.  I felt bloated from about the day after I got a positive on the HPT.  But add some minor (ha! MAJOR) blockage to the digestive tract, and any bloating I felt up until this day was a tease.  I had morning sickness like many of my pregnant friends have (not all, you lucky ducks!)  but I honestly think that my sickness lasted as long as it did because I was so constipated!
 
Now, if you must know--though you probably don't care--I've been constipated before.  When I was 12, I got sick frequently, missed school, missed the Phantom of the Opera (that's another post for another day) and went through several tests with my pediatrician before being deemed "severely constipated." Awesome.  She said my bowels were rock hard, and since the food had no where to go, it explained why I vomited so often.  And when the laxatives, diet and enema didn't work, we tried more laxatives.  My mother cried the day I pooped.  Then every day for the next six years or so (I wish I were exaggerating), she asked me if I had pooped.  Sheesh!
 
So this particular "condition" is not so new to me, but being pregnant, I couldn't use all of the previous methods of relief, shall we say, that I had used before.  If you need a quick fix, let me know... there's a magical drink out there that you can down quickly that will prove fast results.  But being pregnant, it's not safe to use.  Stool softeners are okay though, and I took many.  And a suppository.  Too much information?  Sorry!  But I think it's good to be honest about this, and maybe you have no one else to share with.  This is a safe place.
 
Once I found the relief I needed, I was a much happier Prego.  The bloating subsided, I slept better, and I got sick less often.  I really have to pay attention to my bowel movements though still, as I am prone to this condition. 
 
However, I also learned at one of my latest OB appointments that the anti-nausea medication I was on can cause constipation.  Really?!  If I had known that, I wouldn't have taken it!!  I know my body, and I would not do that to myself.
 
So there you have it.  Constipation.  Let's discuss it.  Let's commiserate together.
 
And... have you pooped today?