What is the opposite of constipation? Loose stools are little talked about, but quite common part of pregnancy. Pregnant women everywhere will complain about how constipated they are, but they rarely mention when they are having loose stools, either out of relief, or embarrassment.

Why do some women have loose stools? In most pregnancies, women will experience times of both constipation and diarrhea. Loose stools are obviously easier to tolerate, considering the condition doesn’t cause pain and hemorrhoids or lead to hours sitting on the toilet trying to get relief.

Loose stools in pregnancy can symbolize different things at different times. During early pregnancy, it can be a sign you are pregnant, as your uterus starts to grow and pushes out the waste. It can also be caused by your prenatal vitamin, just as constipation can be caused by the prenatal vitamin. All pregnancies and women are different.

Loose stools after the 37th week of pregnancy can signify the onset of labor. As your baby shifts and begins to drop, taking pressure off of your intestines and colon, you may begin experiencing diarrhea. It doesn’t mean labor will start that day, but it is a good sign that labor will start soon!

Some people even complain of smelly stools while pregnant. This can be caused by hormone changes and the food you eat, but it might also be caused by a virus. If you have smelly stools you should talk to your doctor. Likewise, while some women will have diarrhea throughout their entire pregnancies, if you are bothered by it, bring it up to your care provider and see if they have any options for you.

Also referred to as “hemmies”, hemorrhoids are unfortunately a common part of pregnancy for many women. They can also appear during labor and cause trouble for women after the baby is born. What is a hemorrhoid?

A hemorrhoid is an enlarged vein that develops in and around the anal canal in both men and women. They are caused by excessive pressure to the pelvic and rectal areas. As pressure increases, blood builds up in the veins causing painful distention of the veins, leading to hemorrhoids.

The pressure that helps create a hemorrhoid is generally caused by rushing to complete a bowel movement, or from constipation. Constipation is a very common problem in pregnant women both in the first trimester, as first their organs start moving around to make space for the uterus, and in the third trimester as their intestines get cramped and crowded. Because of constipation, many women get hemorrhoids for the first time during pregnancy.

Hemorrhoids often develop during labor as a woman strains and pushes her baby out. A woman is normally told to “push like your are having a BM”, which is effective in helping the baby come down the birth canal, but it often also puts extreme pressure on the veins in the area.

Once they appear, hemorrhoids can be very painful even while you are doing the simplest things, like sitting. There are different suggestions your doctor may have to help you control and ease the henorroids. Pads soaked in witch hazel, like Tucks, can be used to wipe your hemorrhoids in an effort to help them decrease in size faster and be less painful. Some women will actually place a Tucks inside a maxi-pad in their panties so that it will sit on the hemorrhoid constantly.

Another option to help with hemorrhoids is to take a “sitz bath”. A sitz bath is a type of bath where only the woman’s hips and butt sit in warm water or a saline solution. It is used for people who have hemorrhoids or other issues like a recent surgery in the rectal area.

If your hemorrhoids do not seem to be going away, or they are increasingly painful, ask your doctor or midwife if they have any further ideas for relief.

Constipation throughout the first, second and third trimester of pregnancy is a common complaint from pregnant women. Some women, however, do not know that you do NOT have to suffer through it, and that there are things that can be done to prevent it.

Early in pregnancy, constipation is caused by a change in your hormones which can make your digestive system sluggish and often uncooperative. Later in pregnancy, the constipation can be aided by the increased size of your uterus and the baby pushing down on the intestines and inner organs, not allowing as much room for food to pass.

What You Can Do
There are several things you can do to help ease or prevent the occurrence of constipation.

• Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated has been proven to help keep your system regulated, both while pregnant and not pregnant. Doctors recommend that both pregnant and unpregnant women drink at least eight glasses of water a day.

   

• Get more fiber. Fiber in your diet will help your bowel movements remain loose and regular. You can get fiber in fruits and vegetables, as well as grains. If you don’t feel like you are getting enough fiber, ask your doctor about taking a fiber supplement.

   

• Watch the calcium. Too much calcium while pregnant can cause your bowels to harden and lead to constipation. Try to avoid eating more than the recommended amount of dairy foods.

   

• Keep active. Exercise can help keep your system regulated. Keep up a walking routine, swim if you can, or lift some light weights if your doctor says it is safe.

If you are trying all this and the constipation still is not letting up, ask your doctor or midwife about the possibility of taking extra supplements or laxatives. There may be additional remedies that your provider can recommend to help bring you relief.

Being a parent is full of trial and error, as well as laughs, tears and groans. Some of those laughs, tears and groans will belong to your baby. One of the many things new moms are worried about regarding their breastfed baby’s is their baby’s poop. Is it too runny, is it the right color, does he go often enough, and is he constipated? These are all questions that new moms will find themselves asking at some point.

Solid vs. Runny
Breastfed baby stool can be all different consistencies, but it is very rarely solid and hard. Normally it is thin and runny, runny enough that many will wonder if their baby has diarrhea. Most of the time the answer is no, however if seems runnier than normal or gets a very distinct smell to it, you should call your pediatrician to make sure it is normal.

Coloring
The normal color of breastfed baby poop is a mustardy yellow color. However early on when mixed with meconium it can be dark black to any shade of green. Once the meconium is gone it is likely that your baby’s stool will change shades if you eat a large amount of a food or a food that is heavily colored. Some say that if mom eats a lot of salad, and then nurses her baby her baby’s poop may end up green. Also, once your baby starts eating baby food his poop will probably change to reflect the food he is eating. When he eats carrots, his poop may look orange; if he ate peas it could be green. The coloring of your baby’s poop will change constantly as your baby’s diet changes and as he gets older.

Timing
Some breastfed babies will have a bowel movement with almost every diaper change. Others will have one only once or twice a day. Either one is normal for a breastfed baby. It is also common for a breastfed baby to go a couple of days without having a bowel movement. If your baby has not had a bowel movement for a long period of time and you are concerned about it be sure to call and ask your baby’s doctor.

Constipation
Newborns in general will make a lot of noise when trying to have a bowel movement. This is because they are learning how to use the muscles that control pushing and holding in the poo. Until they are proficient at controlling these muscles they may grunt and groan a lot sounding like they are constipated. As long as your baby is going on their own and it is not hard, then they are probably not constipated. If you are unsure however or worried about it be sure to ask your pediatrician at your next well-check.