Does episiotomy during normal delivery have any effect on pooping?

Women who have experienced episiotomy will find it difficult to forget the pain caused by the episiotomy wound. Episiotomy is very painful. It not only causes great pain during childbirth, but also during the wound recovery period after childbirth, which will cause great pain to the woman's body. In order to make the episiotomy wound heal quickly, mothers should pay close attention to their body changes. Will episiotomy affect defecation?

How long does it take to defecate after a natural birth?

After a normal delivery and episiotomy, the mother's body is weak, which may cause slow gastrointestinal motility, difficulty in defecation, and even constipation. However, it is normal for bowel movements to resume 1-3 days after delivery. If it has not recovered after 3 days, it means that defecation is difficult and it may be painful, but be careful that the defecation time should not exceed 5 minutes.

Why is it difficult to defecate after episiotomy?

There are many reasons for difficulty in defecation after episiotomy during normal delivery. For example, due to endocrine changes in the body after delivery, intestinal motility weakens, and the mother's abdominal wall is loose and has insufficient contraction force. In addition, there is a lot of blood loss, sweating, and less activity after delivery. The diet is often mainly rice and flour, and the intake of vegetables, fruits and water is relatively low, so mothers often have difficulty defecation. Difficulty in defecation after normal delivery: It is mainly related to reduced gastrointestinal function, insufficient muscle contraction strength, delivery injury, unscientific diet, lack of exercise and great psychological pressure. Difficulty urinating after normal delivery: manifested by small amount of urine each time, accompanied by symptoms such as urgency, frequency, pain and incomplete urination. It is common in patients with cystitis. In terms of the factors causing it, urinary retention is one of the common complications after delivery, especially for primiparas.

The harm of constipation after episiotomy during normal delivery

After a normal delivery and episiotomy, the mother will experience constipation. The feces stay in the intestines for a long time, and the water is absorbed by the intestinal tract, making the stool dry and hard. It will be extremely difficult for the mother to defecate. Severe cases may cause anal fissures and hemorrhoids, which increase the mother's pain. Coupled with the pain caused by perineal lacerations during delivery, the mother will have a fear of defecation and be unwilling to defecate. This forms a vicious circle and seriously affects the mother's physical recovery.

What to do if you have difficulty defecating after a normal delivery episiotomy

Get out of bed and move around early

If defecation is difficult after episiotomy during normal delivery, the mother should be encouraged to get out of bed and move around as soon as possible, and do anal contraction exercises 1 to 2 times a day, each time for about 10 minutes. Drink plenty of water

Defecation is difficult after episiotomy during normal delivery. Postpartum mothers should drink more water. After getting up in the morning every day, you can mix sesame oil and honey and drink it with boiled water to promote defecation. Eat a healthy diet

Postpartum mothers should have a balanced diet, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, especially more fiber-rich foods, eat less spicy foods, and keep bowel movements smooth. Keep a cheerful mood

After a normal delivery with an episiotomy, the mother should usually keep a cheerful spirit and a good mood and avoid adverse mental stimulation, because negative emotions can reduce gastric acid secretion and slow down gastrointestinal motility. In addition, develop the habit of regular bowel movements.

Precautions for defecation after episiotomy during normal delivery

1. When defecating after episiotomy during normal delivery, the mother should avoid exerting force to prevent the wound from splitting.

2. When defecating, first retract the perineum and buttocks before sitting on the toilet to prevent the perineum wound from splitting. When sitting, the center of gravity of the body should be tilted to the right to avoid pressure on the wound that may cause the incision epidermis to shift.

3. Rinse the vulva with clean water after each bowel movement and wipe it dry from front to back with toilet paper to avoid bacterial infection of the episiotomy wound.