Pre Labour Constipation

Hi there, I just wanted to share this as a warning to mothers-to-be.

If you are experiencing constipation when you are coming due I heartily recommend you rectify this, however you can - eat lots of fibre, drink KiwiCrush or prune juice, eat prunes and dates like a spoiled 10 year old with lollies galore.

I will tell you why I am serious about this. I gave birth to my first child, a lovely (and huge) boy Alaric, just two days ago. I had been constipated coming into labour but no-one seemed concerned with this. However I had to pass the poo before the baby could come out and nobody really mentioned that, nor that I could have asked for an enema.

So I spent an extra hour and a half's worth of late labour straining in pain, in the bathtub,    using a finger to pull nasty hard chunks out of my rectum. In between contractions that each pushed more crap forward. And more. And god where is it all coming from. Really NOT NICE for me or partner who has to scoop it out of the bath with a bucket and flush it.

Soon as that was out, baby was FINALLY able to start coming properly - 22 hours since start of contractions and in only one more painful hour he was out.