Hello There!

Today we are talking about poo. If this grosses you out then you might want to just skim through! But this does relate to all of us :)

Do you need to strain to open your bowels? Do you have abdominal pain or bloating? Do you pass a stool less than 2 times per week? If you answered ‘yes’ then you may be constipated. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids, maintain a healthy diet with adequate fibre, talk to your pharmacist about stool softeners or fibre supplements and exercise regularly to keep your gastrointestinal system working. 

After having a baby it’s really important to adopt good toileting habits. First and foremost, don’t delay when you get the urge to poo. Delaying the urge can lead to constipation, which in turn can lead to straining on the toilet, which in turn can lead to pelvic floor weakness, incontinence, prolapse, haemorrhoids and anal fissures.  Below is a quick outline of the best toileting position, but please also refer back to the postnatal eduation class with Natalie for more information.

Get yourself into a comfortable position on the toilet so you don’t need to strain, and breath the poo out.

• Place your feet on a small stool or a book which gets your knees higher than your hips . This reduces the kink in your rectum so its easier to empty

• Lean forward slightly, resting your elbows on your knees 

• Relax through your tummy, letting it pop out. This helps to relax your pelvic floor and allow the stool to pass out

• Breath the poo out

Now this may sound weird, but if baby needing you is what’s stopping you from going to the toilet, then take baby in with you! Set up a bouncer in the bathroom or roll in the pram so baby can still be there while you go to the toilet and then you can go when you get the urge. By the time your baby is a toddler they’ll always want to join you in the bathroom anyway ;)

Standing Class

Equipment required: Resistance band, bosu ball (optional) or cushion, mat, towel

Mat Class

Equipment required: Resistance band, towel, mat