We know: You already think about number two way more than you’d like. But if you often feel blocked up, this potty talk could bring you the relief you need.
Almost nothing is sacred in new-mom conversations: leaky boobs, C-section scars, stretch marks, the dread of having sex again. But there’s one side effect that even oversharers usually view as TMI. “No one talks about the fact that constipation is one of the worst complications of having a baby,” says Jennifer Wider, M.D., a women’s health expert in Fairfield, Connecticut, and author of The New Mom’s Survival Guide. “I had no idea how painful it would be, and I’m a doctor.”
在新妈妈的对话中几乎没有什么是神圣的:漏了的胸部，剖腹产的疤痕，妊娠纹，还有再次做爱的恐惧。但有一个副作用，甚至是过度分享者通常认为是TMI。“没有人会说便秘是生孩子最糟糕的并发症之一，”医学博士珍妮弗·布洛德说。她是康涅狄格州费尔菲尔德的一位女性健康专家，也是《新妈妈的生存指南》的作者。“我以前不知道会有多痛苦，而且我是个医生。”
For moms who have it, constipation typically begins in pregnancy, peaks after birth, drags on through the breastfeeding stage, and continues to bum us out even when our toddler is barging into the bathroom—or banging on the door. Statistics on the prevalence of mom constipation are scarce, since most people don’t seek help, but one Canadian study found that 60 percent of women experience it weekly. A staggering 90 percent say it happens at least once a month.
对于有这种症状的妈妈们来说，便秘通常始于怀孕，出生后达到高峰，在母乳喂养阶段持续下降，甚至当我们蹒跚学步的孩子闯进浴室或砰砰地敲门时，也会继续让我们精疲力竭。关于母亲便秘患病率的统计数据很少，因为大多数人都不寻求帮助，但是一项加拿大的研究发现，60%的女性每周都有这样的经历。令人吃惊的是，90%的人说每月至少会发生一次。
The problem is easy to brush off, especially when you’ve got so much else to deal with. But remember: The issue isn’t just that you’re not pooping—it’s also that you’re stomaching constant discomfort. And no matter how busy you are, you deserve to feel better. What’s more, if you don’t find ways to treat your constipation and then get pregnant again, you could easily develop a chronic issue that’s much harder to fix. We promise, these strategies will help make things come out all right.
这个问题很容易被忽略，尤其是当你还有很多事情要处理的时候。但请记住:问题不仅仅在于你没有便便——而且你还在不断地忍受着不适。不管你有多忙，你都应该感觉更好。更重要的是，如果你没有找到治疗便秘的方法，然后再次怀孕，你很容易就会发展出一个更难解决的慢性问题。我们保证，这些策略将有助于使事情顺利进行。
1. Fill up on fiber
1.多吃富含纤维的食物
Yep, Grandma has it right. Consistently eating beans, bran cereal, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables can prevent and relieve constipation. The average woman needs 25 grams of fiber daily (30 grams during pregnancy), but most people get only about 15. “I lived on prunes and prune juice postpartum and they worked,” says Dr. Wider. (Find prunes embarrassing? Chin up: They’re now individually wrapped and labeled “dried plums,” so you can discreetly throw a few into your diaper bag.) Studies show that eating two or three of them is as helpful as taking a laxative. Not only are prunes high in fiber (1 cup provides 12 grams), they also contain sorbitol, a sugar alcohol that has a natural laxative effect.
是的，奶奶说得对。坚持吃豆类、麸谷类、全谷类、水果和蔬菜可以预防和缓解便秘。女性平均每天需要25克纤维(孕期30克)，但大多数人只有15克。“我在产后一直吃西梅干和梅子汁，他们对于便秘很有效，”布罗德博士说。(找到梅干尴尬吗?Chin up:他们现在单独包装并贴上“干李子”的标签，这样你就可以小心翼翼地往你的口袋里扔几个。研究表明，吃两到三个就像服用泻药一样管用。梅干不仅富含纤维(1杯提供12克)，还含有山梨醇，具有天然的通便作用的糖醇。
2. Drink lots of water
2.喝足够的水
Then have more. When you’re nursing, some of the water that would normally go straight to your colon—to help food keep moving—gets used for milk production. Without the water it needs, your colon soaks up the fluid left in your food waste, resulting in harder stools that won’t budge. So if you’re breastfeeding, aim for ten to 12 glasses a day instead of eight, says Christy Dibble, D.O., director of the Center for Women’s Gastrointestinal Health at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, in Providence. This advice is also important if you’re upping your fiber intake. Without extra water, fiber can actually make constipation worse and cause gas, bloating, and reflux.
当你在哺乳时，一些原来会直接进入你的结肠的帮助食物保持流动的水——被用于奶水生产。如果没有水，你的结肠会吸收食物残渣中残留的液体，从而导致排便更加困难。所以，如果你正在喂母乳，每天要用10到12杯，而不是8杯。如果你的纤维摄入量多，这个建议也很重要。没有多余的水分，纤维反而会使便秘更严重，导致屁多、腹胀和反流
3. Work out
3.适量运动
“Physical activity increases blood and oxygen flow to all organs, including the gut, which is why sedentary people have higher rates of constipation,” says Toyia James-Stevenson, M.D., a gastroenterologist at IU Health in Indianapolis. It’s hard to fit in exercise when you’re sleep deprived and on 24/7 mom duty, but you don’t have to run a marathon to see results. Pushing a stroller or a playground swing counts, as does gentle stretching. Your goal can be getting off the couch as often as possible.
“体力活动增加了所有器官的血液和氧气流量，包括肠道，这就是为什么久坐的人会有较高的便秘率，”Toyia jams - stevenson, M.D.说。他是印第安纳波利斯IU健康中心的胃肠病学家。当你的睡眠被剥夺了，并且在妈妈的职责上，你很难适应锻炼，但是你不需要跑马拉松来观察结果。推一辆婴儿车或游乐场荡秋千，就像轻柔的伸展运动一样。你的目标是尽可能的少坐多动。
4. Turn to an OTC remedy
4.吃点OTC药品
“Many options are fairly benign and very therapeutic,” says Dr. Wider. Lots of women begin with a bulking agent (essentially, fiber in powder form) like Metamucil or Citrucel. It’s a good idea to run this by your doctor before you start, as a precaution. “I have my patients take one quarter of the recommended dose, then slowly increase it to the full amount over a few weeks,” says Dr. Dibble. “If they build up gradually, they avoid the bloat and abdominal pain that sometimes come with the extra fiber.” Stool softeners such as Colace are also effective and safe. If you still need help, try a gentle laxative such as MiraLAX or Milk of Magnesia, which draws extra fluid into the intestines. (If you take one of these, be sure to drink plenty of water.) Avoid stimulant laxatives that contain senna or cascara, as they can become ineffective over time. Osmotic laxatives, such as GlycoLax, may be gentler and better tolerated, especially in pregnancy.
“许多选项是相当温和的治疗,”博士说。大量的妇女开始于膨化剂(基本上，粉末形式的纤维)，如Metamucil或Citrucel。作为预防措施，在你开始之前，最好先由你的医生来做这个手术。“我让我的病人服用了推荐剂量的四分之一，然后在几周内慢慢增加到全部剂量，”迪布尔博士说。“如果他们逐渐建立起来，他们就能避免那些额外纤维带来的腹胀和腹痛。”“像Colace这样的粪便软化剂也是有效和安全的。如果你仍然需要帮助，试试温和的泻药，比如MiraLAX或氧化镁乳，它会把多余的液体吸进肠道。(如果你吃了其中的一种，一定要多喝水。)避免含有番泻叶或卡斯卡拉的刺激性泻药,因为他们可以随着时间的推移变得无效。渗透性泻药，如乙醇，可能更温和，更耐受，特别是在怀孕期间。
5. Improve your potty posture
5.坐便改蹲便
Sitting may seem more civilized, but squatting is the most effective way to do your business. When you sit or stand, a muscle called the puborectalis creates a kink in your colon that keeps stool from sliding out. (This is helpful at work and during car pool, but not when you’ve finally managed to find five minutes alone in the bathroom.) Fortunately, lifting your feet—so that your knees are higher than your pelvis—will relax the puborectalis muscle and straighten the kink, giving your poop a smoother route out, says Dr. James-Stevenson. When nature calls, try sitting on the toilet and putting your feet on a step stool. You can also purchase a Squatty Potty toilet stool for about $25.
坐着看起来更文明，但蹲坐是最有效的方式。坐或站立时，称为耻骨直肠的肌肉在你的结肠中产生一个扭结，阻止粪便滑落。(这对工作和开车都很有帮助，但当你在厕所里坐了5分钟还没开始排便，就不太好了。)幸运的是，抬起你的脚——让你的膝盖比你的骨盆高——会使耻骨直肠肌松弛，使你的大便变得更光滑，詹姆斯-史蒂文森博士说。内急的时候,尝试坐在马桶上,把你的脚放在凳子上。你也可以花25美元买一个蹲厕马桶。
6. Time it right
6.培养生物钟
The large intestine likes a regular schedule. To move things in the right direction, take note of the time of day when you typically feel the urge, and have a meal or a snack around then, along with a little coffee or tea. No caffeine? No problem. A cup of warm water or herbal tea can also be effective. If morning seems to be your go time, try eating a high-fiber snack before bed so peristalsis can work its magic while you sleep.
大肠喜欢有规律的作息。要把事情朝正确的方向移动，每天记下你在有排便感觉的时间，吃顿饭或者吃点零食，再喝点咖啡或茶。没有咖啡因?没有问题。一杯温水或花草茶也是有效的。如果早晨是你的上班时间，那么在睡觉前尝试吃一份高纤维零食，这样蠕动可以在你睡眠的同时发挥作用。
7. Breathe through it
7.深呼吸
When you’re trying to poop, take it slow. “Spend less than five minutes or so on the toilet and try some deep breathing. The pelvic floor is actually a respiratory muscle,” says Carrie Pagliano, DPT, founder of Carrie Pagliano Physical Therapy, in Arlington, Virginia, and an American Physical Therapy Association spokesperson. “When you inhale, the pelvic floor drops, and when you exhale, it rises.” Slow, deep breathing introduces a nice gentle movement that can push poop down the road, and it helps you rediscover your pelvic muscles if you’re having trouble with sensation. Making a low humming sound or slowly repeating a mantra also helps some women.
当你试图便便的时候，慢慢来。在厕所里花不到五分钟的时间，试着深呼吸。位于弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿的Carrie Pagliano物理疗法的创始人、美国理疗协会发言人Carrie Pagliano说:“骨盆底实际上是一种呼吸肌肉。”当你吸气时，盆底下降，当你呼气时，它会上升。"缓慢的深呼吸会带来一种温和的运动可以将粪便推下去，它会帮助你重新发现你的骨盆肌肉如果你的感觉有问题的话。发出低沉的嗡嗡声或慢慢重复咒语也能帮助一些女性。
8. Rub it down and out
8.腹部按摩
If you know where to apply the pressure, abdominal massage can be a simple and effective way to stimulate a bowel movement, says Dr. Pagliano. A physical therapist can teach you, or you can use how-to videos on YouTube (search for “abdominal massage for constipation”). Your fingers should follow the path of the colon itself: Press over the hip bone on the bottom right, move up across the belly to just below the rib cage, go down again toward the left hip bone, then back to the belly button, and finally straight down to the pubic area. For best results, perform the massage directly before or after a meal.
帕格里亚诺博士说，如果你知道在哪里施加压力，腹部按摩可以是一种简单有效的刺激肠道运动的方法。一个理疗师可以教你，或者你可以在视频网站上用搜索视频(寻找“腹部按摩治疗便秘”)。你的手指应该顺着结肠的路径:将右下的髋骨压过，越过腹部向上移动到肋骨下面，然后再向下移向左髋骨，然后回到肚脐，最后笔直向下到达耻骨区域。为了达到最好的效果，在餐前或饭后直接进行按摩。
9. Try physical therapy
9.尝试物理疗法
If leaking urine or painful intercourse accompanies your constipation, or if you don’t experience the urge to go, the muscles and nerves in your pelvis may have been damaged or traumatized during pregnancy or childbirth. You can ask your ob-gyn for a referral to a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic-floor health, or find one on your own at the American Physical Therapy Association. A physical therapist will do an assessment of your pelvic bones, muscles, and nerves, then teach you exercises that can help facilitate a bowel movement. “We often find that women are bearing down too much, which could make the muscles in the exit ramp close instead of open,” says Laurie Kilmartin, DPT, clinical specialist at the Women’s Health Physical Therapy Program at NYU Langone Health’s Rusk Rehabilitation.
如果便秘的同时还有尿液泄漏或性交疼痛，或者如果您没有去体验，则骨盆的肌肉和神经可能在怀孕或分娩过程中被损坏或受到创伤。你可以让你的妇产科医生去找一个专门研究骨盆底健康的专业理疗师，或者在美国物理治疗协会找到一个你自己的理疗师。理疗师会对你的骨盆骨、肌肉和神经进行评估，然后教你一些有助于排便的运动。“我们经常发现，女性承受的压力太大了，这可能会让出口的肌肉变得更紧，而不是打开，”纽约大学朗格尼健康组织(NYU Langone Health) Rusk康复中心女性健康理疗项目的临床专家劳瑞·基尔马丁(Laurie Kilmartin)说。
10. Get to a GI doc
10.去找肠胃医生
Sometimes constipation warrants further medical attention. If you’re experiencing a chronic mix of bloating, cramping, gas, or abdominal pain, or have alternating bouts of diarrhea and constipation, you could have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a disorder that affects 10 to 15 percent of the population. Women are up to twice as likely as men to have IBS, and symptoms are often worse during or just before one’s period. Doctors don’t know what causes IBS, but potential culprits include intestinal muscle contractions that may be too weak or too strong, inflammation, changes in gut bacteria, and poorly coordinated signals between the brain and the intestines.
有时便秘需要进一步的医疗注意。如果你正在经历腹胀、抽筋、胀气、腹痛、腹泻和便秘的交替发作，你可能会患上肠易激综合症(IBS)，这种疾病会影响10%到15%的人群。女性患IBS的可能性是男性的两倍，而症状通常在月经期或之前更糟。医生不知道是什么导致了IBS，但潜在的罪魁祸首包括肠道肌肉收缩，可能太弱或太强烈，炎症，肠道细菌的变化，以及大脑和肠道之间不协调的信号。
There’s no cure for IBS, but it can be managed with diet, medication, and therapy. “And while it’s still rare, we are seeing an increasing number of young women with colon cancer,” Dr. Dibble notes. All rectal bleeding should be brought to the attention of your doctor.
对IBS没有治疗方法，但可以通过饮食、药物和治疗来治疗。“虽然这仍然很罕见，但我们看到越来越多患有结肠癌的年轻女性，”迪布尔博士说。所有直肠出血都应引起医生的注意。
