Constipation. If your back passage (bowel release and anorectal action) isn’t working well, nothing else in your pelvis (bladder, intimacy, pelvic organ support and core strength) will be working well. So, brace yourself, let’s talk constipation!
Do you enjoy a consistent, full, complete and satisfying bowel movement every morning? BMs should be a minimum of every 2 - 3 days and a maximum of twice daily. You should never need to rush, have skidmarks in your undies or loose stool without you knowing or before you’re ready. Ever. The stool should be firm but not dry or very cracked, smooth but not sticky and medium-sized to pass with comfort. It should be brownish, of a consistent smell and without mucous or blood. It shouldn’t be painful to release your stool nor should you bear down. Hemorrhoids can come with pregnancy or stress, but shouldn’t be persistent. You should be able to travel or change your routine without upsetting your BMs. Your bowels are meant to digest your food and drink, transfer nutrition to your body, then get rid of the waste. It’s a beautiful system!
How does it actually work? When you take that first warm drink in the morning, the sphincter between the esophagus (food tube) and the stomach sends a signal to the rectum that today’s food is en route. Yesterday’s waste is nudged along the colon, down the digestive tract and into the rectum. The sphincter at the end of the rectum opens up. Counterintuitive? Stool has just landed and it opens up to take a sample. It checks if it’s gas, liquid or solid. If it’s gas, it nudges you. If it’s liquid, it slams shut and gives you to signal that you need to move! If it’s solid, it shuts firmly and gives you the message, “Time to go to the toilet”. Don’t delay. It nudges, you calmly go.
Toileting habits are important. Sit comfortably and relax. Your knees should be slightly higher than your hips, supported on a stool or block. Breathe into your belly and sense your pelvic floor softening, descending, and the sphincters opening up to let stool pass. If you have the urge to push, don’t! Just breathe into your belly and do a bass hum, low growl or pursed lip out breath to protect your pelvic floor. Keep allowing your system to release and let go. Don’t stop the stool until your body says you’re done. Then belly breathe again, rock your pelvis and enjoy a few moments of quiet. When you’re sure you’re done, do a few gentle pelvic floor squeezes to help clear the anus so that wiping is gentler and more complete.
You can support your digestive system. Keep hydrated, drink mostly water, and enjoy a drink of warm water with tooth-brushing to help your stool stay hydrated overnight. Be cautious with fibre, adding a little at a time. Pay attention to the foods that your body finds a problem - what makes your stool too solid and/or what makes it too loose? What gives you gas? You’re unique, so learn about you. Support your system with a heated wheat bag and a massage. Help your system release its waste products after all the work it’s done for you. Depending on your issues, there are specific techniques, stretches, breathing patterns and habit changes that will help you enjoy lovely BMs that support your health.
If you have specific problems with your bowel release, a pelvic physiotherapist can provide you with an internal and external assessment and treatment plan just for you. Your digestion, bladder, pelvic organ support and intimate life will thank you!