I'm 37 weeks pregnant and wondering if it's normal to have cramps during a bowel movement. I have been having this for about a week now. The cramps are pretty bad and i have them almost everytime i go. Is it normal?
2007-03-04 15:39:59 · 7 answers · asked by newmom 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Pregnancy
Aww, honey I feel bad for you! I had horrid bowel cramps with my bm's during my pregnancies. A couple of times, I thought I was dying for sure! The docs and midwives always said it was due to the slower digestion during late pregnancy, to eat smaller meals, steer clear of too many dairy products (I did see a correlation with this), and try not to hold it in when the urge to have a bm hit.
The worst thing I found that aggravated it, though, was the iron supplements they advise all pregnant women to take. They constipated me horribly, and I swear I thought I might burst open from the pain when those bowel cramps hit. Labor was honestly nothing compared to those cramps! I took them during my first two pregnancies, with occasional excruciating bouts of the cramping, but in my 3rd pregnancy I told my doctor that if they were causing the problem (or just contributing even), I wasn't taking them any more. He recommended making sure to eat lots of iron-rich foods to try and keep my iron up. I even started eating beef liver (& onions) which I despised, loathed, hated with a passion, etc... Brussels sprouts too, chicken giblets, dandelion tea, all sorts of foods with high iron content. That kept my iron up nicely, although it didn't completely eliminate the cramping. Thank heavens it wasn't a constant or daily thing; it just happened occasionally, and mostly in the 3rd trimester when I was bigger and more pressure on the digestive system.
If you think iron might be causing you trouble too, make sure to discuss it with your doctor/midwife so you can determine your actual need for it. If you are anemic, or borderline anemic, cutting out supplements may not be as simple as eating some liver & onions on occasion.
You have my sympathies for your pain. But it does end eventually when the baby is born, and you will forget all about it! My youngest baby is almost 3 yrs. old now, and I haven't thought about those bowel cramps in almost that long! ;)
Congrats and best of luck!
2007-03-04 16:22:16 · answer #1 · answered by LaundryGirl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it is normal. There is a sympathetic relationship between the anus and the cervix, if one is cramping, the other does as well. This is why in early labour many women get frequent bowel movements and why you can start labour using castor oil.
Won't be much longer now...happy birthing.
2007-03-04 15:45:47 · answer #2 · answered by Midwife Jane 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I had the same thing happen. I never asked a doctor about it, just assumed it was normal.
2007-03-04 16:16:00 · answer #3 · answered by BB 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the person whether or not it's normal, in your situation it may be, but just to be sure, ask your doctor!!!
2007-03-04 15:45:58 · answer #4 · answered by mya 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, I think that was happening to me at the end of my pregnancy, but metion it to your doctor when you go in
2007-03-04 15:44:54 · answer #5 · answered by j j 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should ask your OB when u go again. I don't think it is normal. But, everybody is different,every pregnancy is different...
2007-03-04 15:44:00 · answer #6 · answered by Lulu 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yep its normal, think you will be having a baby soon sweetie!
Good luck!
2007-03-04 15:43:35 · answer #7 · answered by minimouse68 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋