Bowel Incontinence diagnosis?

Body: 

I am new and so glad I found this forum. had my first baby 3 months ago and had a third degree tear. I am still experiencing pain, pressure, and worst of all, some mild fecal and complete gas incontinence. Bowel movements are also still quite painful. As embarrassing as it was, I mentioned it to my obgyn and he did a manual rectal exam. He said the muscles feel tight to him and basically that I don't have any physical problem that could be causing my symptoms. I want to know if problems with the anal sphincter can always be detected just by feeling the muscles by hand or if my doctor could have ordered some other tests. I am only 29 and plan to have more kids and I don't want a problem to go untreated. Any advice?

Hi beachmommy,
I can't help much as I'm still learning everything but like you, I'm so grateful to have found this forum - it's awesome. The only small help I can provide is as follows (but sorry in advance if its not relevant to you or you are already doing this): never strain on the toilet (I increased my nut and seed intake as advised in Christine's book), if you were examined lying down, the obgyn might not have detected if there is something else happening (e.g prolapse). Sorry, that's it! But many other members will have better advice. Just want you to know, if you do have prolapse of some sort, you can still have more children and live a healthy life.

Hi Beachmommy

Having your rectum not fully recover after the birth is very distressing. It may be that you do have some rectal sphincter damage. I thin you are going to be a better judge than the doctor of whether you should or should not have the symptoms that you certainly have. It doesn't sound like he was much help. Anal sphincter repair is not minor surgery, and you might not end up with a better result. It is also in a very germy place, so infection is a big worry. Don't even think about that now.

You are only 3 months pp. Your body has another 21 months or so before you can really say that post pregnancy recovery is complete. I would simply manage the anal incontinence now in the best way you can and reassess in a couple of years. Also, one woman's minor soiling/drag marks is another woman's major continence issue. One woman's passing regular wind is another woman's deep 24/7 embarrassment. It is hard for me to know just how bad it is for you. That is not making light of your symptoms. It is just stating it as it is. Your body has undergone major changes with pregnancy, labour and birth. We live in a world where pee and poo are taboo substances. How we relate to stuff our body releases periodically will be a major determinant of how much these changes stress us out. It may be a permanent change. It may improve. I suggest that you Just take it day by day and figure out how to manage it for now, and enjoy your baby's first year.

Louise

If you have the physical structures in place (like your doc seems to think) then maybe you have some lasting nerve damage from the tear. You could just be missing the messages...What do you think? The pain could be from scar tissue as well.

The only thing I can offer is something I do to ward off any sort of constipation. I made myself a smoothie almost every morning. With about 2 to three cups of raw spinach, 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup of frozen berries, and some frozen sweet cherries, 1/2 banana and some water. Put it all in a high speed blender. This concoction is like taking an enema and I never have to strain on the potty. I wish you well. I am new here. I have uterine prolapse and possibly some rectal issues, as I feel like I have to go to the BR a lot. ugh. I'm 47 with two children. I only wish I found this site years ago.