Does pregnancy make you poop

6 Pregnancy Symptoms - Early Signs of Pregnancy That'll Surprise You

When you’re trying to conceive, the waiting period between when you ovulate and when your period is due can seem endless. And, while you can take a pregnancy test at some point, there’s a set period of time where it’s just too early to know.

Still, it’s completely understandable that you’d want to know if you’re pregnant ASAP. Luckily, there are a few signs that could clue you in. Every woman is different, making it tough to say for sure what your early pregnancy signs may be, but there are some things that tip you off that you may have a bun in the oven.

Pregnancy Symptom #1: You're peeing more than usual

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During the first trimester of pregnancy, a woman’s blood volume increases and her kidneys have to make excess fluid that ends up in your bladder, the Mayo Clinic says. As a result, you have to pee more than usual. Increasing levels of the hormone progesterone during this time might also make you feel like you have to go to the bathroom more often, says Jonathan Schaffir, MD, an ob/gyn at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Pregnancy Symptom #2: Your breasts are tender

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This is also due to progesterone, Dr. Schaffir says. The hormone sparks the growth of mammary glands in the breast. The pain or tenderness you may feel is from those glands swelling up.

Pregnancy Symptom #3: You're wiped out

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Most women feel tired at some point in their pregnancy, but the reason behind it isn’t totally understood. It could be due to the fact that growing a little human is tough on your body, or the increase in blood volume, or the fact that it’s tough to get a good night’s sleep when you wake up during the night to pee, says Christine Greves, MD, an ob/gyn at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies. “Sometimes, an overwhelming feeling of fatigue is one of the earliest signs of pregnancy,” she adds. (If it turns out you're not expecting, mention extreme fatigue to your doctor—feeling tired all the time is a symptom of other health issues.)

Pregnancy Symptom #4: You’re nauseous

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When you’re pregnant, your body produces a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), which continues to rise during the early stages of your pregnancy, Dr. Greves says. This hormone usually makes women feel nauseous—but not for long. “Since the level of this hormone tops out at about eight to 10 weeks of gestation, this is when most women have the worst nausea before it starts to improve,” Dr. Schaffir says

Pregnancy Symptom #5: You're not pooping as much as usual

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The hormone progesterone relaxes smooth muscles in your body, including the ones in your gut that move food along in your intestinal tract, Dr. Schaffir explains. “Since the time it takes for food to get from your mouth to your rectum is increased, more water is absorbed and stool becomes harder to pass,” he says.

Pregnancy Symptom #6: You suddenly have food aversions

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Food aversions are a weird side effect of pregnancy that make you nauseous or dislike foods that you’d normally eat otherwise—especially if they’re flavorful. There’s no scientific reason why this happens to a lot of women during pregnancy, but it could be that it helps women avoid foods that could be dangerous for the pregnancy. “Since blander foods are less likely to have chemicals that could affect pregnancy, a sensitivity to strong tastes and odors could prevent exposure to such chemicals,” Dr. Schaffir says. Still, every woman’s aversions are different, so it’s really hard to say what’s behind this.

Don’t get discouraged if you don’t have any of these symptoms—it doesn’t mean you’re not pregnant. “By far the most common first sign is being late for a period,” Dr. Schaffir says. So, try to wait things out and take a test when you miss a period—it’s really the most reliable sign there is.

Korin Miller Korin Miller is a freelance writer who lives by the beach.

All the Ways Your Bowel Movements May Change

Pregnancy takes your body through a lot of changes, so at times you won’t feel like yourself. But while some pregnancy issues are expected — a growing bump, morning sickness, and moodiness — changes in your bowel activity might come as a surprise.

Granted, pregnancy poop isn’t the most exciting topic to talk about. But knowing what to expect can remove the element of surprise and settle worries when the unexpected does occur.

First thing about pregnancy poop: There may be times when it doesn’t seem to be happening at all. Constipation is having fewer than three bowel movements a week. To be fair, irregularity can happen anytime, whether you’re pregnant or not. But it’s a complaint that affects a lot of pregnant people.

Different factors contribute to constipation, such as too little fiber, inactivity, or eating foods that don’t agree with you. When it occurs during pregnancy, though, it’s often due to an increase in the hormone progesterone.

This hormone slows muscle contractions in the intestines. And when muscle contractions slow down, your bowels don’t flow as freely or as easily.

Symptoms of constipation include hard, dry stools, bloating, and straining. You may also have gas or stomach pain, which is probably the last thing you want to deal with when pregnant.

The good news is that constipation can be an easy fix. Drink plenty of fluids, especially water, to help soften stools so that they’re easier to pass. In addition, add more fiber to your diet. This includes eating more vegetables and fruits.

A stool softener might help severe constipation, but be sure to talk with your doctor first.

Blood on the tissue after wiping can send you into a state of panic. But don’t think the worst.

Seeing some blood in your stool or on the toilet paper is another common pregnancy occurrence, especially if you’ve been dealing with constipation.

Constipation isn’t only physically uncomfortable, it can also lead to straining. This can cause small rectal tears (fissures) or swollen veins (hemorrhoids). Both can cause bleeding from the rectum — usually a small amount of blood that appears pink or bright red.

Hemorrhoids and anal fissures can heal on their own. But to prevent the occurrence of new ones, take steps to avoid constipation and don’t strain.

Even though fissures and hemorrhoids are common, you should always notify your doctor of bleeding during bowel movements. Bleeding is sometimes due to other issues in the digestive tract — more so when blood appears black or tarry.

Be mindful that eating certain foods can also change the color of your stools, making them appear red. This can happen after eating beets or foods that contain red or black food coloring.

Fluctuating hormones during pregnancy can also cause loose or watery stools. Diarrhea occurs as your body produces the hormone relaxin. This hormone is only released during pregnancy.

It prepares your body for labor and delivery by loosening your joints and ligaments. The problem, though, is that relaxin can also loosen the joints around your rectum, causing bouts of diarrhea.

For the most part, mild diarrhea isn’t serious, but it’s important to stay hydrated and drink plenty of fluids.

Contact your doctor if you have more than three loose stools a day, or if you have other symptoms such as:

blood or mucus in your stools
weight loss
stomach pain
fever

Speak with your doctor before taking any over-the-counter medications to treat loose stools.

Interestingly, the color of your stools can also change during pregnancy. Normal stools are usually light to dark brown, but during pregnancy, your poop could turn green.

Again, don’t be alarmed. A lot of times this is triggered by an increase in fiber intake, or more specifically, eating more vegetables and leafy greens. Good for you if you’ve increased your healthy food intake during pregnancy!

If you’re taking prenatal vitamins or an iron supplement, both have also been known to change the color of poop from brown to green. You may even have green bowel movements if you take a prescribed antibiotic while pregnant.

Your stools will return to a normal color after you stop taking certain vitamins and medications.

But although green poop is normal and doesn’t usually indicate a problem, talk with your doctor if you have any concerns. Sometimes, green poop is due to an infection, gallstones, food poisoning, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Very dark stools can also occur during pregnancy. Notify your doctor if you notice black or tarry poop. Again, although food dyes can turn stools dark, a dark color can also signal bleeding in your digestive tract.

When you tell friends and family that you’re expecting, some will see this as an invitation to share their own pregnancy story — the good, the bad, and the ugly.

And when it comes to actually having the baby, you may feel it doesn’t get any uglier than losing your bowels during delivery. In fact, this might be your greatest fear.

But the truth is that pooping during delivery is common, and it’s nothing to be ashamed or worried about. (It doesn’t happen to everyone, so you might be worrying about nothing.)

The muscles you use to bring life into the world are the same muscles you use during a bowel movement. So yes, it can happen. Just know that you wouldn’t be the first mother to poop during delivery, and you won’t be the last.

If it makes you feel any better, the hospital prepares for this possibility. A nurse will swiftly clean it up — as if it never happened.

But if you’re still concerned about this, you can try and relieve yourself before you’re ready to push. Ask your nurse or doctor if it’s safe to take a suppository. These often trigger a bowel movement within minutes.

After a vaginal delivery, it’s only normal to be a little anxious about the first bowel movement after giving birth.

You might worry about additional soreness down below or irritating stitches if you had some tearing. Of course, this is only if you’re able to go. Pain medication you receive during and after labor can make your muscles a bit sluggish, initially causing constipation.

When you’re ready to go, taking a stool softener and drinking plenty of water and juice can make your first poop after delivery easier.

It also helps to have a pain reliever on hand, and maybe witch hazel cleansing pads, to reduce burning and inflammation. The important thing to remember is don’t strain.

Let things flow naturally to avoid hemorrhoids and anal fissures, which can cause more pain and discomfort.

Pregnancy poop may not be something you want to talk about, but it’s something you need to think about.

Pregnancy can affect every part of your body, so expect your bowels to go through some changes, too. Keep in mind that every pregnancy is different. The key is knowing what to expect, so when changes do occur, you’re not caught completely off guard.

If you have any concerns, talk to your doctor. They’ll be able to help figure out the cause.

I am pregnant and often go to the toilet to defecate: is this normal?

Surely many of you have wondered if it is normal to go to the toilet a lot during pregnancy. . As all pregnant women know, during the 9 months of pregnancy, multiple changes occur in the body. One of them may be an increase in the number of visits to the toilet.

As we will see in this post, There are several factors that can change the habit of going to the toilet during several months of pregnancy. . It could be hormones, a food intolerance, or even a virus. In the following sections, we'll talk about pregnancy and toileting.

Index

1 Is it normal to poop a lot during pregnancy?
- 1.1 Reasons for frequent trips to the toilet
2 Should I go to the doctor for an assessment?

Is it normal to poop a lot during pregnancy?

This is one of the most repeated questions among pregnant women in this situation. An increase in the number of visits to the toilet during the months of pregnancy is not as common as nausea, heartburn or even constipation.

Such episodes An increase in the number of bowel movements usually occurs in early pregnancy. More precisely, in the first and third trimesters.

Reasons for frequent trips to the toilet

If you are pregnant and in a situation where you constantly have to go to the toilet to defecate, this is It is important that you know what the underlying causes might be which cause this situation.

The first one is associated with changes in the body, they directly affect certain organs responsible for digestion, such as the stomach and intestines.

Another common cause is hormonal changes in pregnant women . At the beginning of pregnancy, estrogen and progesterone levels rise, which allow the woman's body to adapt so that the fetus grows properly. But when you suffer from this increase, it can lead to muscle relaxation and reduced intestinal absorption, leading to diarrhea.

Changes in diet during pregnancy can also lead to repeated visits to the toilet. . By incorporating new fiber-rich foods, such as vegetables and fruits, into your diet, the body needs time to adapt, and diarrhea appears, as in the previous case.

Consideration should also be given to the intake of prenatal vitamins or supplements to accompany a healthy diet. . It is important that you manage adequate intake of these compounds for you and your child. Emphasize that some of these vitamins or supplements act directly on the digestive system and may affect the consistency of your stool.

Food intolerances or infectious diseases are two other reasons to consider if you have frequent bowel movements during pregnancy. . Intolerance to certain foods, such as dairy products, directly affects digestion and therefore stool. On the other hand, diarrhea can be caused by a virus or bacteria in the stomach and cause you to go to the toilet more often.

Should I go to the doctor for an evaluation?

Diarrhea during pregnancy is not something serious, in most cases it resolves very quickly in pregnant women. If you see that this situation lasts more than one or two days and is accompanied by other symptoms, it is advisable to contact the clinic. for evaluation.

Some of the symptoms You should know that, apart from diarrhea, there should be no fever, pain in the abdomen, cramps. stomach cramps, blood in stools, dehydration or incessant vomiting.

Before the slightest suspicion of how you feel, do not hesitate to contact a doctor you trust. Even if you don't have any of the above symptoms, you must remain calm so that neither you nor the baby gets hurt.

Remember to eat a balanced diet, avoid junk food, wash your food well, drink plenty of water, don't eat raw food and, above all, stress.

“My 13 year old son killed my daughter.” What is it like being the mother of a sociopath?

Emily Webb,
Outlook, BBC World Service

October 13, 2018

Image caption,

Ten-year-old Paris plays with his two-year-old sister Ella

Does unconditional love exist? When Charity Lee's son killed his sister, family life changed forever. Only one thing remained unchanged - she was still the mother of her son and loved him.

When Charity Lee was six years old, her mother shot and killed her father in their Texas home. She was later acquitted.

As a teenager, Charity did well in school and sports, but suffered from mental health problems and subsequently began using drugs.

At the age of 18, she asked for help, was able to quit drugs and entered the university, where she began to study human ecology - a science that studies the interaction of man with the environment.

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"From as far back as I can remember, I've always been fascinated by why people do what they do," says Charity. "I like to figure out what makes us behave in a certain way. "

In the future, this became not only the subject of Charity's scientific interest, but also a part of everyday life. The reason is her son Paris.

"Sociopath child, no doubt about it"

When Paris was thirteen, he stabbed to death his four-year-old sister Ella.

He spent 11 years in prison and may not be released until he is fifty.

How can parents cope with the consequences of such a tragedy?

How can a mother admit that her child is a sociopath?

And how does unconditional love survive even in such a terrible situation?

Difficult start for Charity

Technically Charity did well in college. But it was still difficult for her to give up drugs. Charity explains: "I felt insignificant. Everyone repeated - if you get rid of addiction, your life will become much easier. But this did not happen. Because the pain that I drowned out with drugs appeared on the surface without them. "

After a year off drugs, Charity was still miserable. She gave herself three months to change something.

"I know it's a teenage way of thinking, but I've decided that if I'm unhappy, then I don't want to live my life anymore."

But soon Charity realized that she was pregnant, and "it changed everything."

'I don't think I've ever loved anyone this much''

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Paris was born on October 10, 1993, 16 days before Charity's 20th birthday. baby,” she wrote under this photo.

Charity named her child after the ancient Greek hero Paris.

Her emotional state after the birth of her son did not immediately become ideal. But the desire to be a mother motivated Charity to change her life for the better, primarily for her son.

Nine years later she became pregnant again. This time, Charity became the mother of a girl - Ella.

Ella, like Paris, was a very good child. Although the characters of the children were quite different. Paris was a shy introvert, while Ella is a typical extrovert, headstrong and determined.

The children got on well with each other. "Paris seemed to really love Ella a lot. And Ella adored Paris," says Charity.

"There is no reason to worry"

Charity confidently states that Paris did not cause her concern.

"He was a rather quiet child all the time. I can't say that anything bothered me. Yes, there were things that I understand now, could be signs of a future disorder. But then I thought it was just a little boy, whatever It happens".

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Paris and Ella

Charity's life has not been easy. She was not able to completely give up drugs. When Paris was twelve and Ella was three years old, she again became addicted to cocaine. For half a year.

"It was a really difficult period. I can't say that I didn't take care of my children at all. But of course, I had problems, and I paid much less attention to them. Paris at that time took responsibility and looked after for Ella."

Charity says that she did all the responsibilities of a mother, but it was difficult for her son to understand that parents are ordinary people who make mistakes. And if her daughter wanted to hug and comfort her mother, then Paris was very, very angry at Charity.

Difficult times

The children seemed to be in perfect order. But on the farm, Charity's mother had an incident that showed Paris from the other side.

Paris and Ella were playing with the girl next door and had a fight with her.

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Paris seemed like an ordinary child, but sometimes his behavior went beyond the usual

While Charity was trying to calm the girls, Paris grabbed a knife in the kitchen and ran away somewhere.

When Charity found him, the child was excited and angry, roaring and brandishing a knife.

His reaction to the quarrel was absolutely abnormal. He said he would hurt himself if Charity got any closer.

Paris was in the hospital for a week, but not a single doctor said that something was wrong with him. Charity took her son home.

"Many people will say that this was a sign that Paris was prone to violence. But that's not how I saw the situation at the time. I knew that Paris was upset about my breakdown and what was going on in our family," Charity recalls.

Charity soon stopped using drugs completely and returned to a normal life. It was 2005.

February 2, 2007

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Paris on his thirteenth birthday. Three months later he will kill his sister

"I'm not going to lie, that weekend was tough," Charity admits. At that time, she again returned to classes and in parallel worked as a waitress.

The atmosphere at home was tense. But it's common for teenagers to be dissatisfied with their parents.

Charity remembers how she said goodbye to her children that day when the nanny came.

"Ella was a confident child, she showed no signs of anxiety. But on this day she repeated: "One more hug, mother, one more kiss." She repeated this so many times that I had to linger and be late to work," Charity recalls.

Charity also hugged Paris goodbye and said, "You know I love you. We've been through much more difficult things, we'll get through this."

Charity left for work.

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Ella. 4 years

"A little after midnight, when we were closing the restaurant, the police knocked on our door: "Charity, we need to talk to you. Your daughter is hurt," says Charity.

Her first thought was to go to her daughter. She repeated, "Where is my daughter? You have to let me see her!".

At first the police said that Ella was at home, but Charity couldn't understand why they didn't send her to the hospital if she was injured.

Then one of the officers said that Ella was dead.

"It was in many ways the end of my life as I knew it before," Charity recalls.

She lost consciousness for a while. Recovering herself, she asked where Paris was and if everything was all right with him.

"Yes, he's fine. We have him," the officer replied.

"What does that mean?" asked Charity.

"Paris is one of the people who killed Ella," the policeman said.

"Then everything completely lost its meaning," Charity recalls.

How the day went

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"It sounds incredible, but my Paris was a great big brother," says Charity

Paris convinced the nanny to leave before Charity got home.

He went into Ella's bedroom, hit her, grabbed her by the neck and stabbed her 17 times with a kitchen knife.

Paris then called a friend, whom he spoke to for six minutes. When he finished talking to his friend, he dialed 911.

The specialists over the phone explained to Paris how to give his sister artificial respiration. Paris told them that he tried to do it. But later medical evidence showed that no attempt had been made to bring Ella back to life.

"When I found out that Ella was dead, it was like I was shattered into a million pieces. But when I discovered that Paris had done it, I felt like someone had collected these pieces and smashed them to smithereens. I didn't think that I can put it all back together. I just wanted to die. But I couldn't. I had Paris, "recalls Charity.

"What are you going to do now?"

Photo caption,

Charity and Paris. Photo taken by Ella

The next day, Charity came to the police to see Paris: "At first I could not control myself. But when they finally let me in, I felt happy to see my son. I cried, tried hug him and make sure everything is ok. But suddenly I realized that he didn't hug me back.

He looked at me and asked what I would do now. He said: "You always said that if someone will hurt your children, you will kill them - what will you do now? "He did not ask, he challenged me. This was the first time I saw something new in him. I knew that he was angry, but it wasn't anger. It was his dark side."

Unconditional love

Photo caption,

Charity and Paris

Paris told the police that as soon as the nanny left, they went to bed. But he woke up and saw that Ella had become a demon on fire. According to Paris, he grabbed a knife and tried to kill the demon.

For the first three months, Charity really wanted to believe that her son was seriously ill: "I looked at him and said:" I promise you the same thing that I promised on your birthday - I will do everything to be your mother and I will love you, no matter what." I wanted Paris to know that my love is unconditional. "

Paris didn't react to his mother's words for a long time.

Get to know the real Paris

Paris' behavior changed after the arrest. He became much more rude.

Image caption,

If Paris had been 18 years old at the time of the crime, he could have been sentenced to death

During the investigation, the history of his Internet searches and the gruesome details of how he killed Ella came to light.

In 2007, Paris received 40 years in prison for murder.

Charity was forced to admit that this was not a coincidence and not the result of a temporary psychosis. Paris wanted to kill his sister.

Charity has come a long way from thinking "oh my god, who is that kid?!" before realizing that this is indeed her son.

She lost 15 kilos in 13 days, she began to stutter, she felt completely empty.

Charity recalls one of her conversations with her son: “I told him that I wanted to understand him and help him. But instead of talking, he looked at me and started laughing. He said: “You know, mom, you were all just stupid . All these years you thought I was smart, pretty and artistic… You were wrong. "That was not my Paris anymore."

Why is Charity still visiting Paris?

Many friends said they couldn't understand why she still wanted to see her son.

"These nine months from Ella's murder to Paris's sentence were the worst of my life, and I hope I never experience anything like it. But I will never, ever stop loving my son."

At the same time, Charity began to fear Paris. During the investigation, it turned out that he wanted to kill not only his sister, but also his mother.

Photo caption,

Paris at the age of 15

Public condemnation

Charity not only faced her son's cruelty. After the murder of her daughter, she came under serious pressure from society - when a child did something terrible, parents are always blamed for it.

She still can't forget the day when a stranger stopped her in a supermarket saying: "Are you the woman who raised the son who killed his sister?!"

Many friends and acquaintances accused her, including using harsh insults.

Does Charity blame herself for what happened? Yes and no.

"I know that my breakdown was one of the reasons Paris was angry. And a lot of what shaped his personality is genetics. But I still believe he could have made a different choice. He didn't suffer from schizophrenia or some other serious mental illness that leaves the person no choice," she says.

Empty box

Image copyright, Getty Images

Photo caption,

Paris says his remorse box is empty

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Sociopath is a term that describes a person with an extreme degree of antisocial personality disorder.

Genetics and childhood trauma can make a child a sociopath.

Sociopath is Charity's son's diagnosis, and it took her three years to admit it.

A sociopath often disregards social norms and rules. Moreover, he is physiologically incapable of feeling remorse. If at the same time a person suffers from narcissism, then this aggravates the situation and makes him virtually unbearable for society.

Paris says, "You know Mom, I know there's got to be a box inside of me that I can open and all the guilt and remorse and worry about what I did to Ella will be there. But when I open this box, it's not there."

What is it like being the mother of a sociopath?

"I can't say I've fully accepted the fact that my son is a sociopath, but I've stopped fighting the notion.