Scared to pass gas in yoga Class?
Do you have dreams that turn into nightmares about finally getting back to a yoga class in a post covid world, finding yourself in down dog, walking your feet out to get a nice calf stretch and then *pft* feeling a sudden, unexpected burst of air exit your rectum?
Because if you do, you are not alone. In fact, difficulty controlling gas, also known as gas incontinence, is a common postpartum symptom. Luckily, as with most common postpartum symptoms, difficulty controlling gas is treatable and tends to improve with both time and appropriate care. So if you want to rid yourself of whatever variation of farting-in-public-nightmare you’ve been having, stick with me through today’s post.
As with all things in life, there’s no single cause of difficulty controlling gas postpartum. Three of the most common contributing factors include:
Changes to diet
Changes to activity level
Pelvic floor muscle injury during birth
We’ll tackle some things you can do to address your gassy woes below, but first let’s break down why these causes can contribute to these symptoms in the first place.
Changes to diet
Have you noticed you’ve been gassier or more bloated since giving birth? One of the biggest contributors to difficulty controlling gas is… you got it! Having gas! While having some gas is just an inconvenience associated with being human, many notice that gassiness increases postpartum. Changes to diet are often largely to blame.
Even the most health conscious struggle to maintain a balanced diet while caring for a newborn. There just isn’t enough time to cook three healthy meals a day. As a result, many fall back on quick meals and takeout. These dietary changes typically lead to increased intake of processed carbs, dairy, sugar as well as higher fat foods. Each of these changes can irritate our gut, and increasing all of these dietary factors together can lead to increased gassiness.
Everyone will respond differently to different foods, but if you notice your gassiness fluctuating, try paying attention to what you ate that day. You may notice that processed carbs don’t bother you but dairy does. Whatever pattern you find can help you avoid your triggers in order to reduce overall gas.
Another food related factor is the speed at which we eat. The bigger bites you take, the less you chew, and the faster you eat… the more air you swallow. Swallowing air leads to increased air in the gut and increased gas.
It’s not just what you eat, but how you eat it, too.
Changes to activity level
As with diet, activity levels inevitably change while recovering postpartum and learning to care for your newborn. Before we go further - let me stress that there is nothing wrong with this. Rest is important postpartum. Healing is important. It’s perfectly normal to be less physically active as you navigate this life transition and there is always time to resume physical activity when you’re ready.
With that said, this decrease in physical activity can contribute to gassiness. When we slow down, the gut tends to slow down, too. When we move and get our blood pumping, our gut starts to move as well. For this reason, decreased activity can contribute to slowing of the gut, constipation and thus increased gassiness.
Pelvic floor muscle injury during birth
Your pelvic floor muscles are the gatekeepers living between your bladder, bowels and the rest of the world. These muscles are shaped like a bowl at the bottom of your pelvis, and for those with a vagina, the urethra, vagina and rectum pierce through these muscles like three tubes. Your pelvic floor muscles have a lot of responsibilities, including being strong enough to keep pee, poop and gas in when intended and flexible enough to allow pee, poop and gas out when intended.
If these muscles are injured during childbirth, they may start to act up. Injuries to the pelvic floor during childbirth can occur during any vaginal birth or any birth that includes sustained pushing regardless of the method of birth. Pelvic floor injuries are even more common during vaginal births that require vacuum or forceps assist or an episiotomy. The most common birth injury these muscles sustain is perineal tearing.
When these muscles are injured, they may have difficulty performing their aforementioned responsibilities. These injuries can lead to weakness or spasms in the pelvic floor muscles as well as difficulty coordinating appropriate muscle contractions and relaxation. So why does that lead to difficulty controlling gas?
As gas descends through your rectum, your pelvic floor contracts to stop the gas from exiting the rectum until you decide it’s time. If the muscles are too tight, they may have difficulty sensing that gas is descending down the rectum in the first place, so you won’t know it’s time to contract your muscles until it’s too late. If the muscles are weak, you might know the gas is descending but not have the strength to hold it back. And lastly, if coordination is the problem, you might know gas is coming but as you attempt contracting your muscles, your brain and body can’t figure out how to engage them appropriately. Either way, the end result is the same. You fart when you don’t want to. Maybe in yoga class.
So what can you do to control this increased gassiness postpartum and reduce the likelihood of passing gas when you don’t want to?
Chew your food. Slow down when you eat. Eat smaller bites. The faster you eat, the more likely you swallow air. The more air you swallow, the gassier you will be.
Remember that processed carbs, dairy and sugar may irritate your gut. While some people are completely unaffected by these common irritants, others aren’t as lucky. If your gassiness fluctuates, try paying attention to what you’re eating when you’re feeling your most bloated. This may help you identify your personal irritants.
Add some movement into your day. Going on a couple walks a day. They don’t need to be long, but consistency is important. When you get moving, so do your bowels.
Manage any underlying constipation. Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water and try adding some fiber to your diet. Consider adding some chia or flax seeds to your breakfast! You can also consider talking to your provider about adding a magnesium supplement to your diet. Learn more about managing constipation here.
If constipation seems to be a factor for you, consider daily bowel massage. This might be something you’ve heard of in reference to your baby, often called the I love you massage. Bowel massage can also help manage adult constipation! Watch this video below for a quick bowel massage tutorial!
6. Address underlying pelvic floor muscle imbalances. If your muscles are weak, strengthen them. If they’re tight, work on pelvic floor relaxation. If coordination is your problem, start there. If you’re not sure which camp you fall into, check in with your local pelvic floor physical therapist to gain a better understanding of what’s going on with your body or check out our self assessment webinar, here.
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This post was written by Dr. Rebecca Maidansky, PT, DPT, owner and founder of Lady Bird Physical Therapy. Rebecca is a pelvic floor physical therapist in Austin, TX and founded Lady Bird Physical Therapy in 2019. She is the creator of Birth Preparation and Postpartum Planning, Baby Steps Fitness and the head writer and editor of The Pelvic Press.
Rebecca is a passionate writer and vocal advocate for pelvic health and the importance of improving access to perinatal care. She believes strongly that many common pregnancy pains and postpartum symptoms can be eased or even prevented with basic education and care.
She created this blog to help all birthing people manage common pregnancy pains, prepare for birth and recover postpartum.