Ever say to yourself, “Why can’t I poop on vacation, or I can’t poop, but I feel like I need to?”
Bowel movements are a vital part of our health. Yet, many people struggle with constipation and discomfort. Understanding your body’s mechanics can help. Rectal stretch receptors play a key role in signaling when it’s time to go. By acknowledging these signals, you can achieve better bowel movements.
In this article, we will explore constipation tips and how to improve your gut health. Let’s dive in and unlock the secrets to better bathroom visits!
When I was a little girl, my cousin Tammy and I found a half-used bottle of Cover Girl foundation in the dirt. Score!!! The makeup was probably older than us and 10 shades too dark, but we really wanted to be tan, so we slathered it on and walked around like our shit didn’t stink. I remember feeling so beautiful like the women on soap operas. ….until my Aunt Linda stepped in and told us we looked like “a couple of assholes”. Taking her literally, I thought she meant actual anuses. The longer we stared at our faces in the mirror, the more we started to see her point, especially when we puckered our lips.
Fast forward 40 years. I was Googling “rectal stretch receptors.” I was researching constipation for an article I was writing. I promise! I found a picture of me on Google Images. Yes, me! It was between an article on anal physiology and many images of rectums and anuses. There were lots and lots of them, and then me right in the middle.
Honestly, I’m proud to be in such company after reading Mary Roach’s book Gulp, …“I was talking to a physician reader, and he got to tell me about the anus, which is this amazing thing that nobody appreciates. Here’s a ring of muscle with nerves that has to discriminate between solid, liquid, and gas, and release it accordingly. He’s like, “No engineer could design something as multifunctional and fine-tuned as an anus. To call someone an asshole is really bragging him up.” ….Maybe Aunt Linda was complimenting us…I doubt it, though.
Well, well, well, look what I found in the dirt (2019). I think the Universe is testing me. I really want to glow, but I’ve learned my lesson.
Review: Why I Can't Poop on Vacation
Ignoring the urge
So to review, the rectum is highly sensitive and discriminates between solid, liquid or gas (hopefully!!!).
When nature calls, find yourself a bathroom. If you’re public bathroom adverse and chronically hold your poo, you’ll dampen the high-tech signaling that nature engineered. And you’ll lose tone in your rectum, leading to constipation and possibly a megacolon (that’s what Elvis had). This also can happen to inmates who use their rectum as a prison wallet to smuggle contraband into the prison.
Get to the bathroom within 10 minutes of feeling the urge to poo to take advantage of the natural contractions of the colon, resulting in better more thorough poops.
Why you can’t poop on vacation may be stress, even if it’s good stress, so give yourself extra time in the morning to relax. Try to establish a regular wake/sleep cycle. Bring your Poo-Pourri in case you are sharing a bathroom.
Rectocele
Another reason you may not be able to go poop but feel like you have to is that you may have a rectocele. A rectocele is when the rectum bulges into the vagina. If this is the case, some women find relief by either inserting their fingers in the vagina and pushing the recum back, or by applying mild pressure to the perineum to push the recum back. This ussually allows them to empty their bowels completely.
Tips for the public bathroom adverse crowd:
- make a nest of toilet paper on the seat if you need to. Don’t squat over the toilet. Your pelvic floor muscles won’t be able to relax in such a high squat.
- Carry a product like Poo-Pourri Before-You-Go Toilet Spray. “Spritz the bowl before-you-go and no one else will ever know!” No more trying to hide odors that are already in the air. Just spray it in the toilet before you go. It traps odors under the surface.
- If you are at work and need to leave, take a toothbrush with you. Walk to the bathroom and say clearly, but not too loudly, that you need to brush and floss your teeth. Let others know you may be gone for a few minutes. Honestly, when the stool makes it to the poop shoot and those rectal stretch receptors are activated, it shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes from start to finish. This study found that it takes mammals an average of 12 seconds to defecate. It is understandable. You would not want to stay in a vulnerable position in the wild. The scent of your waste could attract predators. You may have experienced the urgent feeling while pooping in the woods with the thought, “oh, please God don’t let a snake bite me in the ass or cougar drag me into a den with my pants down.” Nobody wants to go out like that! Even though we aren’t at risk of attack in our own bathrooms, we were designed to have a fairly quick evacuation. If it takes you longer than a few minutes, you might have tension in your pelvic floor. You may not be relaxed enough, have anal sphincter issues, dry stool, or a rectocele. Read more in my Constipation AKA Log Jam article. If it ain’t happening after a few minutes, abort the mission and try some of the suggestions in the Log Jam article. You shouldn’t have to strain. Chronic straining can lead to pelvic floor dysfunction and pelvic organ prolapse.
- Train yourself to go at the same time in the morning before you leave the house. It helps to give yourself extra time in the morning so you aren’t feeling rushed in the morning. Defecation signaling happens the best while under the rest and digest parasympathetic mode. Make your morning relaxing, layout what you will wear the night before. Rise early, before everyone else. Enjoy the quiet of the house. Take a moment for yourself. Drink some lemon water and a warm cup of tea.
You may be wondering why Google index me as an asshole? Maybe because I write about the colon and poo so much. BTW, this takes lots of online research and there are things that I will never unsee. I’ve done the dirty work so you don’t have to. You’re welcome.
(Note to self: designate a friend to erase my hard drive when I die.)
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Author: Barbara Horsley has more than 26 years of experience as a licensed massage therapist. She specializes in abdominal massage and Visceral Manipulation™ and is an NCBTMB-approved educator. In addition to being certified in abdominal massage, she also studied biomechanics and restorative exercise. She is also a Certified Women’s Herbal Educator and a graduate of the IWHI Perimenopause & Menopause Certificate Program.