Editing Constipation (section)

===Postpartum women===
The six-week period after pregnancy is called the [[postpartum]] stage.<ref name=CochraneDatabase>{{Cite journal|issue = 9|pages = CD010273|last1=Turawa|first1=Eunice B|last2=Musekiwa|first2=Alfred|last3=Rohwer|first3=Anke C|date=2014-09-23|language=en|doi=10.1002/14651858.cd010273.pub2|pmid = 25246307|title = Interventions for treating postpartum constipation|journal = Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews| volume=2014 |pmc=10823348}}</ref> During this time, women are at increased risk of being constipated. Multiple studies estimate the prevalence of constipation to be around 25% during the first 3 months.<ref>Drossman DA, Corazziari E, Talley NJ, Grant Thompson W, Whitehead WE, editors. Rome II: the Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. Diagnosis, Pathophysiology and Treatment: a Multinational Consensus. 2nd Edition. McLean: Degnon Associates, 2000</ref> Constipation can cause discomfort for women, as they are still recovering from the delivery process especially if they have had a [[perineal tear]] or underwent an [[episiotomy]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Turawa|first1=Eunice B.|last2=Musekiwa|first2=Alfred|last3=Rohwer|first3=Anke C.|date=5 August 2020|title=Interventions for preventing postpartum constipation|journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews|volume=2020|issue=8|pages=CD011625|doi=10.1002/14651858.CD011625.pub3|issn=1469-493X|pmid=32761813|pmc=8094226|hdl=10019.1/104303|hdl-access=free}}</ref> Risk factors that increase the risk of constipation in this population include:<ref name=":0" />
* Damage to the levator ani muscles ([[Pelvic floor|pelvic floor muscles]]) during childbirth
* Forceps-assisted delivery
* Lengthy second stage of labor
* Delivering a large child
* Hemorrhoids
[[Hemorrhoid]]s are common in pregnancy and also may get exacerbated when constipated. Anything that can cause pain with stooling (hemorrhoids, perineal tear, episiotomy) can lead to constipation because patients may withhold from having a bowel movement so as to avoid pain.<ref name=":0" />

The pelvic floor muscles play an important role in helping pass a bowel movement. Injury to those muscles by some of the above risk factors (examples- delivering a large child, lengthy second stage of labor, forceps delivery) can result in constipation.<ref name=":0" /> Enemas may be administered during labor and these can also alter bowel movements in the days after giving birth.<ref name=CochraneDatabase/> However, there is insufficient evidence to make conclusions about the effectiveness and safety of laxatives in this group of people.<ref name=":0" />