Pregnancy & Colon Issues: A Doctor's Perspective

Question
Dr. Sriram,

I really appreciate you taking medical questions about pregnancies.  It is very embarrassing to talk about this first part to somebody, but here it goes.  There are two parts to this problem...I want to have kids, but I have a colon issue.  I have had it since i was a little girl.  It has gotten a heck of a lot better now that I am older.  When I was a child i only had a bowel movement ever week to a week and a half.  I was constantly in the Emergency Room.  Now, I do go every 3 days, but it is still very painful and most of the times my muscle doesn't want to contract and I have to literally push for about 30 minutes until i get light headed.  The second problem with wanting to have children is I also have double scoliosis.  I want to know if these two things will prevent me from carrying any children or what I can do, and what if it is twins.  My family is prone to twins:P.  I do not want to put my body though anything else that it may not be able to handle.  There may be a third strike to this as well.  I was a preemie at only 7 months when I was born.  I did have a doctor here in the states that told me I could or could not have a breathing problem later in life.  I just wish doctors here could give me straight answers and stop telling me that they cant help or they dont know....:(

Answer
Let me takes your questions one at a time.

1. Constipation: This is a difficult problem to manage and is known to cause many problems. Worse constipation is aggravated by pregnancy. But it is also a simple problem to manage by using stool softeners and bulking agents. And constipation per se does not affect your ability to carry a child.Although it can make pregnancy difficult.

2. Double scoliosis: This is very problematic. Because there must be adequate space withing the abdomen for the uterus to grow. Scoliosis usually affects the thorax but even then it will compromise the space available. Therefore although I want to reassure you by saying that pregnancy may be possible, the actual chances of carrying a pregnancy till term will be difficult and the pregnancy is likely to be complicated.But once again I will like to add that there is nothing hard and fast in medicine and anything is possible. So do not consider my answers as some gospel truth and I hope that I am wrong for your sake.

3. I am sorry I did not get your third question.