Postpartum Constipation After C-Section: Causes & Relief

Question
I am 29 years old, with two daughters, the oldest just turned 4 and the youngest will be 2 in a few months. The first day of my last period was Jan 23rd (I'm not pregnant). I had an emergency C-section with my first daughter in Feb 2001, and an elective one with my second in April 2003. Ever since the birth of my first daughter, I've suffered terribly from constipation, what I'd consider chronic. My doctor has had me on more fiber, which occasionally helps and also Zelnorm (for IBS, possibly). It helped for awhile, then pretty much it didn't after a few weeks. I have some rectal bleeding which started at the end of my 1st pregnancy. A few years back, my family practice doctor checked me for internal hemmroids, which I had. I took a suppository, but it didn't do much good. Four years after all of this has started, I'm still having problems with the constipation and bleeding, which I figure is from the constant straining and possible hemmroids, if I still have them.  (the bleeding doesn't occur all the time). I can really see it, when I have to strain really hard. I am seeing a surgeon tomorrow to see if she reccomends a colonoscopy. I'm just curious if this could all be caused by the C-sections, considering it's a major abdominal surgery. I never had problems before, but its been consistent for four years. I have lived a very sedentary lifestyle since having kids, my diet, including drinking water has been poor. I've just joined a gym and am trying to change my diet to see if that is a main culprit as well. I just don't want to have an unnecessary procedures if I don't have too. I would think if I had something serious, like colon cancer, that after four years, we would know that something was seriously wrong. Since it started after I had a c-section, I was hoping you can give me some insight on this.

Thanks,
Tara

Answer
The problems may be due merely from being pregnant, not from having a cesarean section. There is an increase in hemorrhoids during pregnancy and the changes in bowel habits are due to the changes that occur during the pregnancy, not due to having had a cesarena section.