Constipated... BAD!!

[uofpitt]

HELP! I am 8 weeks and have been having issues for about the last 3 weeks. I'm drinking tons of water, about a cup of prune juice every other day (that's all I can stand!), and a suppository every other day. None of this is really helping. I will go a VERY LITTLE after the suppository, and sometimes a small amount after the prune juice. I just constantly feel so full and bloated... Not sure what else to do! Doctor doesn't seem real concerned. Anyone else going through this??

 

[mamabearjen]

Yes I went through that from about 6 weeks till about 14 weeks it was horrible... Not only is your system much slower to process waste but the prenatals stop must women up as well. I tried so many things to help. It was even painful at times. The only advice i can offer is to cut your prenatals in half taking it 2 times in the day instead of 1 also to use some kind of fiber like metamucil...but if all else fails know that it wont last forever...my didnt

 

[ejsmom]

HELP! I am 8 weeks and have been having issues for about the last 3 weeks. I'm drinking tons of water, about a cup of prune juice every other day (that's all I can stand!), and a suppository every other day. None of this is really helping. I will go a VERY LITTLE after the suppository, and sometimes a small amount after the prune juice. I just constantly feel so full and bloated... Not sure what else to do! Doctor doesn't seem real concerned. Anyone else going through this??

Try colace and pericolace.. I had those problems..they seem better now.. My ob told me to take peri-colace first for a few things..to get things moving..then colace every other day.. I have heard of women taking milk of magnesia.. I never tried it.. If I didn't hear it from the docs mouth..it's not going in me.

Good luck..

 

[Emmea12uk]

Get it sorted now and don't leave it. Here I am at 21 weeks and it has been very bad the whole way through piles appeared quite quickly too. I have tried diet but have not been to the doc about it - stupid I know. Don't leave it like I have!

 

[kheiro]

Although I'm not a trained nutritionalist my reccomendation would be a good quality Vit C and or Magnesium citrate supplement. I started with 1000mg of Vit C and worked up to 3000mg daily to make sure that the effect wasn't too drastic The magnesium was definitely effective though. LOL I took 400 mg of that daily. Look for magnesium citrate rather than oxide though because your body will absorb up to 50% of what's in the supplement rather than 4% of the magnesium oxide.

 

[Emmea12uk]

My doctor has given me fibregel today - if drinking loads of fruit juice hasnt worked so far, will this??

 

[HungryHippo]

My doc advised a cup of prune juice in the am and one in the pm. I did this for one week - as I, too, can't stand prune juice. It really helped sort me out!

 

[BABY76]

I haven't suffered through pregnancy with constipation but have done in the passed and I've used a natural laxative called Senna. It's safe in pregnancy and breast feeding. Good luck

 

[gertrude]

diet is the key - what you eat (being high in the right fibre) can make all the difference

lots of fruit and veg, wholemeal/granary/brown bread/pasta etc, but lots of fruit and veg

 

[Adelicia]

Having Gestational Diabetes I've had to reduce the levels of carbohydrates in my diet, thereby reducing the amount of fibre I ended my with constipation as a result, and this actually caused some trauma to my anus when I finally had a poop. I can feel your pain!

I've now started adding 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed to my smoothie each morning, and this seems to have massively helped, and I'm back on track again (hurrah!)

 

[Emmea12uk]

I have the same prob - the doc told me I wasn't getting enough fibre which is rubbish. I eat only wholegrains, including rice and pasta and bread. I eat salad like a guinea pig and drink juice. Hense fibogel or whatever it is called is doing nothing

 

[gertrude]

Having Gestational Diabetes I've had to reduce the levels of carbohydrates in my diet, thereby reducing the amount of fibre I ended my with constipation as a result, and this actually caused some trauma to my anus when I finally had a poop. I can feel your pain!

I've now started adding 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed to my smoothie each morning, and this seems to have massively helped, and I'm back on track again (hurrah!)

try getting some lactulose it helps lots for me and is great in pregnancy will get around the reduced fibre issue

I have the same prob - the doc told me I wasn't getting enough fibre which is rubbish. I eat only wholegrains, including rice and pasta and bread. I eat salad like a guinea pig and drink juice. Hense fibogel or whatever it is called is doing nothing

make sure you get enough water soluble and non-water soluble fibre if it's the non-soluble stuff you have the majority of it can cause you problems

I know too much about poo and fibre I do have other things I talk about

 

[zeezee]

I can share my experiences with everyone because they have been horrific but now I am on a regime that works. I have suffered with gastro issues the whole bloody pregnancy and had 2 emergency enemas at abour 22 weeks. I am now on a regime that works that was worked out by my OB and a gastroenterologisy so I feel confident that this is not only a great regime more generally but it safe in pregnancy

First, medication. Clearly if you are as blocked up as I was and y'all seem to be a little bit blocked (poor angels, I feel your pain, I do!), you need more than just dietary control. Diet is imperative, but alone won't solve the issue if its bad. For the US ladies, the gastro peeps recommend Miralax - its a non-dependent laxative (i.e your body won't get used to it and rely on it to go when your pregnancy is over) that is safe in pregnancy. I take it twice a day, but the gastro dude said I can modify the dose up or down depending on my reaction. I disolve it in a glass of prune juice and suck it down. In addition, I take 4 colase (a stool softener) a day - this is probably more than most of you want to take, in fact for most people the miralax will be enough, but the combination of the miralax and colase is what keeps things going for me.

A warning about peri-colase, dulcolax and other laxatives including suppositories (I saw one of you mention supps and one peri-colase). These are all creating system-based reliance, meaning your body is getting used ot them helping it out and it will be harder to go when you stop taking them after the pregnancy is over. In addition, my gastro tells me (and this happened to me) that these laxatives, esp the supps can cause more problems particularly inflaming and irratiating the gastric system - I ended up with colitis (inflamation of the colon) because I was trying to solve the problem with supps.

Second, food. Some food acts as binders, regardless of its wholegrain nature etc. Foods to avoid according to the gastro: potato (boooo), rice, bread, pasta. I eat a little bit of toast (like 2 slices) every second day and sometimes some potato, but I have noticed an effect when I do. Foods to eat that I have found helpful: beans - I make "poo salad" with a tin of cannelli beans, a tin of sweet corn, some chopped celery, parsely, salt, oil, and white wine vinegar - it has an impact, hence the name Flax seeds are also awesome as someone else mentioned - you want to grind them enough that the outer shell breaks, but not grind them to a powder. Fruits etc are also great.

Hope this helps someone - I feel your pain

Z
xx

 

[Emmea12uk]

Thanks very much! I am still having trouble using fibogel. Three times now I got so desperate I used my son's micralax enemas (his bowels dint work at all). They do the trick but are not tested in pregnancy since they are pediatric. I am also diabetic so can't take softeners. I do also think I am bunged right up so until that is cleared nothing is going to work. I think I will be off to the doc for some movicol tomorrow. Another of my son's meds!

 

[foxforce]

I suffer and have from early on, I used Fybogel which worked but not a pleasant drink I didn't think, tastes ok but the texture is awful.
I got some prunes and had one and it worked! They don't taste too bad, so every time I can't go in one day i'll have a prune or two before bed and by morning I'm good to go!

I really recommend you try them

 

[Emmea12uk]

I have senna & glycerol now, and fibogel!

 

[lynz85]

for me those little activia or whatever they are called really help. One a day keep constipation away

 

[moter98]

I had this very bad during pregnancy and even before that. The thing that worked for me was Metamucil. I took it 3 times a day and that did the trick. Also, if you are not wanting to take supplements, eating LOTS of apples worked for me. I would eat 3-5 apples a day and the fiber in them must have "loosened" things up. I did this especially after labor because of the hemmorhoids. Those first BM's people said could be painful. Not for me! I ate 5 apples a day for the first two weeks and had no pain during BM's. An added bonus, apples are good for you!

 

[nemo1]

Branflakes worked miricles on me!! I suffered badly before, then put on iron tablets which made it worse, But this cereal is helping me so much. Try it.

 

[mrsaligee]

I'm using Fybogel when I can remember to take it. So far, so good but I remember how bad it got with my first baby.

All the above suggestions look reasonable to me, but not sure I could stomach prune juice. DH does a lovely prune sponge pudding though - the receipe of a famous cheeky chef, and it really is nice and normally I can't stand prunes!