foods for constipation (sorry TMI!)

[blinkybaby]

Is anyone else suffering from constipation? I'm so worried I'm gonna get the dreaded piles - not really sure what else I should be eating to get my bowels moving - I have severely cut down on bread and white rice/pasta, eating ryvitas instead, trying to get a selection of fruits and veg into my diet but I was just wondering if there is any specific fruits/something else that would work? And anything apart from bread that I should be avoiding specifically? I hate feeling so bloated all the time, it's not nice!

Thanks

xxx

 

[EmyDra]

Ditto, I posted about this earlier. Ugh it's awful - I was bloated for about 90% of first tri too.

Only advice is keep it up, lots of liquid and try eating less until you feel cleared up. I feel a LOT better than 24 hours ago but still a bit bunged up. Unsuprising when you think about where your stomach and intenstines have to go to make space for baby!

 

[Zoya]

I think apart from eating veg,fruits,drinking lots of water...its best to tell this to your doc as I told my doc and she gave me magnesium which is orange flavored powder so I have to mix it in water and drink it.
This is a wonderful help for me so you can also try this or first ask your doc
hope you feel better soon.

 

[Neateye]

Hi girls ... sorry for jumping in from 1st tri Iv been reading up on natural remedies for constipation/gas/bloating, as iv been having a classic bout of very painful gas. lol TMI

Prunes and prune juice definetly give some relief. Also drinking warm water with half a lemon also tends to loosen the bowls. Im not sure if you are a cereal fan but a bowl of Bran Flakes in warm milk helps me as well.

Found this info very helpful
# Regular exercise, especially squatting
# Plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet
# Drink plenty of fluids
# Drink prune juice
# Nux Vomica 6X three times daily
# When you have to go..GO! Do not delay the urge to defecate.
# Avoid straining your bowels (This will also help prevent hemorrhoids.)

Hope I was of a lil help...

 

[blahblahblah]

Dried fruit, beans, bran cereals (allbran, bran flakes etc), and brown bread/pasta/ rice all help, along with drinking plenty. Freshly squeezed orange juice is meant to help things along too. If you try prune juice, try mixing it with lemonade to make it more palatable.

 

[blinkybaby]

Thank you girls! I will ask my MW about magnesium powder. Actually thinking about it I haven't been as active this week so maybe that has something to do with it, also gonna get some bran flakes tomorrow and some prune juice. All great suggestions, off to go get myself a cup of hot lemon water now!

xxx

 

[pinkneon]

People say you should eat prunes ...

 

[roxie78]

Don't know if it would work for anyone else but I find if I have a hot drink first thing in the morning (but not one with caffeine in it) that helps. I'm suffering a bit at the moment too and I'm on Iron tablets as well which only makes the problem worse! I've been trying to drink those innocent smoothies as I'm rubbish at remembering to eat enough fruit!

 

[rubyloo]

dried fruits are great - figs, apricots, raisins (and prunes, but can't manage them personally)

lots of fibre - stick to wholegrains

lots of fluids! this is essential. later in pregnancy your need for fluids pretty much doubles.

try to avoid big meals and too much red meat which can 'block' things up a bit.

as for piles, seeing as i've had these already....sigh....i can personally recommend Germaloids cream and to help keep them at bay start slapping the vaseline on every morning after your bath/shower. honestly, it works!

 

[beccyj1979]

Heya,

I suffered terribly during my pregnancy so know how awful it can be. At one stage it got to the point where I was having to sit on the toilet for 90 minutes, being desperate to go, and still not able to.

Are you having to strain? If so, try not to - you think it is helping, but it can actually make you tighten the muscles in your bottom opening (sorry tmi) instead of relaxing them and stop anything from happening.

Try raising your feet up so that your knees are higher than your hips (use a box, linen basket, side of the bath (if your bathroom is laid out that way)) I don't know why it works, but somebody recommended it for me and it really does help!

Beccy xxx

 

[bekki_d18]

I take Lactulos when I get bunged which was given by my doctor. I also find a cup of tea works, even caffeine free for some reason. Another good one is Liquorice but it has to be natural liquorice and not like black jack sweets. Try squatting before you try to go as helps loosen you up (advice from my mum who was a nurse with constipated old people and she swears by it). Remember done force yourself if you strain too much you will get piles

 

[blinkybaby]

I think the main thing is I worry that I haven't been for a while then strain when I do go as I just want to "go" just to get things back to normal. This has been the absolute worst symptom for me, I hate it, usually when not pregnant my bowels are super healthy and I've never had a problem before so I'm at a loss. There's loads of great replies here though with lots of different things to try so I'm gonna work my way through them all, hopefully my bowels will decide to work their way through as well! (Sorry couldn't resist!...) xxx

 

[Seity]

I ate raisin bran every day for breakfast while pregnant. It seemed to help.