Severe constipation

[mum01030408]

Probably a bit upfront for my 2nd post, but I am 26 weeks pregnant and am suffering from severe constipation.:o
I am drinking about 3 litres of water a day, eating up to 10 oranges, mandarins, and hand fulls of grapes everyday. I cant stomach prune juice - it makes me gag/vomit. I have been having Metamucil for about 3 weeks, and NOTHING is helping me.... I am not taking iron supplements, or any medications at all - just the metamucil..

I am after ANY advice, remedies, that may alleviate my problem...

Thanks in Advance..

[OJandMe]

Stop eating apples, weetbix, potatoes and bananas. Eat All Bran for breakfast, whole grain breads, and lots of P fruits.... pears, plums, peaches, they all help to keep the bowel moving. Curries are good too.

Try to 'make time' to go... pick a nice relaxed time of day, take a book with you.. try it at the same time each day.

If that doesn't work you can get some glycerine suppositories to help things out.

[StarMumma]

Try 'SenneSoft" at night before bed and "Fibregel" aswell.

Both were a god send for me when pregnant :yes:

[Benji]

I actually found that Metamucil "bulked" me up even more, and made the situation worse when I had my bub.

[mum01030408]

I have been having bran for breakfast, I eat 3 or 4 pears a day, and also still eating my mandarins and oranges(Which normally would give me the runs by themselves). I have even resorted to drinking Prune juice (250ml a day) and trying to keep that down. I am now drinking 4 litres of water a day, and going for a half hour walk everyday, I am still blocked! :crying:What is going on with my bowels???:crying:

It is driving me insane, how I would love to go to the loo and pass a normal poo that wasn't as hard as a brick!! And to be able go at least twice a week would be great too, am I asking too much?
Sorry for the whinge, just needed to get it out!

[meggs]

Hey there,
I totally know how you feel! I had the same problem in pregnancy...good news it will pass!!!

Licorice might help, lots of grapes, for some weird reason bacon and eggs worked too...keep up the prune juice or eat prunes if you dont like the juice...

HTH:)

[EquineMum]

The one thing I have found that seemed to work for me is pear juice. I drink a big glass of it every morning now (24 weeks pg), and the minute I forget or skip a day, things get "hard" again and I'm back to straining, which is a big no no! Different things work for different people, but I would say reduce the carbs as much as possible or take out "bad" carbs (change white bread to brown or wholegrain, change white rice for brown rice) and try the pear juice - but don't go overboard.

Good luck!
Kayls

:flowerz:

[*~Kate~*]

Ohhh i havent got any magic cures but i just wanted to say
big (((((hugs))))
When i was pregnant with ds3 i had it terribly and it lasted nearly a month , was awful
It will pass though ....
Best of luck , hope you get some "relief" soon

[4babycinos]

I think if yo have tried everything and nothing is working - glycerine suppositries from the chemist should definately get things going :thumbsup:

[veve]

It will pass though ....


:laughing: it will pass .. :laughing: what phrasing :laughing:

firstly .. I agree with Angike - Metamucil made things WORSE for me .. stick with food based variables ..

pears pears and more pears .. I would also head to the chemist for some help .. there ARE things you can take (stool softeners etc) that are safe when breastfeeding .. so some might be safe when pregnant ..

nothing WORSE than toilet stress :( big :hugs:

xx
Jen

[Mahjong]

You poor bugger. I found my multivitamins made me worse :(

As gross as it tastes, prune juice. The only thing that worked for me. Metamucil is like a glass of water.

[♥Heaven Sent♥]

Get some coloaxyl and senna,they are safe in pregnancy.Keep up the water intake.

I have had bad constipation for months now and its so annoying and uncomfortable.I had 2 coloxyl and senna last night and that has unblocked me good today.Metamucil,if not taken with lots of water can block you up even more.

[PunkyDiva]

flaxseed, sprinkle on cereal or use in cookies eg lactation cookie recipe on here is excellent.

Are you eating enough salt in your diet as helps body retain water.

Ask your pharmacist as there are tabs you can take, can't remember the name sorry but made from a herb/s.

[CharlisMummy]

:hugs::hugs:

If it makes you feel better, I didn't "go" for 3 months :eek:

I had Hyperemesis too, so I couldn't keep anything down that would help. I had 2 hospital trips - 1 to Emergency and 1 to Maternity and lets just say when I left the maternity ward I was "relieved" :laughing: Most humiliating experience EVER! But I sooo didn't care!

Things I tried were pear juice, prunes, metamucil, glycerine suppositories :o and some yucky drink from the hospital - none of them worked for me but I think I was a one off! They did an U/S to look at all the poo and called all the Dr's and nurses in to look and laugh!

I really hope you don't get to my stage and have to get what I had done :o hehe

[PoopaBumsMummy]

My mum is a nurse and she tells me the recommendations are now to use pear juice instead of prune juice.
She also tells me to drink salt water then lots of plain water because water will go where salt goes but I am unsure if you should do that during pregnancy. Oh and eat, if you don't eat you can't poo :rolleyes:.
I took Metamucil for 2 weeks and didn't go the whole time, once I stopped I went almost the same day. Same with the granual things midwife told me to take after DD (they are bark or something?), they were useless.
As Heaven Sent suggested the coloaxyl and senna are good, I find they work well without being overlly harsh.

[WorkingClassMum]

A large glass of room temperature every morning with a squeeze of lemon juice

Then go for a brisk short walk until you're ready to go

a lack of excercise can also cause constipation (re; elderly people in homes).

[mum01030408]

Thanks to all who have replied. I am still waiting for any signs of movement.

I have been drinking 250ml of prune juice a day, I started drinking a litre of pear juice a day from Thursday. I am still eating heaps of pears, and drinking about 4 litres of water a day now. I started the lemon in hot water this morning.

I have written down a list of ideas that you have all suggested, and I am going back to the chemist when I finish on here.
I am walking about 45 mins a day now, but that does diddly squat too.

Hopefully after the baby is born, I will resume normal toilet activities.... I am really not enjoying being constipated....:(

Charli'smumma, I feel so sorry for you, not going for 3 months. I haven't gone for a couple of weeks now, and I feel like ****, but I am optimistic that I will have some movement soon! (I hope)

[Nicpolsta]

I am up to week 35 and in the last nine days I have only passed one small bowel motion, whch was the result of 2 duralax tablets and glycerol suppostory. Yesterday i tried again with the suppostory with nil result, plus I went to the doctors and he recommended coloxyl with senna, so i took four of them yesterday with no result. I have bought metamucil capsules today to add to the list. I a have gestational diabetes so prune juice is out of the question with the amount of sugar. I am on a ridiculously healthy diet and drink that much water I should be a swimming pool. I exercise daily either walking about 2km or swimming a km. I am breaking out in pimples now on my face and basically going nutts. If anyone can think of something that I am not already trying please let me know. :(

[emily09]

Pear juice works really well!! Don't take colxyl with senna, only take colxyl, senna can cause early contractions!! Goodluck.

[Roopee]

Haven't read all the replies so sorry if I an repeating whats been said.

Have you tried Physillium Husks? They are a natural fibre and you can but it in the health food section of the supermarket- perfectly safe during pregnancy. Also Metamucil?

Other than that.....dried apricots, dates, prunes.....

[Mrs Molly Coddle]

Eek sounds like you've tried everything. You might need an enema, if you've tried the suppositories and they don't work. You can buy them over the counter at major chemists and you can DIY, Or you can go to the GP/hospital/med centre. Good luck. I hope you feel better soon :hugs:

[Nicpolsta]

Coloxyl with senna is ok to take whilst pregnant, so are the glycerol suppostries. One word of warning there, suppostries work FAST!. It is also sending me nuts as I have gestational diabetes, so I havent bad carbs in nearly a month, lost weight and excercise regularly. The only thing I cant do is the juices thanks to the sugars..Must admit I am going to go and buy some pears now to see if they help. But at this stage I am lucky if I get a weekly movement!.

[MyFourCubs]

It is HORRIBLE- I am suffering from bouts of it and it really is painful and stressful. I actually ended up at the hospital the other week with major tummy pains and they think the constipation was part of it- they gave me Movecol (Not sure if it prescription or not) coloxyl / senna and copious amounts of lactulose syrup. Worked eventually!! I am taking it now (Movecol / senna) when I desperately need it. Metamusil on it's own did nothing for me either. Suppositories will work if your bowel is actually "full":o (Sorry that sounds so gross!) Otherwise you need the other stuff to move things down.

You are not alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:hugs: