Constipation getting me down!

[Cath321]

Hi am 30 weeks and the amount of fibre I'm consuming aswell as what the doc has prescribed is obscene and I'm lucky if I go every 4 days. Earlier today, I strained so much (for not a lot of reward..) I thought I was going to pass out and then a little while later when I went for a wee it was slightly discoloured and after a wipe that too was a little pink..do you think this is just due to straining? Junior has been moving somewhat since the incident...am assuming he's disgruntled with me!! Thanks in afvsnce.

[Hidden]

Hi Cath321,

im not pregnant now but I remember especially around the 30 wk mark of pregnancy i also had a bit of an issue with constipation, i think it has something to do with the fact that by this time the baby has grown quite a bit and as well as having most of our organs in and around the stomach area been shifted and pushed our digestive system has also slowed down a bit in result of this.

During my last pregnancy (last year) i found trying to eat a few diary products helped my constipation somewhat, for etc.... yogurt, cereals and so on.

if your not really into all the diary stuff (as i know some women find it a bit nauseating) whats your fluid intake like?

I also found during pregnancy i could very easily drink 2 1Ltr bottles of water in the space of an hour.

xx

[Plou]

Hi, I am 25 weeks and I suffer from contipation unless I drink at least one 2 litre bottle of water every day. Without the water it doesn't seem to matter what I eat Fibrous or not.

Are you drinking that much water? if not perhaps try drinking alot more. Sometimes I drink even when I don't feel thirsty and the result it always a few hours later I am needing the toilet if I have been constipated.

I would tell your MW about the colour of your wee, you might just be dehydrated. But definitely tone down the straining! let the water sort you out!

[Cath321]

Thanks for the replies. Realistically I probably only do around a litre of water a day but I do drink at least 2 pints of milk aswell as cereals as I just love milk. I'll pop out on my break later and get more water and make sure I drink it before I leave work as am sure it will help. Thanks for the tips, do appreciate it

[mummymummy]

Was told honey is great for constipation. .. Also syrup of figs is great... As for the bit of pinky blood keep an eye on it any bleeding should be checked. ..I too suffered really badly and strained like u did on a regular basis and I never bled or had pinky discharge... but if I liked honey I would of given it a go but can't stand the stuff but can vouch for syrup of figs x

[Lovestar]

Hello, I suffered from constipation too during my pregnancy and tried Fibogel and Lactouse which didn't do much. I resorted to using glycerol suppositories which did work but it's not ideal, I just used them a couple of times. Other than that I tried drinking as much fluid as possible and ate bananas and plenty of cereal. Good luck

[Highlandlass22]

You could always try prune juice, I keep some in the fridge in case I need it. I had a lot of trouble early on and when I strained it did seem to lead to bleeding. I think I might have popped a blood vessel and it took time to heal. Definitely tell your midwife whatever the suspected cause. My MW said to just give her a call if it happened again at any point even if I thought it was just the usual. If nothing else she can put your mind at rest.

[Hidden]

Eating lots and lot of fibre will only make the situation worse if you're not drinking enough. I had IBS before I was pregnant & stopped taking my meds before we started trying for a baby so constipation was a big issue for me! GP put me on fibogel & Lactulose which really helped!

[cielo34]

Hi, I suffered really badly with constipation during pregnancy too. Try not to strain too much; you don't want piles! Your GP can prescribe Lactulose, or you can buy it over the counter. Works a treat!

[Cath321]

Thank you all for your suggestions. Am feeling more positive today and going to go on a bit of a mission to get this sorted! I've already had bran flakes with diced figs plus water rather than my usual coffee. Bought fibre gel last night and told my colleagues that I'm not allowed to leave work or eat anything naughty this afternoon unless I've drunk at least the 2l bottle of water that is currently winking at me. Thanks ladies x

[Koko10]

Hi there, just to add, I found the only thing that would work for me was actual prunes (prune juice didn't seem to work as well for some reason). At least 6 or 8 a day I'm afraid!

[Chilie57]

Hello

I had the same problem . I started eating Asian pears and what a relief they cleaned me out naturally. I eat them daily . So give them a try.