help needed to get things moving... not labour, the other things...

[Lewis's Mummy]

Have been put on FGF (iron and folate tabs) because of low-normal haemoglobin levels and tiredness. Realised that may cause constipation, so that hasn't come as a surprise, and the surprise colour of what does happen is now becoming more normal (sorry, tmi...) BUT I am so over the constipation! Any ideas to get things moving? I'm already eating lots of fruit and veges - have made a huge pot of veg soup over the weekend, poor DH and DS will soon tire of it. Drinking lots of water too. Bfast consists of fruit, cereal (muesli or weetbix). I'm tempted to make a pot of taco soup with lots of kidney beans etc too but I've also got the joy of indigestion as a constant companion and don't want to make that worse either... most of the time I don't feel like eating

SO any one got any hints? 10 more weeks of this would be unbearable...

[Trillian]

You may have to use a mild laxative to get things moving again and then maintain that with daily metamucil.

[Alan]

Try coloxyl and senna tablets.

[Kirley64]

I'm the same as you - however i've had the constipation even before going on iron tablets....
My doc suggested to me pear and apple juice so i have started this week on that. Prehaps you could try that.....
Again this is tmi... lol.. gota love these topics haha....but try a different position on the toilet rather than sitting. i.e squat on seat to start with; or even stand up to start with.... weird I know... lol and the first few times its usually just wind... however they seem to be more appropriate positions to get things moving.

haha i'm going to leave now

[Miss K]

Pear juice with benefibre

[MummaSue]

I also have terrible constipation and what helps me enormously is that new double fibre cereal, a kiwi fruit and some prune juice for breakie.

It's keeping me going.

But prune juice on its own goes right through me anyway. Have you tried some of that?

S X

[Lewis's Mummy]

lol I know what you mean about tmiKirley, but better here than out in the 'real world' - these joys of pregnancy are not the sort of things we talk about even with close girlfriends or our mums usually! Thanks for the advice!

[jamakin]

yep i was going to suggest prune juice works wonders for me, also a large glass of hot water usually gets the ball rolling.. i read somewhere else on here that rocking on the loo is a big help too?
hope it improves for you soon

[Peg]

I'd be very careful using any sort of pharmacy laxative. I have heard of one that help to make your stools soft, which is safe in pregancy but i dont know the name of it.

I'd be trying high fibre fruits such as prunes, figs, paw paw

I've been sprinking psylliun husks on my cereal and its pretty good becasue its not actually a laxative, its just almost pure fibre so it pushes everythign thru. You get it in the health food section of the supermarket.

If you use any laxative, just check with the doctor or pharamcist first because some of them are too strong and could actually bring labor on early.

[[M]umma[M]ia]

grapes and water seemed to get my bowels moving during pregnancy. HTH

[Carrie]

Licorice!

[Lewis's Mummy]

Thanks - will try licorice - haven't tried that one yet - Darrel Lea here I come! Went to the pharmacy this afternoon and the pharmacist gave me coloxyl ( a softener) but not with senna as it is a bowel irritant and he said can cause cramping which could bring on early labour. Also suggested I switch to a liquid mixture containing extra iron, but the dosage is less than the FGF and there is other stuff in it too, so will talk to my dr about it when i see him again next week. Meantime, trying all of the above suggestions - thanks girls!