Sooooooo constipated....

[~Leanne~]

I am soooo constipated (TMI) and no matter how much water I drink or fibre in my diet by belly feels so bloated and sore and hard.... I am only 7 weeks and I feel so big and fat and disgusting...

Have even tried metamucil with nothing....

Help???!!

[angelaartsstudent]

I was constipated for 3 and a half WEEKS. It was terrible. I even took fibre every day anyway and it made no difference.

To get things going, go to the chemist and get something called Microlax.

Pregnant women cannot take laxatives like Coloxyl and Senna - or so my doc says - and things like Laxettes and etc were far too gentle.

You need something to go in the other end if you get my drift to get things started becuase otherwise if you take laxatives orally they just won't work becuase everything is compacted downstairs and the laxative can't get down that far.

Microlax works really well and actually isn't too much of a hastle to put in. Annoying and embarassing but hey....you're going to have a baby. So squeezing a tiny bit of paste up your backside is nothing.

If you don't want the Microlax you can go for a supository - the normal capsule type ones - but they didn't for me either. Hence my being such a big supporter of the Microlax. Very gentle, no pain, works within 30 minutes. Just make sure you follow the directions in the box.

[Taurean]

The chemist gave me Agarol - it's a vanilla flavoured medicine. Worked for me and much better than just bulking up on fibre.

My diet is pretty good, I eat a lot of fruit and veg and drink loads of water but the bloating was unbelievable. I was going to the loo but I just didn't feel 'empty', if that makes sense. The Agarol made a huge difference.

[~Leanne~]

Thank you thank you!
I am off to the chemist tomorrow. Might try the agarol first and then see where we go from there.
:O)
I feel like I am 4 months pregnant.... it's shocking.
Thanks again.
Will keep you 'posted' on my 'movements'. ha ha ha !

[AJC]

I made sure I drank heaps of water & consumed heaps of fruit. But I know constipation can still strike - so when it was really stubborn I used normacol. It's all natural and very gentle (ie: works but doesn't send you running to the loo).

[LimeSlice]

I wasn't constipated when pregnant, but my mum was very badly constipated due to her medications and the cancer. They tried EVERYTHING - all the yucky stuff too lol - and the only thing that worked consistently was Herron Sene-Soft. It is a purple or pink (?) box from the chemist. Great stuff

Good luck, hope you feel better soon!

[LaDeeDa]

have a chat to ur doc or pharmacist.......i was so constipated at 13 weeks i was admitted to rmh with an impacted bowel....eeeekkkkk....not fun

[kristy J]

Brown sugar and water works well too for young and old.

[visitor1]

Pregnant women cannot take laxatives like Coloxyl and Senna - or so my doc says - and things like Laxettes and etc were far too gentle.

Coloxyl with Senna is perfectly safe to be taking during pregnancy (as well as for BFing mums). Alan the midwife on here has commented on this medicine various times. I was worried about taking it when i was preg with DD2 and i asked quite a few chemists as well as the drug line my hospital provides. All said it was safe to take but no more then 2 tablets a day

I took it with DD2 and DS and has had no effects.

[SophieRose]

Try some good old prunes.
Ever since i got pregnant, it seems my colon has packed up and left. Seriously, only two times a week is scaring me!! (TMI, sorry, lol)

I tried the metamucil and i went three times in one day, which after barely going at all, freaked me out a bit. Haha.

I've just been eating prunes and they seem to be great for me!

[smilanatu]

Prunes work for me as well as bananas...lucky for me I haven't had "true" constipation yet...

[Melbournemumma]

Hey,

I had the same problem. My obstetrician put me on Nomafibe or Nomalco. They are a granual fibre that you swallow. I take 5 ml ecery day and haven't had any troubles since. He said metamucil was no good. It just isn't strong enough or work well enough for pregnant women .

Good luck!

[Hoody]

Coloxyl with Senna is perfectly safe to be taking during pregnancy (as well as for BFing mums). Alan the midwife on here has commented on this medicine various times. I was worried about taking it when i was preg with DD2 and i asked quite a few chemists as well as the drug line my hospital provides. All said it was safe to take but no more then 2 tablets a day

I took it with DD2 and DS and has had no effects.

I too took Coloxyl when pg my pharmacist said it was safe to take 2 a day when needed.

[Pandora]

Prunes work for me as well as bananas...lucky for me I haven't had "true" constipation yet...

Bananas actually affect people differnt ways, some get very constipated while others have the opposite effect, like the poster quoted, so just be careful with that one.

Pears and pear juice is what ive been recommended. DS and I both have poor digestion and use tham as part of our regular diet to help.

[MrsC_Aussie]

oh I had this too! I feel your pain *hugs* I'd never really experienced it before in my life, fortunately DH had so he reassured me it was normal constipation feelings! I ended up talking to my OB and he told me to take metamucil as well as lots of roughage (fresh fruit and veg), I added sultana bran or weetbix with brown sugar for my breakfast, and drank pear juice, and I was also told by him to take coloxyl with senna as well to help clear it out.

[Elyse84]

OMG! I am feeling your pain too! I hadnt been for 2 and a half weeks! And before that only once for another 2 weeks! - although when i did go in between i really went! lol. I spoke to the chemist and she told em it was safe to take up to 8 metamucil tablets in a hit, which worked the first time but not since - i was taking 5 at night and 2 in the morning, and nothing... then i tryied a capsule supositry and still nothing.. in the end i got fed up because the pains were freaking me out (like misscarriage) and it was making me sick to my stomach so in the middle of the night i took 3 senocot - all natural, i know its so bad i didnt speak to a doc but i did do some cyber searching at 3 in the morning which said it was safe during pregnancy, so i gave that a go and hoooray!!!!!!! I have finally gone today!!!!!!!! although now my "baby bump" has dissapeared! turns out it was just poo! lol sorry tmi i know! I would be interested to know if anyone has been told by a doc or pharmacist if it is ok to take though?? Put my mind at ease a bit. I was just so fed up in tears, vomiting and lying on the floor of the bathroom in agony, i had to do something..

Angelaartstudent - I am soooooo glad you said microlax is safe!! I have suffered severe constipation for years and microlax is generally the ONLY thing that makes me go - i didnt think i was allowed to in pregnancy.

[~Leanne~]

i double posted so what was in this post i deleted.... sorry

[~Leanne~]

Well off I went to the chemist before work this morning and after a great big discussion on my stool infrequencies in front of the morning Town Hall peak hour crowd (how embarrassing) he recommended coloxyl with senna. Said it was safe. So I took two with breakfast and OMG is it working now. Amazing. no pain, no discomfort. Just lots of you know what. Sorry if TMI, but almost two weeks without any real movement at the station was just sheer pain.

Thank you ladies for your thoughts, experiences and stories. It is great to know there is somewhere to go to discuss these 'issues' without being laughed at or nose screwed up at....