Help I have an embarrassing question(pos TMI)

[missya]

Hi

To cut a complicated story short I found out just over a week ago that I'm pregnant when I went in for a chest infection to my Dr.
She has put me on antibiotics, and as I always end up with thrush whilst on them I got some Acidophilus (sp) caps to try and prevent it.
On the same day I also started Elivit pregnancy vitimins which contain the following:
Folic Acid
Vitamins B1,B2,B5,B6,B12,
Vitamins C,D3,E
Biotin
Nicotinamide
Iron
Calcium
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Copper
Manganese
Zinc

My question is I suspect that the iron has caused some constipation which it tends to do to me anyway but when I do finally manage a 'Number two' it's so incredibly dark green it's black. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry for TMI but I was wondering if anyone knew if anything i have mentioned would be causing this.

I'm thinking of stopping the Elevit for a couple of days and just take folic acid tabs and see if that improves things, any ideas would be gratefully received.
Cheers Missy

[briggsy's girl]

the iron will usually cause darker bowel movements if your body already has enough in storage. i don't know that it would be the only thing causing the constipation though - the growing level of progesterone will do the same....

[MantaRay]

Constipation is pretty normal in early pg as your digestive system slows down to allow extra nutrients to be absorbed. It sounds like you don't need the iron though, and too much iron wouldn't help. I recommend a bt before taking anymore iron. I have high iron and taking supplements for me is pretty dangerous.

[squidipa]

yep i had that pr0blem taking extra iron i just upped my water and took a supliment.

[Alan]

Hi Missya
BG is correct. The iron in Elvit and your hormone both can cause constipation. Try increasing your fibre and fluid intake. If things do not ease then you can also try some coloxyl and senna tablets.

[ktgirl]

I found when pg I was also a little blocked up I put a bit of benefibre in my water. It completely dissolves and is tasteless. It certainly helped me.

[nelly]

yep iron does it! I was the same first pg and found lots of fluid intake, muesli for bfast and positioning when you sit on the toilet. Put your feet up on a stool, back straight and angle a bit forward from the wait apparently it straightens out the curves... esp when you get bigger.

[satya]

It will be the iron causing the dark greeny black number 2. A previous poster suggested that this only happens if you have sufficient iron storage when taking iron tablets, but that is not the case. I have an ferritin level of 11 right now which is quite low (shouldn't be lower than 22) and as soon as I went back on iron (also had to take it when I was pregnant) I got the odd colored number 2's again.

[kawazuki]

its the iron.
dont worry. its how the body gets rid of excess iron. just like when you take b group vitamins your urine goes fluro yellow.