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Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

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Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

Pregnancy

Can't poo!!

32 replies

PebbleTTC · 21/12/2014 17:59

I'm 8 weeks pregnant and seriously constipated! Iv not been able to go for about 2 weeks, Iv tried prune juice, whole prunes, apricots, orange juice nothing is working and I feel awful. Anyone got any tips to get this out of me

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Lunastarfish · 21/12/2014 18:14

i'm 11 weeks and things have started moving(!) so time is the answer i'm afraid

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Teeste · 21/12/2014 18:21

Ask your GP or midwife for a Lactulose prescription (or buy it OTC). It softens the stools so they're easier to pass. It gave me wicked dry mouth but did work a bit. And make sure you drink at least 2 litres a day. I'm 14 weeks now and things are still a little hit and miss, but definitely better :)

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PebbleTTC · 21/12/2014 18:26

Thanks Luna hopefully I won't have exploded by then!

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m33r · 21/12/2014 18:32

Fybogel for me. Again, drink plenty of water eoth it it.

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divingoffthebalcony · 21/12/2014 19:01

Lactulose is ok but makes you fart for England. Movicol or Laxido is good if you can get a prescription - it's really expensive OTC.

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annielewis · 21/12/2014 19:05

Oh my god! 2 weeks??? Get yourself some glycerin suppositories, I was miserable after a week of bit being able to go and suppositories worked a treat! Available over the counter and safe for pregnancy..
I'm 7.5 weeks and now taking lactulose otherwise I seize up totally too! Had this last Preg too, was going on average once a week! It's miserable!

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annielewis · 21/12/2014 19:06

Oh and DONT strain... You'll give yourself hideous piles not speaking from bitter experience at all

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divingoffthebalcony · 21/12/2014 19:12

Oh, I missed the two weeks part! Yes, glycerine suppositories followed by Movicol (or Laxido - same thing) to help shift the backlog. Then keep it up to keep things moving for the rest of the pregnancy. Some people's digestive systems are more sensitive to progesterone than others. I am, so I really sympathise about how severe it can get.

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Quitelikely · 21/12/2014 19:13

What worked for me was kiwi fruits. Seriously. I got the advice from a forum and I was like hmmm but I was desperate and I can honestly say they worked!

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TheScenicRoute · 21/12/2014 19:20

Buy fybogel or Movicol from the pharmacy. After two weeks you are now beyond home remarries, you need a little help. (Lactulose gives you wind!)

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BreeVDKamp · 21/12/2014 19:30

2 weeks!!! Get a fleet enema (I had one at about 5 weeks pg although no-one knew I was preg so maybe it's not advised) and then maintain!!

My routine is: 2 satsumas in the a.m., acidophilus, probio yog, lots of fruit and veg, 2 litres water a day plus any other fluid, exercise!!

Godspeed and congrats on your pregnancy :)

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espa · 21/12/2014 19:39

Fybogel will take a few days to work but I took it on and off throughout pg to keep things regular. I can totally sympathise though as I haven't been for over a week (baby born this week) but got given a suppository this morning from hospital. Finally, some relief!

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BikeRunSki · 21/12/2014 20:18

I was the same. Couldn't poo from weeks 8 to 13! Movicol did nothing, but I kept taking Lactulose to stop everything going too hard. I was very, very sick at this stage, so I guess there wasn't much food to poo out either. Once I'd started eating properly and moving sround more again, everything shifted very quickly.

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PebbleTTC · 21/12/2014 21:13

Thanks for all the replies, I have dulcolax suppositories at home,I rang pharmacy and they said while it is usually safe don't do it until I speak to GP first. Iv had a few scares in the last few weeks so I think it's best to ask GP first.

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joflores · 21/12/2014 21:17

Oh gosh this was me at 6 weeks !! I ended up being told that the pain I was experiencing was an ectopic pregnancy , turns out I was full of poo !!! ( like up to my rib cage !! ) I was given a glycerin suppository, to tackle it from the back and senna kot once a day, lactolose twice a day to tackle it from the inside. If you just tackle the inside by taking a oral stool softener you'll be in a worse situation when you can't pass the hard stuff !!

Hope this helps ! X

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GingerbreadPudding · 21/12/2014 21:54

Quit taking preg vitamins. Just take a separate folic acid and multi-vits. Cut the iron for now. I did this and within a day I was a human again!

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divingoffthebalcony · 21/12/2014 22:09

It's highly likely that the constipation is caused by progesterone, and not the low dose of iron in a pregnancy multivitamin. That would not cause constipation this severe.

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PebbleTTC · 21/12/2014 22:16

Iv always been pretty bad toilet wise maybe only going twice a week but this feels much worse than ever before. I'm trying prune juice mixed with orange juice now. I'll try get a GP appointment tomorrow

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divingoffthebalcony · 21/12/2014 23:06

You sound like me! If you're prone to constipation anyway, pregnancy just makes it so much worse. Forget Fybogel then, that might work for people with normal bowels, but if you're sluggish anyway it has a tendency to set in the gut like concrete.

As a previous poster said, you need to tackle this blockage from above and below. Suppositories to shift the blockage from the bottom, and Movicol to soften the rest. Hope you manage to see a GP tomorrow. Good luck!

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LowLieTheFields · 22/12/2014 04:56

My main thing in all 3 pregnancies was constipation. It's dreadful! My only advice would be to go on a fibre offensive! Fruit and fibre for breakfast and lots of water in the day. And lactulose. I ended up with horrible piles all 3 times but that's because I was too busy eating bacon rolls to concentrate on fruit and fibre....

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BathshebaDarkstone · 22/12/2014 05:06

I had this. Get to a GP. What finally cured me was hospital baked beans on toast when I went in to be induced. I still can't watch ads for constipation remedies on TV. I truly hope you find a solution before I did.

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PebbleTTC · 22/12/2014 12:29

Couldn't get past receptionist, the doctor may or may not ring me back later this evening! What a joke

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PebbleTTC · 22/12/2014 19:37

Doctor rang me back, she is advising against any stimulant :-(

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Zahrah5 · 22/12/2014 19:45

Can you take glycerin suppositories? I dont think that is medicated.
2 weeks, I dont know how you can survive that, it must be soooo uncomfortable, I go once in 2-3 days and its a struggle.

Speaking of which, going to open a jar of prunes..

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divingoffthebalcony · 22/12/2014 20:01

Glycerine suppositories are safe in pregnancy. They're not a stimulant. They just help to soften and lubricate bad poo blockages so you can finally go.

Movicol/Laxido is safe in pregnancy - it's not a stimulant.

So the GP didn't prescribe anything? FFS.

OP, you are so past the point of prunes being helpful. You are past the point of any mouth based remedy (food or medicine) being helpful. Until the two week old massive blockage at the bottom end shifts, you are going to be stuck.

You don't need a prescription for suppositories though. Can someone go out and get some for you TONIGHT? Just don't tell the pharmacist they're for a pregnant woman though, just in case they refuse to sell them.