Is this part of the 'glamour' of being pregnant or should I see a doctor?

[Frillsandspills]

Sorry if TMI!

I'm 19 weeks pregnant tomorrow if that makes any difference to anything..
I often get constipated so I'm only emptying my bowels every few days or so as opposed to every day like I used to. I can tell when they're sort of getting full of I need to 'go' because my belly is really uncomfortable and my uterus is quite hard (I asked a doctor last week about why it sometimes felt hard and stuck out when I lie down and she said it was to do with my bowels) but I find it uncomfortable sometimes.

I find when I 'need' to go to empty my bowels I can't do it for a while as it just not ready to come out. I had this yesterday and then suffered with terrible trapped wind all day and all night which gave me pains at the side of my bump, it felt like it was around the muscles surrounding my bump. When I woke up today the trapped wind and the desire To go to the toilet had me in so my pain, and at one point caused all sorts of shooting pains up my bottom and I literally just could not walk (without trying to sound dramatic).
After going to the toilet and successfully emptying my bowels I do feel better (my stomach doesn't look or feel like it's ready to explode now) but I have some trapped wind still.
I find my muscles can be sore which I assume is due to them stretching to accommodate my ever growing womb but it makes any sort of trapped wind unbearable.

A few days ago i noticed blood when I emptied my bowels but not since and I don't know if that has anything to do with the pain I'm in or whether it's nothing.

Does this sound like normal constipation or should I be in so much pain every time my bowels are full or I have a bit of trapped wind?when I went to the hospital a week ago they asked how my bowels were because my stomach had been in pain and at that point they were fine so I assume it's relatively normal to be really achey when your bowels are not working as much as your body is used to.

Any recommendations on things I can take to relieve these symptoms too?

TIA

[Quills]

It can be normal in pregnancy, yes, but it doesn't mean you need to suffer in silence. I had constipation with DD2 due to being dehydrated so often, so my GP prescribed Movicol which worked wonders. Pop along to your GP and there's plenty they can suggest that's safe in pregnancy.

Basic sensible diet too, of course - Fybogel over the counter is safe, plenty of fresh fruit and cut back on white bread/bananas, both of which worsen constipation.

[Frillsandspills]

Thank you Quills.
I generally eat quite healthy but perhaps I need more fibre but I wonder if I'm not drinking enough as I've been dehydrated during this pregnancy a few weeks back.

I will definitely go and see if I can be prescribed anything to relieve the symptoms

[sizethree]

I could've written your post a few weeks ago! I had exactly the same issue. (Had no idea what a prize pooper I must've been before. Shouldn't have taken it for granted!)
I upped my water intake (helps ahem, soften things) and I introduced a handful of All Bran ontop of my morning cereal. Some dried apricots to snack on and a small glass of prime juice before bedtime and it's worked wonders.
Back to a mean mean pooping machine in no time (but there was an incident in the Mothercare loos when I'd got a bit carried away with nailing too much of the above holy trinity of constipation remedies. Which struck mid pram shopping trip. So I advise, try them in moderation first!
Oh and prune juice is pretty horrible to start off with, but gets better if you persevere and the results are worth it.
Hope your bum gets back to normal soon. Being bunged up is literally a right pain in the ass!

[mygreeneyedboy]

As above try to eat healthily. Fruit veg and fibre. Avoid junk food. Your GP can prescribe you laxatives, to take as and when you feel it's been a while or simply to take all the time.
The blood is probably a heamorriod (sorry if I spelt that wrong!), this are common in pregnancy, and are exaggerated by poor diet and also by sitting on the toilet trying to wait for it to come. (This also explains if you ever feel pain when you go) So if you feel the urge, don't hesitate just go!
Going for a long walk will also help a stay active!

[Frillsandspills]

Sizethree your reply really made me laugh, thank you!

I will definitely be trying those remedies, I'd definite prefer to take the natural route first. I literally felt like I'd been a shot up the bum today so I knew I had to do something about it.
Really not liking the idea of prune juice but I'm so utterly desperate I'm starting to feel excited to try it!

Thank you for the advice!

[Frillsandspills]

Thank you mygreeneyedboy i thought it might be a haemorrhoid, pregnancy hasn't half put my bowels through a terrible time of it!

[AmberRose17]

OP it might not be trapped wind at all but round ligament pain, which is when the ligaments supporting your uterus stretch. I had it around 19 weeks too. Had terrible pain in my lower back, sides and groin and was also very bloated and uncomfortable. I was convinced it was trapped wind but it got worse and I ended up going to hospital to get it checked out. First I found it hard to believe it was ligaments but I rested for a couple of days and it went away. I found yoga stretches and breathing helped a lot.

At that time I went from having hardly any bump to having a big bump - so it was clearly a growth spurt.

Sounds like you might have a bit of bowel trouble as well but could be those stretchy ligaments too!

[Frillsandspills]

AmberRose I never thought of that! I did have stretchy pains so went To get checked out and was told it was probably uterus stretching, but it would make sense that this is the ligaments surrounding it that are stretching because that's where the pain is and it feels different to the stretchy feeling I had in my womb? I still get the odd cramps but the same as the ones I went into hospital for so I assume it definitely is just stretching still.
I've only just sprouted a bump so perhaps it's growing still!

Thank you!!

[DayLillie]

It is one of the perils of pregnancy. The extra progesterone relaxes smooth muscle, which is really good for your uterus, but means that things then take longer to get through your intestines. When they reach the colon, they take longer to go through and more fluid is taken out, thus taking even longer to get through and so on......

You need to take something like movicol or laxido for 2 or three days to sort out the current problem, then move onto more soluble fibre ie oats, pulses, fresh fruit and veg and prunes and dried fruit etc. and take the odd sachet of movicol until you get things balanced. Plenty fluids at all times.

If you are having trouble getting started, glycerine suppositories are useful.

Things like bran and fibogel will dry out in the intestines if they are moving slowly, rather like peat based potting compost, and will therefore add to the problem.

It is worth getting to grips with the problem now as you will probably have problems after the birth, and when you have hormonal problems. Constant constipation can lead to other indignities like piles, fissures, diverticules, rectoceles, pelvic floor dysfunction. etc etc.

Look up the Bristol stool chart and aim for a 3 or 4.

Have fun! (from someone who took too long to find this out )

[Frillsandspills]

DayLillie thank you so much! I don't think I could deal with this after the birth or ever again for that matter! I've never had problems with my bowels before. But at least it's one of those symptoms I can tick off the list of 'reassuring symptoms that suggest I'm having a normal pregnancy'.

Thanks for you help, I'll be pooping like normal in no time!

[Frillsandspills]

Thank you for the help that should have said!

[AmberRose17]

If it is round ligament pain, I found that sitting cross legged with my back supported helped a lot. Also I read that you should sleep on the same side as the pain so as to stop yourself straining the ligaments whilst sleeping. My dream genii pregnancy pillow came into its own at that time too (and am still using it). I had been rushing around in the days prior to it and so just took things very very easy for about three days. Am 22 weeks now and it hasn't reappeared but have heard it can do if you get another growth spurt so am trying to be a bit careful. Have a huge bump now! (Well it feels huge to me).

[jurisane]

Ugh, I feel for you OP. I'm in the same boat except that I was expecting it since I naturally have problems with constipation. Make sure your doctor approves any laxatives. Mine won't let me touch them since they always caused me lots of cramping pain previously. I take a OTC stool softener twice a day and while I don't go any more often, when I do its way less painful and there is less chance of bleeding. I tried upping my fiber with food and supplements but it just made things worse for me. The benefit of the stool softener I take is it doesn't enter the blood stream an won't affect the baby at all.

I hope you feel better soon!

[ribbitTheFrog]

Poor you! I found that wholemeal everything rather than white (eg bread, pasta) helps,a lot. Plus lots of water and fruit and veg. Cut out pizza, reduce meat and eggs intake etc as all seem to cause problems ..

[ribbitTheFrog]

Oh and try eating things like spicy bean burgers, vegetable and bean fahitas etc

[Schumann]

I can't recommend prune juice enough - a glass every night. I thought the taste would be really grim, but it's surprisingly ok, especially if you make sure it's really cold.
I suffered with this in all my pregnancies and only discovered the miracle of prune juice in the last one! Wish I'd known about it years ago!

[Sparrowlegs248]

A large bowl of branflakes for breakfast, every day, has really helped me with this problem. I certainly know about it if i run out!

[Daffolil]

Couldn't see anyone suggesting it above, if you're taking a supplement containing iron, I believe they can bung you up something chronic. Good luck getting on the move.

[Doublebubblebubble]

Yup yup yup - sounds normal to me. Laying on your side (I find the left side slightly better can help release the trapped wind. Constipation occurs because the baby is taking EVERYTHING from the food that you're eating and so it takes longer to process... Also if you're taking iron tablets, that can make your poos smell of absolutely asscabbage help to hinder any kind of release x drinking lots of water can help. I had the same problem as you a few weeks ago (tummy going hard with pain etc) i was convinced it was BH but alas no just really needed to fart/poo - so so glamourous x

[Frillsandspills]

Thank you so much everyone! So glad it's normal during pregnancy. This is my first and it's one of those things nobody really talks about so I wondered if I was suffering alone haha!

I'm not taking anything with iron in, my exP did once and he kept complaining his poo was like charcoal so it put me off.

I've been for a number 2 twice today (and twice yesterday) but i feel like it had been there for a while and it's hard to get it all out at once so I'm always in pain and my stomach looks HUGE. People keep rubbing it and I haven't the heart to tell them they're literally rubbing my farts (sorry I have wind that doesn't seem to budge).

Hopefully Once I've tweaked my diet I'll be able to get rid of everything and feel less achey and pooey!

I've tried all fours for the wind but the wind makes it painful so I'm just sat bubbling away. Never felt so glamorous!

[loolah83]

Are you taking Pregnacare supplements? They constipated the hell out of me.

[Frillsandspills]

loolah I stopped taking them at about 13 weeks they made me feel quite ill, I think it was the iron so I just take a multivitamin with vitamin c,d and folic acid in ( when I remember to )

[DayLillie]

I had terrible trouble with pregaday (iron and folic acid supplement) in my first pregnancy, but my iron got low and I had pph, so ended up having to take iron for weeks afterwards (not recommended).

I took plain ferrous sulphate the second time with folic acid and that was much more bearable. I don't know why they did not give me a different supplement the first time - I should have asked! Anyway, I used the ferrous sulphate to bung up the tummy upsets I picked up off DS. I used to get diarrhoea and constipation all at once - certainly not glamorous!!!