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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

Mortified - but figure this is the least embarrassing place to post

27 replies

Minnieheehee · 25/04/2011 12:48

19 weeks pregnant and am constipated to hell. Any suggestions? I eat bags (and bags) of fruit and fibre rich stuff...also drinks heaps of water. Despite this much to DH amusement I am popping out what can only be described as rabbit pellets!

Any suggestions as to what I can take to get things 'going'.

much obliged ladies!

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Choufleur · 25/04/2011 12:48

Get some lactulose from the chemist.

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EauRouge · 25/04/2011 13:01

Go for a nice long walk if you're up to it, regular exercise helped for me. Lactulose also good but be careful, it takes a couple of days to kick in so don't be tempted to take an extra dose. Learn from my mistake

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Pancakeflipper · 25/04/2011 13:06

Fibergel. 2 sachets a day.

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Crapbankerswife · 25/04/2011 13:07

if you take laculose or fibergel, you need to drink LOADS of water, this wasn't pointed out to me the first time I took it.

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PinkFondantFancy · 25/04/2011 13:28

I've been drinking prune juice and apple juice - so far so good. Think the prune juice has a bit of a delayed effect though so go careful!

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camdancer · 25/04/2011 13:41

kiwi fruit with the skin on. One a day works wonders.

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vickibee · 25/04/2011 13:50

Prune juice if you can stomach it -it doesnot taste very nice

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Onefunmum · 25/04/2011 13:50

I am 11 weeks post partum and STILL suffering from this! I tried lactulose, orange juice etc.
But the only thing that worked/s for me is prune juice. I drink one glass a day and find it works within the hour (it works VERY well hough so be warned and make sure you don't have it just before you go anywhere!)

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4pudding · 25/04/2011 14:27

Lactulose and if that doesn't work get some Movicol from the doctors. If you leave it you'll get piles which are a hell of a lot more embarrassing and bloody painful to boot. I'm going to have to have surgery on mine after the birth!

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Truffkin · 25/04/2011 14:30

Any tinned fruit so long as it's in syrup. Have heard many others also swear by this remedy. Hope you get it sorted soon!

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Minnieheehee · 25/04/2011 15:51

Yowser- especially 4puddings pile warning!! Am sending dh to shop now for prune juice!
Many thanks ladies!

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4pudding · 25/04/2011 15:54

Yep- read the 'Piles from Hell' thread if you need any more convincing! And you can get Lactulose over the counter from the chemist. If it doesn't improve in a few days get thyself to the GP x

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stripeywoollenhat · 25/04/2011 15:59

dried apricots, also multiseed bread, particularly with linseed.

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LoveACuppaTea · 25/04/2011 16:25

Hello!

I had this problem over the past few days. What vitamins are you taking? I was taking multivitamin "mum to be" tables I found in Tesco - they contain 100% of your RDA of Iron (I am vegi) but Iron causes constipation. I was constipated for 4 days - was drinking half a pint of prune juice a day, muligrain stuff etc... the works! But nothing! Then when I started to get REALLY sore - like I could hardly stand up - I looked stuff up online and found I could take Fybogel (Got it in Tesco yesterday £2.00 for 10 saches) and took some. Had diarrohea this morning! Tho it felt REALLY good! ;)

Gonna continue to take it as it "bulks you up" and stop taking the vitamins and change to the ones the doc gave me.

Hope this helps! xx

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buttonmoon78 · 25/04/2011 17:14

Lactulose won't make you go, but will soften things up.

Dried apricots are brilliant, also fresh OJ. Fybogel is good stuff. Will soften and get it out too! Fybogel is what they give you before a colonoscopy - it's damn good stuff but go easy at first!

I'd suggest some Fybogel to get things moving but then try to help with apricots, OJ, things with skins (sweetcorn, tomatoes etc) to keep things going. If you make sure that you eat enough of that stuff each day and drink lots of water you should be fine.

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midnightexpress · 25/04/2011 17:16

Linseeds sprinkled on your breakfast cereal are really good. They kept me going during both pgs. And they are also full of omega-3 so frightfully good for you and the baby.

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pixiekid · 25/04/2011 17:21

Prune juice seems to do the business, shame about the taste though....

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PinkFondantFancy · 25/04/2011 17:56

Hehehehe I actually like prune juice - how wrong is that???!?!

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Minnieheehee · 25/04/2011 18:34

One medium size glass of prune juice - 1 hour later bingo!

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Minnieheehee · 25/04/2011 18:36

Loveacup, have used the same preg vits since three months before I got preg, but will check the iron content. Thanks for the 'moving' advice everyone.

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mamas12 · 25/04/2011 18:38

Liquorice is also a great natural laxative.

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Beesok · 25/04/2011 21:53

I can't help with an immediate remedy but after you've, urm, sorted yourself out using above tips :) maybe try taking digestive enzymes regularly? They are safe to take in pregnancy and I have not had any digestive problems except for slight bloating since I got pregnant and do take them every day....I also take supplements that contain iron etc but so far no negative effects..oh and I do walk A LOT ;)

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leena10 · 26/04/2011 10:29

I swear by one to two tablespoons of flaxseed/linseed soaked in water for a couple of hours. You can drink it right down in a oner or mix it with yogurt - something like that. It does take a little bit of getting used to, but totally natural, very effective and you also get your omega3. Also drinking lots of water.

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jammyscone · 26/04/2011 21:47

Almonds are meant to be good - I've been eating quite a few, along with ryvitas, porridge and other wholegrain things when I can, plus I know they say go easy on the coffee but even one cup helps things along. I haven't had any problems so far, apart from it taking 3 flushes for one of mine to leave the bowl! (sorry, TMI I know! :D)

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Ilovekittyelise · 26/04/2011 22:27

i know fybogel is great for some but if you have any history of IBS it can exacerbate the problem (causes a lot of pain for me!). to get if shifted in the first place lactulose normally works for me; i have to say the best thing i ever tried was my gran's movicol that she had on prescription.....makes you just go without any stomach cramps or anything which tend to accompany the 'forced motion'!!

diet wise make sure you are getting plenty of soluble fibre (google for variety of sources); i start my day with 50g giant oats and i swear that keeps me regular (eat lots and lots of fresh fruit and fibre sources and the oats are the constant).

a note of caution with fibre - its the soluble fibre that makes you go, a lot of insoluble fibre in your diet can actually makes things worse (in the crudest of terms nothing to flush through with)...have a good google of different sources...

happy c*ping!