Constipation in pregnancy

[Fivemoreminutesmummy]

Oh dear god, I'm in a state. I cannot open my bowels, have opened them minimally in the last 6 weeks and feel bloated and sick.
I've tried lactulose, fybogel and gp prescribed my docusate and glycerol suppositories. The sups make me go the tiniest bit but docusate doing nothing. (Taken for 5 days now)
MIL just gave me milk of magnesium so hoping that has an effect.
Anyone else the same? It's bloody horrible! Any suggestions?

I was the same throughout pregnancy. I lived on bran flakes for breakfast. Only worked a little bit.

movicol helps hang on to the water, if you are allowed this.

Otherwise, figs, ortisan cubes, fruit, water, and more fruit and more water. And a morning coffee. Yoga, gentle exercise. And more fruit and water! (sorry :( )

I think movicol will be my next step, feel I might explode soon. Not sure if I can use movicol in pregnancy though.
Thanks for your advice about fruit etc. I could definitely eat more and drink more water. Never heard of ortisan cubes!

squatting and/or raising your legs can help. I accidentally found squatting while tidying a low drawer has brought on the need to go (think foreign countries have squat type loos/holes in floor). also if you have a small pedal bin in the loo then prop your feet up on it. this helped me as well as lots of water & having weetabix for breakfast. if it was really bad a strong coffee with caffeine in it has also triggered the need to go (been on decaff & avoiding coke etc). try not to strain, allow yourself to sit for 10/15mins with a book or something & see how it goes, if no joy then try again later, sometimes stressing about it can make it worse I found. hope that helps

2 spoons of Brown sugar in cooled boiling water

A hot as u can cope with bath that covers ur belly (if possible )

Prunes or prune juice if u hate it alot then grape juice but prunes are better

Sit on the loo, stand, sit, stand, sit, stand, sit, stand then take your phone and mn for a while and hopefully the poo will come

Water and more water

Oh dear! I remember at 24 weeks being just like this. I had stopped the orange juice as was having multiple migraines. I remember being in loo for ages and 'gave birth' to massive poo...tummy pains too! (TMI I know but as an x nurse and desperate, I put on gloves and actually manually removed the hard poo I could feel.. That helped a bit as then it got me moving.)Thinking I've got to do this properly in a couple of months!! Feel for you but have no advice...sorry.

Have you tried micro lax? I was constipated in early pregnancy and the doctor suggested it. It was a miracle worker. Won't prevent constipation but will definitely get things moving.

Thanks, I've been to gp and am on movicol impaction regime. My stomach is so swollen from not going to the loo for so long.
Still no result from movicol and it's pretty foul but I'm keeping going with it. Slightly nervous about work tomorrow- what if I need to go suddenly?!
Thanks for all your advice- I've taken it all on board esp. The water/ fruit thing.

I'm having similar problems at 31 weeks. Although my constipation is then followed by half a day of crippling diarrhoea with cramps, nausea and sweats in a weird 4 day cycle.

I've been trying to go for a good walk everyday, drinking loads of water and a slice of lemon in boiling water after I eat anything, cut out any white carbs and sitting on the toilet even for 10 minute lots even if I'm not passing anything, seems to help move some wind!

It's helped somewhat but not a miracle cure. Best of luck!

Glycerin suppositories will help move the hard poo, if you don't fancy Marylou's rubber glove approach! Useful post birth too.

I have used movicol 3x daily for 3 days, then it was just fairly normal, for a day, then every time I went the next day!
For me, eating fruit and drinking plenty is the best way of keeping things going, as high fibre cereal does not seem to help (I get fed up of people who tell you to eat bran for breakfast). I had constipation issues through both of my pregnancies and now during menopause. It is the high progesterone which slows peristalsis down. I had to give up on pop.

Keep on with plenty fruit and veg and drinks, and have a stash of movicol, suppositories, fibogel etc for slow times.

Dried apricots, grapefruit, water, porridge and squats! The winning combination for me!

Half a bag of prunes should get things moving, although make sure you are at home! I used to eat them early evening after dinner.

Forgot to say I really sympathise, the pain of not going for a while can be dreadful. I remember waking whilst pg with DC1, at 5am and having to get in the bath to soothe the stomach pain!

Benefiber from Boots either in water or sprinkled over bran flakes or something. I found this really helpful both during and post both pregnancies. It also dissolves and doesn't taste foul like lots of the others! I found this and lactulose combined were great post birth.

You poor thing, i remember this well, though suppositories sorted me out

Psyllium husk pills (from health food shops) help a lot, take 2 3x a day with lots of water. Good luck!

Prunes, OP. But, stay at home

I'm sure you're all not that interested but I've taken 6 movicol yesterday and today- nothing :(
Suppositories this evening gave me some result. I feel like an old lady obsessed with my bowels!
I'll get some prunes/ apricots tomorrow and keep on with the water.

I'm in the same boat OP after taking co-codamol since Friday. 25 prunes yesterday and all was well by evening! Just 15 today

The movicol is fairly gentle and I usually I need 3 days of regular use to get things moving.

Ortisan cubes contain senna which acts more as a purgative (pushes things along)

Kiwi fruits, I am told by a friend of a friend who is a hospital dietician, contain an enzyme which helps and, I am told, 2 will shift anything . I have found eating one a day for breakfast certainly keeps everything working fine, but I have got fed up of eating them.

I cannot say this enough. Prune juice is a miracle worker. It really really is.