Constipation for past six weeks

[enchantmentandlove]

Hi everyone, I hope this is the right place for this.

I gave birth a couple of months ago, and when dd was about three weeks old I became really constipated (mentioning in case it's linked). I am still able to go every day (once or twice), but it's horrible when I do and I'm nearly in tears as the stool is so hard. There has also been blood recently.

I have on-off taken laxatives, but they only helped so much and I was worried about becoming reliant on them. I have tried everything with my diet and eat very healthily - plenty of water, a high fiber cereal/porridge for breakfast, lots of fruit and veg, lots of dried fruit including prunes, plenty of whole grains and not much unhealthy or processed food. I also try to go for walks with dd most days. I also mix feed and I read if you breastfeed (well I express) that can be an issue.

I literally don't know what to do anymore about this, but I'm not sure if going to the doctor is a bit dramatic and I feel very embarrassed about this. Does anyone please have any advice? Thank you

It was a relevation when I found out about movicol (from the fallen fanjo thread). It is the only time I have had 'normal' stools

I found kiwi fruits work too, but I think they are irritating, long term.

I am currently trying out chia seeds. (tried linseed - ughh.)

When I finally went to the gp with extreme constipation after giving myself an external haemorrhoid she did talk about the differences between soluble and insoluble fibre and which one to eat more of. She also said I needed 'bulk' and prescribed something that looked like chocolate sprinkles and had a faintly minty chocolate taste. 2 scoops a day with water or something like that. I can't remember what it was but it was really good

But at the same time she checked my last thyroid test and said she'd have liked to see a slightly better result and I adjusted in the end by an extra 25 every other day. So I concluded that it was within the annoying range they have for thyroid function (approx 0.3-4.5) but the wrong end. And I've been diligent about keeping track of the numbers ever since! And been regular ever since too :) (If on thyroxine tsh should be around 1 or just below as none being made by the body.)

I think gingergeranium raises an interesting point. My thyroid went under active and I had terrible constipation for a good while. I then developed Graves disease ( over active thyroid) and went the other way. The thyroid can be a bit off after a birth and can be a bit under active ( my case was different as I wasn't pregnant and was developing Graves).

OP I had exactly the same bother just after my DS was born in February and was in absolute agony til about May because I put off going to the Drs.
Turns out I had multiple fissures and severe dehydration because I wasn't drinking enough while breastfeeding, it was very painful and there was a substantial amount of blood so much that I ended up in A+E.
I found that lots and lots of water and fibre in my diet helped after taking huge doses of lactulose to get things going again. I was also told that it was very common after giving birth, mine was a particularly stressful emergency ventouse with 2nd degree tear and multiple stitches. Also bathing in witch hazel baths seemed to help heal the fissures quite well.
It was horrendous. Hope things improve soon OP

I was told that pears are good for consolation by a physio - but they contain both sorts of fibre. (I can't remember which one I had to eat more of). Muesli was bad. Soaked porridge with water was good!

Yes pat, I wasn't going to mention what happened when I was on too much thyroxine!

But it's actually the way I can keep track of if I'm on the right dose, then match it to blood test numbers. (Another time the brand of thyroxine wasn't produced correctly and was later withdrawn. I've also been on a couple of medications that interfere with it, without knowing it did so till too late) I don't put on weight and it's easy to dismiss tiredness as over doing it. Puffy ankles and constipation are my barometers!

When I go hyperthyroid I splash out on clothes and book holidays spontaneously Otherwise I just sit on my couch in leggings. Must be normal thyroid levels at the moment...

Gingergeranium think you were prescribed Manevac, combination of senna and ispaghula

Yes pass, me too and I act like super woman. I recently had a phase of too much though and it actually wasn't at all nice. My muscles were burning and cramping terribly; I'm still not sure I've totally recovered from that.

Yes that was it Livin. Gp thought about it very carefully. Not sure why that over mov.

High fiber bulking agent (ispaghula) and senna (stimulant laxative) vs macrogol (osmotic laxative), just depends on why/how constipated you are, it's brilliant stuff though!

I find plain Movicol is the only one I can stand, and I have it in a small glass of really cold water do I can get it down quickly. I have a large glass of water immediately afterwards - it won't work without extra water.

@Footle - I quite like it

I didn't know about the different types of fibre, I just thought fibre was fibre will definitely educate myself me on this.

In real life I've never really known anyone to speak about chronic constipation or similar, so I had no idea how common it seems to be from reading this thread. I guess it's not something you're going to announce to the world! But I'm feeling a bit less alone in my constipation issues now. I really hope this gross powder works well. I wish I had gone to speak to the Dr sooner and really researched ways to help other than high fibre food, then maybe it wouldn't have gotten so bad.

It might just be still hormones etc settling after baby. Did you have any intervention? I was horrendously constipated after my c-section. If you've had any antibiotics, you might need to take some probiotics/ eat lots of yoghurt to help too.

But if it continues and you notice other symptoms do ask to check thyroid.

Hormones are a big constipation trigger too, specifically progesterone. That's why people get constipated in pregnancy, while taking the pill, and during the second half of their menstrual cycle.

I took the pill for years and suffered horribly until I figured out the connection.

Well Laxido is a gift from God

I had no intervention but a very quick and accidental delivery at home, with dd delivered by my husband. The midwife over the phone told me not to push and wait for the paramedics, but I just couldn't wait so pushed anyway! Ended up needing stitches which my GP thinks may be the route cause of my constipation and bathroom issues. I also agree that I think a lot of it's hormones. I was on iron tablets for anaemia too but stopped taking them when dd was a few weeks old. I will keep an eye on things and my thyroid is definitely something to keep in mind.

Thank you all for your replies, it's really helped