Really need some advice on constipation (possibly TMI)

[ontheedgeofwhatever]

I am on iron tablets and lactolose and a fairly high fibre diet (lots of fruit, veg, cereals). All of this was working well until Wednesday when I had my last bowel movement in the morning.

Last night I woke up in agony wanting a poo but I couldn't push anything out because my anal passage was filled solid with stuff that wouldn't move. This morning I went to OOHD who rung the obstetric registrar at the hospital who advised there was nothing they could do for me in case they induced early labour (I'm 34 weeks), that I should double my lactolose dose and eat nothing but fruit, fruit juice and water and come to hospital on Monday if nothings happened where they may decide to admit me for treatment.

Doing as I'm told but feel light headed and sick and the stomach cramps are even worse but nothing is moving. Really really want to avoid hospital admission especially as have dd (6) to look after and DP away for work this week

Today I've had a tin of prunes in juice, a satsuma, an apple, 2 plums, 2glasses orange juice and about 4 pints of water.

I'm crying in pain and don't know what to do :( :(

Just wanted to add sympathies- I've suffered with constipation, although not as badly as you. I've found a bowl of All Bran twice a day plus lots of water tends to keep everything moving... just about.

Much much sympathy. Am recovering from severe hyperemesis (still throwing up at 18 wees but much better than I was) and I had horrendous constipation for weeks because of the hyperemesis and all the drugs I was on - I was on a huge dose of one that made everything liquid and another one that stops your colon contracting at all so there was (TMI) nothing solid but nothing came out at all. Literally no movement for weeks without artificial stimulation. Was unbelievably grim and makes you feel so much more ill, I think GPs etc can really underestimate how unpleasant it is. At the worst I vomited up all oral methods (movicol, lactulose etc) immediately so in hospital they resorted first to glycerine suppositories (which failed but this is unusual - can you ask if you can use these?) and then an enema (violent but effective). Once I was out of hospital I tried absolutely everything. The only things that worked for me were: impaction dose of movicol (but grim to get it all in when vomiting) and OTC enemas (I used the Fleet enemas and found I only needed a third of a bottle to get things going - definitely not the whole thing). Can you ask them what they will do in hospital if you are admitted? Tbh I found having suppositories/enemas etc administered in hospital by nurses pretty unpleasant and upsetting - much better to be able to do it to yourself in the privacy of your own bedroom/bathroom if that's an option and if that's what they're going to do anyway.

Thank you so much for all the advice. I phoned and spoke to triage at the hospital today and they were very clear i should not try any medication type things except lactolose as they're really worried about early labour being caused. They said if I was admitted they'd choose a treatment but I'd be under supervison and possibly monitoring until they were certain labour hadn't started.

So after hours of orange juice, walking on the spot, warm baths, manual extraction, gentle squats, fruit eating and gentle pressing on vagina wall I finally produced 2 small poos about the size of cocktail sausages!

Never did find the prune juice but will have another look tomorrow morning

I'm more comfortable but absolutely exhausted!! Hopefully there's more to come. Who would have thought our bowels could be the source of so much entertainment

Dried apricots and a litre of tropicana with bits in,
Been there it's awful isn't it, hope it moves soon

Too much fibre when you are already constipated is not a good idea. You'll just make yourself more uncomfortable.

My obstretician okayed MICROLAX, but i know they've said nothing but Lactulose for you (which in my opinion is a waste of time)

I have suffered with extreme constipation all my life (Average time between loo visits once every three weeks)

I think the glycerine supp will be fine, but of course thats up to you and your doctors.

Otherwise, flax seeds are good.

Good luck!

Bless you, I have no practical advice other than everything you've already heard/tried.

When I was 34 weeks I was a bit constipated, I strained to do a poo (twas the size of a bird poo - not that it's particularly relevant but as we're on the subject) and a bit of my mucus plug came away.

I was so worried that I rang the maternity unit, I told them that some of my plug had come away, so she asked me was I doing anything strenuous at the time....I had to admit that I was straining to do a poo . She told me off [double ]

Hope it clears quickly - let us know how you..ahem..get on

You definately need to get it lubricated down that end to get it out as described above. Fibre is great but you do have to make sure you don't get dehydrated as the stool can get very hard and just won't budge - also the muscles sort of lazily stretch around it after a,while and just don't contract. Glycerine pessaries gave always helped me but I was very annoyed with the pharmacist who refused me them in pregnancy (was only 14 wks ffs) due to 'contractual stimulation' so I'd get the gp or midwife to ok them. Definately try all the other ideas with gloves, vaseline, up fango, bath etc. You may get more cramps by consuming more fibre at the mo as it churns away inside you. Get well soon!

How's it going today ontheedge? You will feel so much better when it's sorted, even if you do have to be admitted for it.

How are you feeling today OP?

Made an interesting discovery that cooked beetroot (not the pickled ones, the other plain cooked ones in bags in veg aisle) very good to help keep you regular - couple of whole beets at lunch seems to do the trick! (and spectacularly purple poo!)

Still nothing since yesterday but as there as been a little bit of movement they've decided to give me a couple more days to see what happens Still feeling appalling but at least they've told me I can go back to eating things other than fruit so not so light headed anymore.

Finally located prune juice (next to ribena Will add beetroot to tomorrow's shop. Determined to deal with this

Go easy though on case of more cramps. Good luck!

I couldn't do the prune juice as couldn't eat/drink at all with the hyperemesis, but it does have a good reputation. Kiwis are meant to be good too. Good luck with it!

Nothing since my tiny effort on Sunday. Going to call the hospital again tomorrow unless something happens overnight. Feeling so bloated and in pain all the time

And a whinge - I HATE fucking prune juice its vile. It looks ominous and tastes disgusting and I've drunk 2 sodding bottles of the stuff :(

Have you tried the suppositories yet?

There is no point putting anything in the top end when your problem is at the bottom end! It won't make any difference whatsoever.

Glycerine suppositories are exactly what would be used in hospital for a pregnant lady with your problem. (ex-midwife speaking).

The hospital / doctor / my midwife wouldn't prescribe them and chemist wouldn't sell them to me without a prescription - believe me I've tried

Its so irritating

But you can buy them over the counter. I really don't understand.

TBH I think laxatives are far more likely to cause a problem than a couple of glycerine suppositories.

Maybe you should go back to the GP. They might prescribe them for you.

Personally I would just get someone else to get them for me, but I can understand that the hospital people have put the fear of God into you.

OTC or not the local pharmacy won't sell them to me

I think your last sentence hits the nail on the head 3littlefrogs. I lost first baby at 38 weeks so scared witless very easily and probably TOO inclined to do as I'm told One person I've not spoken to yet is my community midwife. I think I'll phone her instead in the morning - she may be more level headed.

So sorry to hear about your previous loss ontheedge. It does indeed make you on the edge for every little twinge in other pregnancies. It's not the same but I have had 4 previous miscarriages (now 37 weeks with first baby) and so have been watching every tiny little thing too. Knicker checking for blood in the early days I got such a fright when I found some - all down to constipation though rather than the front end

Have you tried having another dig around from the vaginal wall?! I often found you can, er, separate bits off and push them downwards and that at least gets a tiny bit moving.

Oh you poor thing. It is the worst
You must be desperate
For me I usually succeed with this:
2 sachets of movicol
1 suppository ( glycerine)
Wait an hour ( if you can)
Bring radio/ iPod into bathroom
Sit on loo
Lubricate with a bit of Vaseline
Breath to relax. Listen to music
Sit without pushing for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes push gently.
Stop if nothing comes
Wait another 30 minutes walking about-

Repeat.
Another thing I have tried is changing position to kneeling on floor and leaning forward.Or lying on side with knees up.
Good luck OP
I feel so sorry for you

After

I have been worrying about the prune juice etc - you could be causing more cramps with everything going in, maybe stick to water and soupy stuff to keep hydrated.

You can buy glycerine suppositories off the shelf in boots, near the Senna and syrup of figs (dont do them) - in my experience they melt and mainly lubricate but seem to stimulate a bowel movement - I wouldn't have thought anything to do with a labour contraction. However, I am not a doctor, just an occasionally bunged up teacher.

If staying safe i'd be trying the vaseline, bath, poke about again etc.

You could always get someone else to buy the glycerine suppositories for you. The adult ones might be a bit too much, they can make the peristalsis motion of the bowel quite strong, but I had no problems on the childrens ones during late stages of pregnancy.

Speak to the community midwife see what she says.

Yippeeee.... I went to the toilet this morning and did a normal sized poo without straining and I feel like there may be more to come quite soon!! I wonder if I'll be this delighted when I finally have the baby

Thank you everyone and sorry this turned into an epic thread on a grim topic - hopefully it will be useful to someone else one day

Hooray!!!!!! well done OP

No need to apologise I love talking about poo

Yeeehar!!

Definately useful thread - can't remember which is best but there are 2 sorts of fibre, one of which can bung you up more if a little dehydrated - worth checking which is best! (probably vegetables)