constipation

[curlyclaz13]

Help ! I am 10 weeks and the constipation is really doing my head in ! Twice I have ended up with a vaginal bleed with clots. ( scan yesterday and all ok ) I am trying to drink more and have gone through most of a bag of prunes since Monday ! Also eating dried apricots about 5 a day. Any other ideas ?

I had the same issue. I now take a couple of these a couple of times a day because I hate the fiber drinks. But don't start out with that if you try it! Take two to begin with and see how that goes. Then increase as you need.

A kiwi a day. And a glass of orange juice. That kept me regular during my last pregnancy when I got prescribed iron tablets ( they make you constipated). And when you have fibre, make sure to drink plenty at the same time otherwise it just clogs up your system. Good luck, being constipated sucks!

For me museli every day helps- lizzies granola from tesco or sains

Lots of water plus fruit.

Check with the midwife as 10 weeks seems quite early to be constipated, however I'm taking lactulose and it's very good. I'm 36 weeks and have been taking it for at least the last 10 weeks... Eating lots of fruit is a more pleasant option though!

10 weeks isn't early for being constipated at all. Your digestive systems slows down dramatically so that the baby can take as much out of the nutrients you ingest as possible. If you're not having much luck with the dried fruit/prune juice approach I'd also recommend lactulose. I am also on iron supplements and after a very uncomfortable few days I took some yesterday and it's sorted me right out. Beware though, I thought it would take the standard 8 hours like most other laxatives which you generally take before bed and the problem is resolved in the morning but it seemed to work within about half and hour!

Thanks for the replies, I have probably not been drinking enough so am trying to drink more, now I have probaly spent as much time going to the loo as working today !

As well as drinking more try to keep really active. Brisk walking or swimming helps get everything moving again. Oatbran and ground linseed are also good.

Agree with lots of orange juice, your body gets rid of the excess vit c I was told and I've never had a problem.

Drink more water, sprinkle crushed flax seed on live yoghurt, eat some Kelloggs All-Bran (powerful stuff). Fruit juices not a bad idea either. Mine has got a lot worse at 31 weeks!

I was told to increase fluid levels, also a couple of dried apricots a day really help - not only for constipation but also for your iron levels.

Yes - completely agree with tons of orange juice. My MIL actually suggested this and it worked soooo well. I honestly though i was going to get an impacted bowel. I managed one of the smaller tropicana cartons (think 1 litre) over one day and that really clearned me out (sorry tmi, I know). Then I just drank about 400ml - 500ml per day and that has stopped the problem. Now 38 weeks and probs started again at about 34 weeks with a bit if on/off constipation but midwife said that can just be baby's position at that stage which is fair enough. Think the oj does still helps though and stops it becoming a big problem.

Oooooh - other thing I was told by the midwife was to have some white bread and pasta. I was on all brown and she felt that had clogged me up a bit too. So I switched to sort of half and half with the orange juice and that did seem to help.