6 months pregnant and constipated....

[100Vicki]

Hi, sorry if this thread offends anyone, this is embarrassing , but I'm so fed up. I'm 6 months pregnant with #2 and constantly constipated. I didn't suffer with this during my first pregnancy and really don't know what to do. I think I've got a good diet, I eat plenty of fresh food and I'm making an effort to drink lots of water in this heat so I don't know why this keeps happening. Can anyone recommend a good laxative thats suitable for pregnant women or offer any advice? Thanks.

Are you taking any form of pregnancy vitamins? i was taking one which contained Iron which made me constipated. Eat plenty of fruit prines, grapes, plums ect are all good not sure about laxitives im sure someone will be able to tell you.

Lactulose. You don't need a prescription for it (but I got one so could get it free when pg). Keep up with the good diet and plenty of water as well. You can also try Senokot (used to be called Fybogel).

I honestly tried everything diet-wise and nothing else worked. I suffered much more with my first than with my second so it can be really different in different pregnancies. Constipation in pg is caused by the hormones of pg (specifically progesterone IIRC) slowing down the movement of food through the gut.

HTH.

pharmacist gave me senokot hi-fibre lemon sachets - not too disgusting! - whhen I was about 2o weeks and i have taken them from time to time since - i'm now 36 weeks!

prune juice im also nearly 6 months and my midwife recommended it to me one wine glass full before bedtime most supermarkets sell it hth

Another grateful Lactulose drinker here. But be warned, it can give you dreadful wind, temporarily

My midwife told me to eat a small amount of some very good dark chocolate. Apparently it can help to get things moving .

Oooo Littlefish, you made my day. Though I do that anyway, most days

hi im 13wks on third pregnancy, feeling really bunged up. Usually like using natural remedies, but the thought of psylium husk makes me its like drinking frogs sporn. gona take mums and you ladies advice and go with the prunes and lots of them. pebbles34.

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110Vicki - it's not an embarrassing thread at all, it's just what happens when you're pg! I used lactulose too - absolutely brilliant stuff. Orange juice diluted down with hot water helps and prunes and figs are pretty good. Hope you feel better soon.

prune juice im also 6 mths pg and my midwife recommended it its fab

as I have never suffered from constipation (very thankful of that too) - just silly question, if you take a laxative, does it just bring you back to normal or through you completely the other way - i.e. sitting on the toilet for hours?

Sorry to hear you're suffering vicki - it's a nightmare, eh? I found that a punnet of fresh apricots is a startlingly effective way to get thing moving - fresh not dried as I think dried gives a lot of gas and pain. But you have to eat 5 or 6 - do it before you go to bed and then hopefully you'll be ready to go in the morning. At last resort, I have also used lactulose (bleeurggh) and sachets called movicol which your pharmacist may have to order but you can buy over the counter. They are v good and can be mixed with juice - a bit ££ though. Good luck!

Get some linseed, grind up a tablespoon and put that on your cereal each morning (or in a yogurt) - couple of days of that, and things will be moving wonderfully...

I used to drink Lactulose by the bucketload after having DS. It's pretty yucky but does work.

Try adding a handful of All-Bran to your cereal in the morning.

I'm 11 weeks and just starting to notice I'm having a bit of trouble 'going'. Someone else recommended All-Bran to me - haven't tried it yet but I will.

I'm still managing to exercise regularly - I run several times a week - and quite often that brings on the urge to go (not always in a convenient location though!)

Above all, don't strain!

Eat apricots. Will keep your iron levels up too.

Lactulose is doing the trick for me!

I must be weird I liked lactulose!!! Just check you can have it when you are pregnant. I was bunged up in pregnancy and given fybogel (prescription name of senokot). After pregnancy I was given lactulose and it was magic - I thought it would remember it for next time I was pregnant but there was something on the label about not taking it when pregnant.

However, sounds like quite a few people have taken it, so it might just be one of those over cautious warnings.

Prune juice fab too (and I like the taste of that too)

You can buy Fybrogel from Boots - it's in an orange box and it's on the shelves, you don't need to ask at the counter. It worked for me!!

Anotehr vote for Lactulose. Do start another thread when the piles start and I'll direct you to the only place that works for me (or I could just tell you now that it's www.amoils.com, healing hemmorhoids (sorry can't spell) with a letter P after it means it's safe while pregnant/breastfeeding. Get two bottles )