Constipation hell, send help!

[birchwoods]

I'm 18+3 and have been constipated on and off for weeks. Every couple of days I have awful pains and discomfort with the urge to 'go' but I just can't!! Then things seem better for a day or so, then the merry hell of constipation returns! It's so bad and is back today. I've been to doctors and spoken to my midwife about it. Doc says I can take lactulose, mw told me to avoid taking anything as it'll make my bowel lazy and make the problem worse.

I know it's a common symptom of pregnancy so please tell me how you found some 'relief'!! Did you take anything for it?
Help!!

I have to have prunes daily. I cook them in a bit of water on a low heat for ten mins then let them cool and whack them in a blender. Usually do a tin, and lasts about two days, one drink of the puree in the morning and one in the evening. I also drink plenty of warm water with lemon as your body absorbs warm water better than cold which can help soften the stools... and move them through

It keeps me going at least every other day and daily on a good week, figs are good too! Have had a bad couple of days with it, so you have my sympathy

Yes, prunes are the answer . I've found that I have to be very strict with my fibre intake- a couple of days on the refined carbs, and it all goes to shit (or, er, not ).

I make a dried fruit compote (just stewed, basically, with a spoonful of honey and some cinnamon)- with some fresh fruit too-, and have it on my Greek yogurt or porridge every morning. I also snack on prunes and figs, and try to cram as many pulse-based meals into my diet as I can (which means I'm now constantly farting instead!)

I also think the caffeine restrictions have had a terrible effect, because I never had a problem in my first pregnancy, which happened before we were told to cut down on coffee. So, if things aren't going well in the bum dept, I'll have an extra espresso- I reckon it's the lesser of 2 evils .

I'm also planning to get some lactulose in for bad days- and for that post birth poo!

Should've mentioned that I eat prunes, dried apricots and fresh fruit every day and have reinstated my usual fail safe - a cup of black coffee - but to no avail. I think I will try the prune compote or get some prune juice before I resort to lactulose, it's tempting though, I can't bear it any more! Thanks for the tips!

I've literally never had constipation before being pregnant, but it was actual hell from weeks 7-15 for me. Prune juice is suprisingly effective! Just don't drink an entire litre in one go.

Your midwife is talking shit, excuse the pun. Constipation is a horrible thing for some in pregnancy and can lead to piles (from personal experience sadly).
I got movicol from the gp and drank loads of water. Sorry you're uncomfortable, I remember what this was like trying to squeeze a bloody rock out of your arse

Thanks everyone. Will get myself some prune juice and go to the pharmacy if that doesn't work.

Thanks babyonboob, it really is awful isn't it. It feels like I've been corked and might explode at any moment!

Exercise seems to make it worse as it kind of shifts things around and creates an air lock, which is annoying as exercise is one of the suggested remedies!!

Green smoothies have been getting things working here - mango or pineapple, berries, handful of spinach with water or coconut milk and hot water and lemon first thing.

Loads of Fresh orange and hot water with a slice of lemon usually works for me

Lactulose sorts me out, Im 31 weeks and have been taking it loads since early on, same in last pregnancy. Both mw and gp said it's perfectly ok.

Make some poo cake aka fruity tea bread. Fills you up, not much fat of sugar and keeps you regular, I made loads of this when pregnant with dd2.

This makes a 1lb/450g loaf

2oz/55g sultanas

2oz/55g raisins

2oz/55g plump dried figs, chopped

2oz/55g dried apricots, chopped

2oz/55g prunes (stoneless, soft Agen prunes), chopped

(Basically a combination of 10 oz of whatever dried fruit you fancy)

1/2 pint/285ml Earl Grey tea

8oz/225g self-raising flour, sieved

6oz/170g soft dark brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2oz/55g butter, melted

finely grated rind of 1 lemon and 1 orange

1/2 teaspoon powdered cinnamon

Put the dried fruits into a bowl and pour the tea over them. Mix well and leave overnight.

Sieve the flour into a bowl and add the soft brown sugar. Mix in the beaten eggs, the melted butter, lemon and orange rind, cinnamon and the fruits from their bowl, mixing in enough of the liquid so that you have a dropping consistency.

Spoon and scrape this mixture into a buttered 1lb/450g loaf tin lined with baking parchment and bake in a low to moderate oven, 150C/300F/Gas Mark 3, for 1-11/4 hours. You'll know when it is cooked – the tea-bread should feel firm when you press the surface.

Cool it in its tin, then cut into slices about 1cm thick and serve very slightly warm.

It's pregnancy hormones (progesterone, to be precise) that really makes the gut sluggish. It's awful! Movicol is good stuff though. Get yourself a repeat prescription. You might need a few sachets at once to get the blockage moving, but once you're sorted, one sachet a day should keep you on track for the rest of your pregnancy

Don't suffer, because if you don't get it sorted you'll get awful piles.

Christelle how quickly does the lactulose take effect? And is it a gentle ushering or an emergency evacuation?

Midgey, thank you so much for the recipe, I don't need much persuading to eat cake, I shall make it this week and pretend it's medicine!!

I'm suddenly empathising with my 2 yr old niece, she's on the Movacol!

I'm always constipated! So interested in this! I'm 24 weeks now and pregnancy is worse than usual. There is very little in diet that I can see makes any difference to me, once tried a litre of prune juice 4 days in a row (sugar high but nil effect). Kiwis, dried figs, orange juice - nothing.
I eat lots of fibre and veg anyway. If I eat virtually only vegetables I go, but then am a bit windy (sorry tmi!) and for me not realistically sustainable.
FYbogel sachets - no help - but makes sense as I think, I eat plenty fibre already. Lactulose - no change.
Never tried anything else in pregnancy, if I wasn't I'd take strong coffee plus dulcolax but was told not to take them.

I'm going to try the tinned prunes, hot water and lemon and ask GP for movicol. Thanks op and pps

I've avoided caffeine then was really suffering...someone suggested having some so I've been having 1 normal cup of coffee a day and on the whole hasn't been as bad but still have days which aren't great!

I'll pray to the poo fairies for both of us, soontobe!

X post . . . and the poo cake, if nothing else sounds tasty

soontobemumofthree - I feel your pain! I have a rubbish digestive system, and all the things you mentioned don't work for me either. Movicol has honestly been life changing. You should give it a go.

poo cake for birchwoods!

Lactulose worked for me, but only if I drank a LOT of water (Like 1-2 liters) with it. It isn't immediate 'holy god I'm going to shit myself' evacuation, it made me a bit crampy & gassy while it was doing it's thing, and then voila! Easy soft poo! I don't recommend taking before bed, I woke myself and DH up with aforementioned gas
Currently keeping arse glass poo at bay with lots of fresh strawberries and yoghurt with oath stuff in it.

i suffered terribly with this before and during my pregnancy, before pregnancy was due to weight watchers and during was due to usual pregnancy nonsense! for me i made sure i drank at least one glass of orange juice a day, some grapes, some peanut butter or some kind of oil (eg, olive oil for cooking dinner) and things were soon moving again. Best to find a remedy that doesn't involve taking a prescribed medication as it can be a vicious cycle, and i know mine stayed until my daughter was about 3 months old, and with breastfeeding there isn't much that can be prescribed, and it does depend on who you see (at my surgery anyway!) hope this helps, i feel for you, x

Get Movicol. I had it at 20 something weeks, and now again at 39 weeks. Its hell.

Brown Linseed! Available from all good health food shops, a spoonful on your cereal a day sorts you right out. It breaks down to a mucous that helps things along. These were the only thing that sorted me out in two pregnancies of constipation.

Best to find a remedy that doesn't involve taking a prescribed medication as it can be a vicious cycle

That's not true. Medications like Lactulose (stool softener) and Movicol (stool bulker and softener) are completely safe in pregnancy and are safe for long term use. They don't make the bowel "lazy" in the same way stimulant laxatives (e.g. Senna) do.