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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Does constipation ever get better? ;(

35 replies

Mslg · 18/01/2016 10:54

Currently 11 weeks and been having bad constipation really badly on and off. This weekend seems to be particularly bad, haven't had a bowel movement in 3 days and I'm so bloated and uncomfortable. I know the next time I go, which will be god knows when, I'll end up with fissures 😫

Does this last all the way through pregnancy? Does it ease off after the first trimester? At this point for me, it's almost as bad as the nausea

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ExplodingCarrots · 18/01/2016 11:00

You have all my sympathies because I suffered with this too and it was horrific (fissures, piles , sorry tmi ). I suffered constipation anyway but this was on another level.

After the first trimester it improved and was a lot better. I went to the GP and they gave me fibregel and lactulose.

OhWhatAPalaver · 18/01/2016 11:31

It's horrible isn't it. Are you on iron or taking pregnacare? I'm 17 weeks and on iron supplements (well, on and off because I can't handle it!), it was bad anyway but being on iron makes it so much worse.
My only advice is to consume as much fruit as you can and not too much stodgy food. I'm going to ask the midwife about what else can be done later today.

Rufus200 · 18/01/2016 11:41

Mine did get much better, was really bad early on. I have IBS as well. I found lactulose really helped and I eat porridge every morning. You can get lactulose from the chemist without a prescription.

Runningupthathill82 · 18/01/2016 11:46

Mine has got worse as both my pregnancies progressed - but glycerine suppositories saved me both times.

SomebodySedateMe · 18/01/2016 11:50

35+4 and its returned with a vengeance.

Nicky333 · 18/01/2016 12:24

I had this in the run-up to Christmas. It was awful. My sister, who has a 7 week old, said to eat a bowl of frosted Shreddies every day and it will sort itself out. And it so has. Amazing.

They can just be normal Shreddies I guess, but frosted ones are easier to eat. My sister had HG all the way through her pregnancy, so possibly nicer if they come back up as well...

Ohwoolballs · 18/01/2016 12:33

I cut out coffee (and Coke) for about two months at the end of the first tri and felt horrendous! I now have one milky coffee a day which has saved my innards and my sanity.
I'm pretty sure taking pregnacare vits has added to the bunged up feeling but all in all it does get better. Or at least it did for me, currently 30 weeks and back to every other day movements
Congrats anyway!

SomebodySedateMe · 18/01/2016 13:13

Nicky that sounds so appealing right now. Gestational diabetes so I'm not allowed near cereal

ODog · 18/01/2016 13:23

It's awful. Unfortunately it never eased for me when I had it in my first pregnancy. Not until the final 'clear-out' in the week or so leading up to the birth. Lactulose is your friend. Your vile tasting friend, but your friend none the less. My top tip is to put it in the fridge, it's slightly better cold.

swashbucklecheer · 18/01/2016 13:30

I'm afraid it only improves once baby arrives. Iron tablets make it much worse too. You have my sympathy - it's hateful

Picklesauage · 18/01/2016 13:31

Mine continued throughout the pregnancy, all 3 of my pregnancies in fact.

Go see the doctor and ask for movicol (also called Laxido) I took half a sachet everyday for he whole of every pregnancy. Nothing else worked, I suffered until 13 weeks with the first and knew better the other times!

It doesn't taste the best, but I used to make it up with a very small amount of water, the. Follow it up with a big drink afterwards rather than trying to drink a big glass of it. It doesn't taste the best!

sparkleshine83 · 18/01/2016 13:38

I'm only 5 weeks but I've been having more of this than nausea...

mackinnonka · 18/01/2016 13:47

Yup I am in the same boat, 15 weeks and its not any better (but then was an issue before as well).

I have found a fybogel first thing in the morning before anything else helps, and a small dose lactulose morning and night.

Also worth trying some 'wind relief' style exercises and rubbing your abdomen in circular motions...usually makes me feel less bloated.

And of course...tonnes of water/fluids.

Miffyonline · 18/01/2016 21:50

I was taking a vitamin d tablet and a folic acid tablet every day and had similar problems. Midwife gave me a different tablet, a combined one and it's been better ever since. Not sure why or how, it just made a huge difference...

CityMole · 18/01/2016 22:17

Mine was awful. I had got into a routine of fybogel, movicol and glycerine suppositories (I even, with doctor's blessing, had to take senokot at one point), and even that was hit or miss, when it suddenly cleared up at about 18 weeks. Constipation had been my only pregnancy symptom, and when it vanished overnight I was convinced I'd had a MMC and was in a complete state until my 20 week scan confirmed all was well. I'm now nearly 25 weeks and still, touch wood, managing to go once a day without any movicol or anything. I have no idea what has changed. I don't expect it to last but I'm enjoying it while it does!

Original poster

Mslg · 18/01/2016 22:44

Thanks everyone for your replies and helpful tips! I'm usually so regular so really struggling with this. Looking forward to some much needed relief whenever it decides to arrive

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whatsoever · 18/01/2016 23:38

Started with me as soon as I was prescribed iron tablets (11 weeks ish) and never went sadly (I'm 38 weeks today). I stopped the iron tablets in August and the Pregnacare soon afterwards as I got a reoccurrence of a fissure it got so bad. Have taken lactulose ever since which has broadly speaking helped.

Youremywifenow · 19/01/2016 00:43

Do you have a tilted uterus? It's quite common, if you google the diagrams you can see why you would get so constipated once it starts expanding.
It does get better, once it fills up a bit more it pops forward (about 12 weeks for me) then the constipation comes back at the end when you're full of baby.

whatsoever · 19/01/2016 00:46

Youremywifenow is a tilted uterus the same as a retroverted uterus? I got told I had that during my first pregnancy scan but I've never thought about it/ heard mention of it since.

Youremywifenow · 19/01/2016 09:04

Google tells me yes. It basically tilts backwards instead of forwards. I got told I had one during an internal scan. Don't think of makes any difference to anything, when I mentioned it to the dr as a reason I was so constipated she just looked at me blankly. This is my own theory.
The cross section diagram does show that it narrows your bowel.

FourForYouGlenCoco · 19/01/2016 09:21

I'm nearly 13 weeks and my old fissure from having DD (3y) has come back, the constipation has been on and off but even when it's not too bad, going to the toilet is like passing glass .
I'm finding loads of fluid helps, tomatoes/tomato-based stuff seems to get things moving for me too. And a cup of proper coffee first thing - I had to give it up for quite a few weeks thanks to the nausea and the constipation got much worse. Am back on it now and it definitely seems to help. Thankfully I'm now very into fruit so am keeping everything crossed it's not too bad for the rest of pg!

emmac3616 · 20/01/2016 18:57

I had it throughout with DS1 and to be honest it was never then right afterwards, now pregnant with DC2 and its back - I drink copious quantities of cold prune juice - am and pm and that gets me but without any medicine... It's magic stuff! I think the man who does our grocery deliveries must think we're mad!! I buy like 10 cartons at a time! And I don't even like it! :-)

Peyia · 20/01/2016 19:05

Can anyone let me know how their gp treated the fissure? It's the worst pain ever, I've had an attack every week for the last 6 weeks.

Healthyme15 · 21/01/2016 14:40

Hi mslg,

Drink fresh fruit juices as well as more water. You can also take Digestic by Mimonis, an herbal supplement I have used as well as my family when we suffered constipation. The results was very amazing as all of us got relieved.

Nevercan · 21/01/2016 15:18

Go for a gentle swim - that always helped me

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