Hit me with your constipation remedies!

[BubbleandSqueeeek]

I eat plenty of fruit and veg, plus orange juice. Weetabix or porridge every morning for breakfast. Plus I exercise for 5 hours a week, and do plenty of walking daily because my office is up three flights of stairs. Yet I've still been hit with a nasty case of constipation at 31 weeks! I've done childbirth (well, up to 9cm) but I'm having a panic ataack because everything is stuck and each time I push I feel nauseous (what a pansy). Genuinely scared to go the loo.

So, what more can I do?? I'm drinking hot lemon water by the barrel, eating raisins and strawbs. Had baked beans for tea last night. And I'm going to pop to get some lactulose shortly. Any other tips?? If I can bear to leave the house I'll go for a walk too.

When are you drink of hot lemon water?

Warm lemon water first thing in the morning half an hour before breakfast works. But I've never tried it in pregnancy😕

Another vote for glycerin suppositories.
The poo is probably hard at the bottom (no pun) end which will make it difficult to pass.
The glycerin suppository will soften this & everything you have taken will help push it out.
Also - raising your feet on a little stool (again, no pun) really does help

Kiwi fruit with the skin left on. And if that fails lactulose

Tinned pears worked for me

All bran always works for me

Allbran and pregnancy definitely don't mix IME. See my comment about weetabix and cement earlier. Allbran sets like concrete...

My (very old and possibly no longer with us) midwifery tutor told me never to recommend allbran to a pregnant woman.

Vegetable soup, lentils and stewed fruit work well though.

Anyway - I hope the OP has made some progress by now.

If there's a 'cork' stopping it coming out then nothing you eat will help. Sennakot max strength is good but I'm not sure if it's allowed in pregnancy. If you're desperate and it's very bad, you could try pooing in a warm bath. I also read somewhere about trying to manually remove the hard bit, if nothing else works. As someone posted "it's either your finger or someone else's'" and Sometimes it needs breaking up if it's a very solid bit stopping everything else coming out. Hope you sort it, constipation is awful.

Without giving too much away, I passed some of the hard bit but then everything got a bit stuck and I've been very uncomfortable this afternoon. Trying to go little and often until it gets soft again! Gah, I swear this is worse than childbirth!! I'm also at work tomorrow at an external event where I won't have the luxury of sitting on the loo with boxes under my feet for 20 mins!

The only thing that worked for me last pregnancy was prune juice. Gallons of the stuff was consumed!
I also recommend the raising your feet thing. Definitely works.
Hope you get it sorted soon, it's no fun

Movicol is miles better than lactulose (the latter did work for me, but with painful side effects and too much gas).
I managed it with a combo of movicol and glycerine suppositories- via both ends, basically! Diet is obviously very important, but severe pregnancy constipation will not go away with prunes and water alone, definitely take the movicol!

I use dulcolax when get backed up it stimulates bowel and Colon it's only one that works for me is very effective but occasionally gives me terrible pains. I've not checked if can use in pregnancy I'm sure I did last time occasionally.

If you are really bunged up, I think the glycerin suppositories are the best thing. They work like magic.

Thanks for all your help everyone! First I had to birth something approximately the size and girth of a jacket potato, but now I'm free and easy again!

Definitely having prunes for brekkie with my porridge!!