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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Sad, sore and embarrassed: 3rd trimester constipation :(

27 replies

splendidsqueak7 · 13/08/2018 22:26

Hi bump chums, I’m looking for some solidarity and perhaps a little advice. I’m 34+3, and I can now add ‘crying on the toilet’ to the list of things I’ve done in this pregnancy. Performing bowel movements is now so horrible: it takes ages and then my bottom is really sore and I need ‘recovery time’ after. This evening I was on the loo for over an hour: I cried and lovely DH had to come and comfort me through the door. I did then wonder what if I physically can’t perform this basic function? Then after an hour it finally happened. DH gave me the biggest cuddle and has done his best to make me feel not gross. But still. I’ve started drinking a little prune juice, any tips for making bathroom-time less of an ordeal? Anyone else had something similar? Worried about this sort of thing happening at work :s TIA

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

hayleyr27 · 13/08/2018 22:38

Hi Hun!! 38 weeks pregnant with IBS so I know how you feel. It does get easier trust me. Add a bit more fibre to your diet and eat lots of veggies and fruits daily. A warm bath with some Epsom salts can help too and maybe add some Sudocreme to your bottom to help heal it. If you eat white bread cut it out and switch to brown/seeded granary bread instead. Decafe coffee is good if you love coffee since it's a natural laxative but maybe stick to the one cup a day just incase or herbal tea with lemon. Lemon water is good too as it helps with bloating...I hope this helps because I too am over this pregnancy x

Honeybee79 · 13/08/2018 22:42

Plenty of water and lots of fruit/veg/fibre. Porridge is good. Drinking lots of iced water is key for me. Sending sympathy. I have a few weeks of constipation at a time then randomly get the shits for a day. Pregnancy is wreaking havoc!

Helpmemyhairisterrible · 13/08/2018 22:49

Lactulose twice a day sorted mine. I had a horrible time post first baby and I've now got permanent issues. Did lactulose from 30 weeks with second baby, pooed the day after giving birth and feel pretty much recovered. Speak to your GP or midwife tomorrow. Are you on Iron supplements? Even the ones in your prenatal vitamins can be enough to bung you up. At 34 weeks you could probably stop taking the prenatal so long as your iron levels are fine. Try Spatone instead of tablets- it's a bit gentler.

Sympathies... The constipation at three weeks is the abiding memory of DD's first few weeks. You really don't need to be that way too.

DollyDayScream · 13/08/2018 22:54

Coffee (real), fruit, fruit juice and more water than you think is required.

SW2Sugar · 13/08/2018 22:59

I second sudocrem to the bum, it's soothing and still help it heal. Lots of water and pitted prunes and if that doesn't work glycerin suppositries work a dream! It's an utterly horrible thing to go through, I hope it gets better quickly for you.

Pinkvoid · 13/08/2018 23:00

Lots and lots of fruit. I hadn’t gone for five days straight a couple of weeks ago so DP forced me to eat two massive plates full of fruit. Well, it worked is all I can say .

cockneymama2018 · 13/08/2018 23:01

fruit - dried apricots and dates; green leaves; lots of fluids; lactulose. good luck!

BlueBug45 · 14/08/2018 00:05

I looked into this and whole grains, while recommended, don't work for most people. Likewise coffee isn't guaranteed to work and neither is fruit juice.

I was told years ago by a dietitian that dried fruit has a laxative effect for many people, so as well as eating fresh fruit and certain veg such as sweetcorn, I have a couple of handfuls of dried fruit daily.

I found that some veg combinations, which use to work pre-pregnancy actually now bung me up painfully, so unless you know what veg works for you I would concentrate more on the fruit side make in sure to eat it with or straight after meals to avoid teeth decay problems.

If eating lots of fruit daily doesn't work - and you need more than you initially think - then you need to try a laxative. Oh and I'm on iron tablets which pre-pregnancy would give me the runs are now bunging me up so I've just upped the fruit plus the veg that I know works.

kmreeve · 14/08/2018 04:24

I understand this.. my last pregnancy I gave myself piles from straining so much. With this pregnancy I'm on a teaspoon of lactulose everyday and I eat liquorice ( try proper red liquorice if you don't like the taste of black)

You'll probably need to do a few days at full dosage of lactulose to get things going normally again but then the teaspoon a day for "maintenance"

kmreeve · 14/08/2018 04:25

Meant to say.. liquorice is for sale in Holland & barret... not the sweeties kind you get in corner shops or Tesco etc, that'll do bugger all!

Original poster

splendidsqueak7 · 14/08/2018 04:40

Thank you so much everyone. The frustration is that my diet is pretty good (plenty of good fibre, lots of fresh fruit and veg, gallons of water). I’m a bit afraid of dried fruit as I had bad IBS pre-bump and dried fruit would make me bloated - but one positive thing is I’ve not had my normal IBS symptoms since being PG so I’ll give it a go. I’ve got a MW appt. Monday, I’ll ask about lactulose. Sudocrem’s a good idea! I do hate to think that the state my poor bottom can be in after my attempts at a bowel movement are just a fraction of what will happen when my body has to push a baby out. I’m thrilled to be PG - but I hadn’t banked on this particular issue.

OP posts:

Placebogirl · 14/08/2018 05:00

My consultant OB recommended Movicol, which is over the counter where I am. It worked a bloody treat. I was hesitant to go there, but after an entire pregnancy of faffing about with coffee, dried fruit etc it was nice to be able to just do my business

FallenAngel89 · 14/08/2018 05:53

Lots of water through the day and Lactulose was a godsend! Hope you feel better soon OP

sexnotgender · 14/08/2018 08:13

Lentils are my friend

Havetothink · 14/08/2018 09:23

I don't know if anyone has already said it but don't strain, it'll only make things worse.

Minkies13 · 14/08/2018 09:28

Prune juice!!!!!

Emmasmum2013 · 14/08/2018 09:59

Psyllium husk!!! You can get it in Holland and Barrett. It's a godsend.

widgetbeana · 14/08/2018 10:41

Movicol! Movicol, Movicol!

The pregnancy hormones slow down then bowel, it is worse for some than others. I had to take half a Movicol sachet a day for every single pregnancy. And I did it for a week after to help those first week poos!

Honestly diet just doesn't cut it for the hormone related bowel issues.

You may need to start with one sachet for a couple of days and then go up or down accordingly.

Liz3891 · 14/08/2018 12:34

I had this for a while and switched to eating this for breakfast every day:

Greek yogurt
couple tablespoons of bran
squirt of honey for flavour

Problem went away completely. The past few days I've had a different breakfast and it came back, so even just that small amount of bran was enough to prevent it for me.

hesbeeneatingapotato · 14/08/2018 12:37

Diet change, and I had a sachet of movicol daily.

Erm, if you're struggling now, I'd make sure you have some stuff in for after birth. Pain relief can cause extreme constipation too 14 days

Pittcuecothecookbook · 14/08/2018 12:41

Lactulose!! Def. You can get it over the counter at boots. Buy a big bottle - you'll prob need it post partum too

mintich · 14/08/2018 13:01

I used to drink fybogel and that really helped

JackReacherReader · 14/08/2018 13:21

Suppositories will help. Go to the gp

Funnyface1 · 14/08/2018 14:27

Movicol and prune juice.

laylasmummy1 · 14/08/2018 15:46

syrup of figs from the chemist. works a dream. x x

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