It's "just" constipation...

[anotherday22]

I feel awful. Lethargic and tbh quite unwell. I'm never unwell but I really do feel ill this time. It's getting worse. Family say try this or that (as if I've not thought of it) and you'll be fine. It's "just" constipation.

I've been to the GP and midwife who have been kind and I get their situation - that so many laxatives are just not tested enough so they are reluctant to prescribe stronger things.

...the thing is it's not "just" constipation. It's making me unwell. Making me worry about my baby and I'd just like it to be treated with a little more care. If I had sickness I feel this would be different. Maybe I'm hormonal but I suppose I'm just reaching out here because it feels quite frankly like I have no one else just now.

Constipation is miserable!

What have you tried so far? Chugging lactulose worked well for me. I also liquidised a can off prunes and drank that too. Was gross but did the job!

*of

It’s unbearable. With my last baby I was in tears and actually starting to get into a bit of a panic as I developed a really bad pile aswell. This meant there was a lot of blood and I got a fright. Consultant ended up prescribing movicol. I swear, I hadn’t gone in nearly a week, in less than an hour I was a new woman. Baby is a happy ten month old now! Cannot recommend it enough and the putting your feet on an upside down baby bath to poop also. It’s miserable and you have my sympathy!!! With the movicol the consultant told me to take three sachets in a row then see how I was an hour later. I could of had more if needed but literally there were no issues! It also saved the day for my first poop post birth!!!

Second lactulose - ask your GP for some as pharmacists generally won't sell it to pregnant women. It's safe.

Thanks @Teakind

I've been on lactulose for weeks and now been given senna. I've tried most things - prunes, guava, big bowls of green leafy veg, hot curries, dried fruit. You name it I've tried it almost. In part im accepting that this is just how it is but I just feel like it's the unspoken symptom that is passed off. Or at least that's what it's felt like for me. Never thought about liquidising prunes. I think I'll give that a go. Thank you.

I took Movicol throughout my pregnancy, helped a lot. You need to sort if and make sure you are doing tons of pelvic floor exercises because constipation heightens your risk of prolapse. I suffered a prolapse after chronic constipation throughout pregnancy (before I took enough Movicol), I really wish someone had told me to be vigilant with pelvic floor exercises. Hope you feel better soon, constipation is totally miserable

Thanks everyone. I bought movicol at the start but when I told the midwife they advised me
To switch to lactulose. The GP was then reluctant to prescribe anything else. OOH were the same hence why I ended up with senna. It's been over a week.

Linseed plus plenty of water - take dessertspoon 3times a day until resolved then once a day to stay regular. Linseed also softens stool so it doesn’t cause paun when you eventually do go hth

Oh I feel you! I'm also miserable with it too. I'm 18 weeks was so bad the other day I had to use a finger to help. Was possibly one of the lowest moments of my life.

Glycerine suppositories help me to get relief.

I have been using movicol one a day and it's helped a little.

You have my utmost sympathy.

So sorry you're going through this @anotherday22 must be absolutely miserable. An Australian yoga teacher called Bettina Rae has lots of free videos on her YouTube channel and I'm sure there is one for constipation and sluggish bowel. Sorry might not be helpful at all, just wanted to offer you something 💐

I'm struggling somewhat myself, but because I have terrible nausea and I'm sick approx every 3 days my attention is on that instead. If it's any consolation nothing has worked for my 24/7 nausea and midwives have just shrugged at my difficulty in drinking / eating, so in my experience it's not the case that they provide more care if you have sickness 😬

Thanks I will look up the videos.

I'm happy to try anything.

I have the whole box of movicol still and I feel it would work but am just terrified of harming the baby after all the doctors and midwives not wanting to prescribe it. I get why they can't, I'm just getting scared now.

When I had this and laxatives didn't help I took a long soak in an epsom salts bath. After that I lubed my fingers with olive oil and 'manually extracted' some 'matter'. That seemed to get things moving and I then did the biggest poo that has ever been seen. I think the olive oil encouraged it to slide out. Too much detail I know, but the relief was immense!

I hope you get things moving soon.

But definitely get yourself some glycerin suppositories. Sometimes it's the most effective thing to get the poo moving when it's at your bumhole but refusing to take the last leap. So to speak.

Constipation is absolutely rubbish op. I go the opposite during pregnancy but as soon as I give birth, well my body stops. Going for long walks and hot shower (hot relaxing bath might be more appropriate for you) helped me alongside maximum dose of lactulose.

Movicol is a perfectly safe - take 2 sachets then another 2 of no better in an hr

Well, I ate a small tub of sugar free jellies and although not constipated they certainly cleared me out 😳

Maybe try some Kefir to get things moving - it's better when you make your own as you can work out how strong/mild works best. Try only a couple of mouthfuls at first though as it can give you a mild tummy ache when it first starts working.

Movicol is registered for pregnancy and children over 1. It is fine to have and you can take up to 8 a day. I would suggest start with two but you can up it if not moving.

I took 2 sachets of movicol throughout my pregnancy. I mostly bought it over the counter, but also had it prescribed to me. Baby is now 1. Says here that it's safe:
www.nhs.uk/medicines/macrogol/

You need to see a better GP. Midwife can't prescribe anything. Ask for an antenatal clinic appt as obstetrician can prescribe, or ask the GP to ring the antenatal clinic to speak to the obstetrician for advice re: prescription.
Here is the link to Movicol in the BNF which doctors use for prescribing. bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/macrogol-3350-with-potassium-chloride-sodium-bicarbonate-and-sodium-chloride.html#indicationsAndDoses
And this is the section on constipation which includes a section on pregnancy. bnf.nice.org.uk/treatment-summary/constipation.html.
Honestly, sometimes I despair at some GP's.

Do you drink coffee? Try an Espresso.

BUMPs (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy) has a really good summary of treatment for constipation in pregnancy and the research around them

www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/Medicine--pregnancy/Treating-constipation-during-pregnancy/

Thank you for the info re movicol. I have read it all but I'm just struggling to get over their reluctance to prescribe. It's also good to hear that many of you have used it. I just think why are they not willing to prescribe it? I don't want to become a patient that questions them but I'm really done. I'm worried about going to work tomorrow. I can hardly think.

Ive whizzed up a can of prunes as suggested and taken that. If there's no result by the morning I think I'm going to have to get over my anxiety and just take the movicol. I can't go on like this much more.

You could also try fybogel (plus lots of water) or similar - it’s just sachets of soluble fibre plus sweeteners so I preferred capsules of psyllium husk, or a PP mentions. More for management and prevention. I took lots and lots of psyllium each day - much more than the 2-3 capsules the jar says.

After all this time i would be using Suppositories to ease the load then work on maintaining it