Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

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

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Tore myself from serious constipation =(

36 replies

first1 · 09/12/2009 16:28

TMI sorry

I'm 17+2 and like many others am suffering from constipation. Lucky to go twice a week recently. I'm taking pregnacare plus which I know contains amongst everything else iron, but the packet and MW say its safe to take throughout.

Anyway this morning was horrendous, I was practically in tears trying to go and when I wiped there was a bit of blood, not alot but enough to worry me. It hurt for a few hours and at lunchtime I wiped again to check and there was still a miniscule amount. Quite panicked by the whole idea, went to my GP. He examined me and said I had a small tear, and has prescribed me lactulose. 4.30pm now and the bleeding/pain have gone but wow I'm scared to poo again EVER! Has anyone else had this? And what do you think about taking pregnacare? Sorry for long post! First timer here!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

mama2moo · 09/12/2009 16:31

I had this early on in pregnancy and remember it being very painful.

Now I am completly the opposite at 33 weeks!

The worst thing you can do is hold onto it IYSWIM. Take a magazine to the loo and just sit there for a while the lactulose should make it a lot easier.

I would maybe try stopping the pregnacare to see if that helps. I took Floradix which is a natural iron supplement (its a syrup) and it doesnt affect anything except make you less tired.

littleomar · 09/12/2009 16:35

Poor you. Pregnacare made me feel sick as well as constipated. I switched to a supplement from the health food shop with pretty much the same content but a different type of iron and that's done the trick. Also drinking gallons of water, eating lots of fruit and avoiding bread/pasta helped.

TaurielTest · 09/12/2009 16:39

Pregnacare made me feel iller than Sanatogen too (it's got higher levels of iron). I read something recently about not needing to take it beyond 1st trimester, but can't remember where or why (sorry).
I found fybogel very useful throughout pregnancy - had it on prescription, also adding flaxseed to my porridge!
Another of those unglamorous things they never tell you about pregnancy...

MrsCrawf · 09/12/2009 16:44

The lactulose should help - eat loads of fruit too, especially grapes (and apple juice). They are really good for softening you up.

mistlethrush · 09/12/2009 16:47

I had a bag of dried figs and a bag of dried prunes and ate a couple of which I fancied whenever there was any suggestion of a problem

JustAnotherManicMummy · 09/12/2009 16:58

There's really no need to take an iron supplement unless you are anaemic. Or you enjoy being constipated...

Your MW will regularly test your blood for iron levels and if you need to take a supplement should tell you. Mama2moo is right about taking a liquid one. So much better.

Make sure you eat lots of iron rich food (green vegetables, fortified cereals, chocolate! dried fruit, red meat, nuts and seeds etc but dairy also has good iron levels) and keep eating it. You'll need to keep it up for after the baby's born too... or you'll be constipated and bruised with weakened muscles. Not nice.

I had terrible constipation, trapped and untrapped wind in the first trimester because of taking an iron supplement needlessly and then felt so much better when I stopped. I did also get anaemia - but that was because my MW did not check the results of my blood test and I felt terrible. Had it really bad, breathlessness, extreme fatigue etc but taking liquid supplement and changing diet made all the difference.

No problems in that department after the birth because I kept up the iron rich diet.

Good luck, hope you feel better really soon. Oh, and drink lots of water! Really helps.

JustAnotherManicMummy · 09/12/2009 17:01

Sorry should have added I got anaemia at about 6.5 months. That was after my MW cancelled my 28 week check and disappeared off the face of the earth and didn't tell me the results of the bloods taken at 25 weeks that showed a slight lowering of my iron. Which then became a rapid decline as it wasn't monitored or treated.

geordieminx · 09/12/2009 17:03

Try having a cup of warm water with lemon juice squeezed in every morning before anything else.

Original poster

first1 · 09/12/2009 17:16

Thanks for the replies. I do eat loads of fruit/veg though . My bloods were taken for iron levels at my booking appointment so had already been on pregnacare for about 5weeks. That could well have masked my true result? Thinking of stopping pregnacare now or switching to 1 every other day.

OP posts:

JustAnotherManicMummy · 09/12/2009 17:24

The Pregnacare won't give you a false result - but it does have far more iron in it than someone on a healthy diet needs.

The extra iron is what makes you constipated. And you only need to take an iron supplement if you're not eating as much as your body needs - and if you're being properly monitored (I wasn't ) then your MW should pick up quickly if your levels are dropping and if you need a supplement then you can take one.

Make sure you drink lots of water and start the day with some high-fibre cereal. You can top it like puddock does. I used to buy bags of chopped dates and sliced almonds to add to my boring All Bran. And had full fat milk - because that has lots of natural iron.

Being constipated in pregancy is just another annoying symptom of being pregnant. However, it doesn't need to be made worse with an unnecessary supplement. Throw away the Pregnacare.

MamaLazarou · 09/12/2009 17:26

NOTHING is TMI in the pregnancy folder!

You poor thing - you have my sympathy.

I can second geordieminx's suggestion - the warm water goes straight through your stomach and loosens everything up nicely.

My midwife advised me to stop taking the pregnancy supplement after week 16, and just to make sure I ate a balanced diet from then on. I think I needed it during the puking/food aversions/junk food addiction stage, but now I'm back on healthy food (and lots of it) I should be OK without it.

LolaAnn · 09/12/2009 17:31

Oh I did the exact same thing. Actually its happened to me twice (almost 17w).

I too am scared to poo now haha... didn't connect it to the prenacare, might stop taking it now if I can manage to get my diet right.

illuminasam · 09/12/2009 17:43

I have this problem. What I eat seems to make a difference for me. As long as I stick to beans, lentils, veg etc I'm fine but the moment I have a bowl of pasta, chips or something like that, it comes back.

I'm veggie and luckily have not struggled with iron levels, although I was prescribed iron tablets as at my 28 week check they'd dropped slightly - am still within normal range though and only take a tablet every other day. I eat a lot of dried apricots and dark green veg.

Also what helps is sitting on my bouncy ball at work and at home - it seems to keep things moving much more than being stuck in a chair all day.

mistletoemulledwinemoodlum · 09/12/2009 17:46

God this brings back bad memories. It was awful. You have to drink so so much water. My mw recommended gentle iron which doesn't have the constipating effect normal iron does. Its available through those vitamins with the gold label, I can't remember the name of, sorry.

mistletoekisses · 09/12/2009 18:08

Solgar make the gentle iron...

mollybob · 09/12/2009 18:26

i had a nightmare with this in trimester 1 - still a bit of an issue at 16 weeks - the problem was I really couldn't eat or drink my way out of it as was vomiting so much - did get prescribed enemas by GP which worked well but made me feel about 90

Firsttimer7259 · 10/12/2009 10:31

Drink. More. Water.

You need to drink astonishing amounts of water during pregnancy and many docs think most pregnancy ailments are much improved by upping water intake. Including constipation, swelling, cramps.

I am currntly drinking upwards of 2 litres a day and still have over concntrated pee in the morning.

MrsVik · 10/12/2009 12:21

I second the water thing!

Also, prune juice (especially mixed with a little apple juice) works wonders.

I had exactly the same thing as you - it's possibly been the very worst thing about my pregnancy so far, I really thought I would hurt the baby or something. I stopped taking iron supplements because of it and ended up horribly anemic, so now I just make sure I drink plenty, get lots of fibre and drink a little prune juice each day.

DarrellRivers · 10/12/2009 12:27

Me too.
Satsumas at least 3 a day, and a bag of dried prunes,really quite tasty, eat 3-4 daily.
Should really help

RubyLove1 · 10/12/2009 12:30

Glad its not just me then!

DH was getting worried from hearing "JESUS" and "F*CKING HELL" from the bathroom

Just put it down to one of those pregnancy things...

RnB · 10/12/2009 12:32

Poor you

I would stop taking the Pregnacare. I spoke to my doctor about Pregnacare because I would concerned about constipation from too much iron and she said as long as my diet is healthy and I take folic acid for the first 12 weeks there's no need for anything else.

Hope all the tips in this thread help

3frenchhens · 10/12/2009 12:38

You will probably know this already but lactulose makes you really dehydrated which makes it obviously worse. It is so so horrible! With all the above advice hopefully you will no longer fear your bathroom!

3frenchhens · 10/12/2009 12:39

Sorry should just add my point is dehydration=bad for pooing thus water and apple juice and fruit cake maybe?

Morloth · 10/12/2009 13:48

I add a teaspoon of fibresure to my morning coffee (real coffee as well, which I am sure helps) and I also eat stacks and stacks of fruit and veg and drink lots of water.

Pregnancy is still messing with me, but nothing too serious.

illuminasam · 10/12/2009 14:30

If you're really...er... stuck, you can leave 2 teaspoons of linseeds in a glass with some water overnight. In the morning swallow the gelatinous mass that has been produced, including the seeds.

Do this for a couple of days. You will go, I promise you.

Flip

1 2