Tore myself from serious constipation =(

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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!

Major problem with drinking tons of water - even at 16 blooming weeks if I drink as much as I would like it invariably makes me vomit. I normally drink over 2litres a day and it's doing my head in being permanently thirsty.

I had hideous constipation during the first trimester, compounded by taking ondansetron for the hyperemesis. Couldn't drink or eat much either, but still, ahem, totally blocked up. I could feel it through my abdominal wall.

ANyway, lactulose did nothing but I did find prune juice helped. It wasn't spectacular but it helped.

Sympathies. It is the pits, especially when you feel sick anyway.

I sympathise too and had no warning or clue constipation could be so bad! Seeing blood in the loo is very worrying, and the pushing worries me too - in terms of maybe hurting the baby because it makes my stomach lurch upwards!

Having read this thread I have to agree it does seem to be after bread or potato products that it is worse. I've dropped my fruit intake for no real reason recently ( I think it was because my heartburn was getting so bad with it), so I'm going to make an effort to up that a bit again, and also drink more and more water.
We can at least take comfort in not being the only people with sore bottoms!

Hope it gets better for you ;)

Ooh, I should add, don't drink TOO much water, because you can make yourself more ill if you start necking back 4 litres a day or something!

Thanks everyone! I've been eating fruit like it's going out of fashion and the lactulose has really helped. Thankfully the pain from the tear has gone now and it seems to have repaired itself very quickly. I saw the consultant yesterday and he said to come off the pregnacare and take a multivit without iron. Can anyone suggest one? I can't seem to find one without Vit A.

On a very different note, felt baby's first proper thuds this morning and I nearly levitated!

Well I have got to say, ladies, I am grateful for the myriad of different solutions for me to try - I too am suffering from trying to pass what seems to be the human equivalent of set concrete! And I've learned a lot, such as lactulose making you dehydrated... I never knew that 3frenchhens!!

But I am already drinking 2-3 litres of water a day, with my pee still the colour of toast, so I'll up it a bit more. And I'll give the dreaded prune juice a stab too.

Thanks Mumsnetters! I'm new here and I don't know what I would have done without you!!

I had an anal fissure before I was pregnant and its not pleasant. It took ages (months) to heal so do not let your tear get any worse.

Don't take pregnacare if it constipates you. If your iron levels are low try spatone but if your iron was fine at the last check no need for supplements. My iron was fine at booking in but lowish at 28 weeks so took spatone which doesn't constipate.

Drink stacks of water (as much as you can) agree 2 litres about right plus try snacking on those yummy sunsweet moist prunes and dried apricots.

I have found that bran flakes every morning really helps me. I was very thirsty in first trimester and part of second but it seems to have settled down so was drinking plenty. I also found that although I felt pressure that I needed to go unless I got a proper real urge then nothing would happen anyway so all I did was make myself uncomfortable.

Any day now that I don't have the bran flakes I have several days without going and that makes my heartburn 10 times worse too! I eat a lot of fruit and veg too but bran flakes seemed to be the only thing that helped!

Beware of lactulose - for a significant minority of people (about 20%) it just makes you fart and doesn't shift things. Passing wind will make things worse as it will dry out whatever is in there making it more difficult to go to the loo. So if you do notice that you get wind after taking lactulose, go back and see if they can give you something else instead. I speak as one of the unfortunate 20% .

Drink litres and litres of water every day. And eat summer fruit - apricots, cherries are excellent for constipation.

Hi, I have suffered with constipation up to a few weeks ago, when I was feeling up to starting exercise again (I am 16w now). Started swimming 5 times a week only 30 minutes a pop but WOW have felt such a difference! That and putting chopped apricots into my muesli make me go twice a day without fail and no pain. Brilliant. Good luck - hope you find something that works for you