Constipation whilst pregnant

[Ellegirly 74]

I am 12 weeks pregnant and most unfortunately have recently had some constipation problems! Have read in lots of places this is quite normal so I am not overly concerned, but does anyone know if there is anything I can safely take to eliminate the 'problem'. I have some Exlax in my medicine drawer but didn't like to take it as not sure I can whilst pregnant?
Is there anything herbal maybe that I can take that is completely safe?
Thanks and sorry for the horrible problem! I would go to my pharmacist but whenever I go for something embarrassing like this there ALWAYS seems to be someone lingering behind me!

[pixie_woo]

Hiya
Oh the joys of pregnancy! I'm not sure what medication you can take for constipation while pregnant but there are a few natural things you can do to help ease things along.
Drink loads water, I know it means that you'll be peeing every 15mins but believe me its preferable to piles!
Eat plenty fruit & veg, avoid acidy fruit as this can contribute to heartburn.
Eat things high in fibre e.g brown bread, wholegrain cereal as this helps to keep things moving too.

Try not to strain too much on the loo cos you'll get piles, you'll probably get piles anyway but a bit later.

Good Luck, Pixie (three days til due date!)

[Ellegirly 74]

Hi Pixie_woo!
Oh gosh, well I truly wish you all the best for the next few days and a happy and healthy delivery of your baby! Is it your first?
This is my first baby so I have been revelling, and suffering, in the many changes to my body over the past 3 months!
Still, I wouldn't change it for the world. I can't wait to be a mum :o)
Thanks for your advice, I do generally eat healthy but I must admit I don't drink as much water as I should.
Hope all goes well, keep us posted!!
xx

[bex401]

Try some proper liquorice,you can get it from health food shops,always worked for me when I was pregnant & constipated.Oh yeh,prune juice is good too!!

[redcrx]

Oh god I remember that. I got stuck in a store toilet for an hour trying to go and getting stuck halfway. My fella had to send a staff member in to check i was OK as he thought i mightve gone into labour.

The thing that my mum told me and i swear it works is sweetcorn!

do the usual and keep up with fluids too, especially in this hot weather but give sweetcorn a go.

Good luck.

[Psychick]

Can you not give your doctors surgery a call? Im lucky with mine in the sense that the receptionists are pretty clued up about this sort of thing or they go check with the doctor for you.
If you still have the leaflet that came with the Exlax, have a read of it, it should tell you if it is safe or not. :)

[Ellegirly 74]

Thanks all for your advice.

I hate liquorice and I HATE prunes!! Oh dear! I think I'll stick to the sweetcorn idea for now! If it gets worse I am sure I'll try anything though...

Well thanks all, I had a bit of a day off from it yesterday but if it does continue I may well give my GP a call or just go and see the pharmacist.

I am lucky that I seem to have got away with morning sickness, but I don't think constipation is that much of a let off!

Thanks again all.xx

[loza]

now this is going to sound disgusting but I remember going with my best friend to her GP about this last year throughout her pregnancy, I was in the room when the advice she gave her was to....''ease her finger up into her vagina and there you can feel the lump that needs to get out (through the skin obviously) but she then told my friend to push downwards onto the lump with her fingers t ease it out, as though your pushing with a little extra help. I know I'm sorry and you might not have it as bad as to try this. But my friend had it quite severe and it worked for her. Again sorry lol x

[spanner7853]

I had this bloody awfull. Try lots of fruit and I mean lots of fruit and drink lots of water. I got some stuff from the chemist but it was so syrupy it made me heave. It was called Laxolose i think.

[missrandom]

any dried fruit, apricots, raisins etc i quite often find that actimel works on the kids, so you could try that.

[radiogaga]

drink lots of fruit juices, always have some in the house.

[daginge]

My wife had terrible constipation for the first 3 months of her pregnancy, the chemist gave her a simple lactose and it worked wonders!

[pennypenny]

Hi i had troubles with this also even b4 i was pregnant remarkably enough the iron tabs they gave me for my haemagloben level done the opposite with me and helped me attend the loo daily which came as a great relief..I am still taking them now.
Hope all goes well

[jimmy654]

Pregnancy constipation can be uncomfortable. Constipation occurs when it is difficult to pass bowel movements, when you have fewer than three or four a week, or they form hard balls or pellets. Sometimes, it can be so difficult to make a bowel movement that the straining causes hemorrhoids.

Your diet plays a major role in your bowel habits. Eating a high-fiber diet and drinking plenty of liquids are the easiest and most effective changes to make to eliminate constipation. Limit foods that may constipate you, like chocolate and dairy products.

Taking a multi-vitamin every day is important. However the folic acid might be the culprit for some cases of pregnancy constipation. If that�s the case, do not stop taking the vitamin, but double your water consumption and add some prune juice two or three times a day. If simple diet changes do not help, ask your health care provider about recommended options for treating pregnancy constipation.

http://www.conceivingconcepts.com/learning/pre gnancy-constipation.html