Constipation-HELP!!

Hi J.,

I was always a very good "pooper" until I became pregnant. I tried absolutely everything before I finally found the right mix for me. I also had several all day/all night morning sickness which made things a lot more challenging. Here is what I did during the time I had morning sickness.

1-2 Tablespoons of Benefiber Powder daily. It is clear and has NO flavor at all. I added to it everything imaginable...gingerale, water, OJ, milk...whatever actually sounded good at the time and didn't make me gag.
NO CHEESE and NO BANANAS at all!!! Made me more constipated.
FiberOne's version of pop tarts. I kid you not...I would almost always poop within an hour of eating these and they actually weren't nauseating!

After I hit the 4 1/2 month mark, I wasn't experiencing morning sickness. I continued taking the Benefiber but found it worked better if I just added it to water and drank it before bedtime. This ensured a good morning poop. I was then able to eat more veggies and fruits which has helped a ton. I also added 4 prunes to my diet every day along with Fage yogurt.

Good luck to you! I know how frustrating constipation is!

1 mom found this helpful

Fresh ginger water (peel and slice a little fresh ginger root into some water and drink. You can also simmer it for 20 minutes to make a tea from it...dilute and sip a little throughout the day) will help with the morning sickness. Fresh lemons in water help too.

For the constipation: Can you handle bananas? Avocados? Prunes?

Best of luck to you.

Hi J.

Make sure you are drinking plenty of water, try and get a variety of fresh or dried fruit and get some exercise daily. You can also try putting you feet up on a low stool while you are going to the bathroom. This helps simulate a squat which can be helpful with bowel movements.

I took magnesium when I was pregnant with both of my babies..now one and two. I know that oxygenated magnesium works much better but talk to a homopath first just to make sure. At least it is natural and it really does work...fast.

Also, you can take stool softners and should do that all the time so that you don't get hemroids.

Oh, the joys of being pregnant.
The payoff is worth it.

definitely magnesium. try source naturals Ultra Mag. it has the best and most readily absorbed combination i've found so far. also look into triphala.

When I was preggers I ate the fibercon chewable tablets, worked like a charm. Good luck!

Back up on the calcium a little bit, calcium will bind you up. Make sure you are drinking lots of water and you could try a teaspoon of vegetable oil to soften up your stool. Good luck. I've been there.

My first recommendation is flax seeds in plain yogurt. You must let the flax seeds soak into the yogurt for a while before eating it. This is very natural and good for you.

If that doesn't work, there is always metamucil, which my doctor said was fine to use during pregnancy.

Definitely check your vitamins. Some of the samples I got from the OB they had this effect. Apparently too much iron is the culprit. When I switched, things got a lot better.

Lots of water and foods with fiber are great. Personally, I'm a big fan of pinto beans as chili or a side dish. The beans have a huge amount of both fiber and folic acid (that must-have prenatal nutrient). They're also a more digestible source of iron.

I know the feeling! Here is what my mom had me try - and I am not a dried prune fan. But, they are ok. Get the Sunsweet Ones individually wrapped at the grocery store. Just throw one in your mouth and eat it quickly, think of it as a big raisin. At first I ate one with every meal, then I could just eat one a day when things got better. Good luck!

Bene-fiber works pretty well. I put it in my yogurt, beverages, on my cereal, soups, pretty much anything. I was even adding it to things like spaghetti sauce when things were really bad. Other than that and trying to drink lots of water and walk as much as possible. For the morning sickness try sour candies. They helped me so much in my 2nd pregnancy.

try calling a pharmacist and see what they recommend. a nice sitzbath (you just want your butt wet, not all of you) in as warm as you can stand water til the water is only warm, then get out and use some glycerin suppositories. My son loves to eat these fiber wafers by metamucil. they come in either cinnamon or apple, two in a pack, 24% of your daily fiber in two wafers. you drink a big glass of water with them. i've tried them and they have a very mild sweet flavor. good luck.

Hi J.,
Are you taking pre-natal vitamins with iron in them? My stomach couldn't handle ones with iron, and I had to change vitamins. Once your morning sickness subsides, you'll be able to get plenty of iron from your diet. If you really need help ASAP (as a one time thing perhaps?) a glycerin enema, such as Fleet, will work in minutes. I don't know why someone could not use one while pregnant, but I am not a medical professional of any kind, so I suggest checking w/ your OB's office before trying this. Can you handle prune juice? If not, apple juice might help (basing this on the fact that docs say not to give apple juice to kids with the runs).

I got good results from those chewable fiber tablets - they are fruit flavored and drinking a ton of water. Also, if you can't eat cereal with milk try cooked oatmeal or just eating Wheaties or corn flakes out of the box like chips.
Apples & prunes are good too - drink drink drink your water and lay off any iron vitamins for a while unless your Dr. says not to.
go for walks too - that helps loosen things up.

I had the same problem both times I was pregnant and had to take a stool softener. It was over the counter. There are two kinds, depending on how many days I went without going, but I always took at least one a day. Ask your ob about which one you could take.

Many women suggested food to eat, which is a wonderful and natural way to control constipation. Unfortunately since you are barely keeping food down due to morning sickness, you could try a stool softener. Just make sure it is not a stool softener that makes you poop. I took one of those during my first pregnancy. It was awful! My next pregnancy, I took a plain stool softener and it was much better! Hope you find something that works for you.

just apple juice has always helped me. im not big into medications so just drinking a fairly good amount of apple juice to clease out my body has helped things to run more smoothly

This is a memory for me now. I recommend Magnesium. Works like a charm . I suffered with constipation with all my pregnancies and only discovered this on the last. Good luck and congratulations on your pregnancy.

J.,

I am pregnant too-- I feel your pain. What has helped me is Shredded Wheat cereal, cream of wheat cereal and those are bland enough it doesn't bother the tummy as much. If that doesn't work, glycerin suppositories are good as a last resort-(not fun though) Also drink at least 2 glasses of warm water when you think you need to go- it will help you!

M.

I had the same problem was I was pregnant w/both our boys who are now 8 & 3.5. What really helped me & was recommended by ob/gyn was to have a piece of fruit before I went to bed. It was usually a pretty big-sized apple or an orange &, for me, it really worked. Best of luck & congrats!

You need more water now than you did pre-preggo so you need to add that back in. Our bodies will reabsorb the water from the fecal matter to help replenish the cells. So DRINK DRINK DRINK. Yes you have to pee more and it's ANNOYING, but what's worse.. peeing or not being able to pooh?

If you need something immediately my ped told me that milk of magnesium is acceptable on an occasional basis.

J....

You are vit b deficient. That can cause both constipation and morning sickness and nausea.

Take vitamin b complex in a liquid, under the tounge 3 x a day.

benefiber works pretty well and dissolves in water, juice etc. no taste really. good luck.

Hi J.,

I am sure you need to check with your doc, but two aloe vera capsules and you should be fine in the morning, or there is aloe vera juice if you can do that sort of thing. Based on results you can not take it when nursing, it goes through the breast milk and baby gets cranky.

Good Luck,
T.

Hi J.,

I used to be constipated and started drinking optimized water that has oxygen along with barley grass and it is the best.

If you would like more info let me know and I will share.

Have a great week end.

N. Marie

Sorry to hear about your constipation ... have you tried prune juice? Not the best tasting but it works fast! Try diluting with a bit of water to reduce the nasty taste.

Also, multigrain oatmeal has always worked for me.

Good luck!

Best for you and easy to take is Probiotic Plus 12 By Dr Ohhira. It puts good bacteria-back into your intestines and fights off the bad bacteria. And a side effect is it keeps you amazingly regular. One tiny gel cap in the morning with water upon waking and one tiny gel cap in the evening at bedtime. THIS IS AN AMAZING PRODUCT! This is a health food store item, and is the cheapest on the web at www.allhealthtrends.com (I have no affiliation with them, just scanned the internet for the best price. $29.00 a month for the 60 cap size. The good bacteria redesigns your gut. If you have an upset stomach you can bite a cap in half and it will go into your stomach and the good bacteria takes care of the problem. It tastes good. Read the info on the web.
GOOD LUCK.

ground flax seed in oatmeal for breakfast and Smooth Move Tea. You can get them both at Whole Foods.

I had terrrrible constipation with my first pregnancy. The key for me was to drink as much water as I could tolerate and to take colace. It's a great stool softener. Hope you find some relief soon. Talk to your OB about options.

Malt-sup-extract is a safe and natural stool bulking agent. It is safe however expensive. It tastes like molasses, you can mix it in milk or water, serve it warm or cold. A.

Daily Dose:
(you can play around with the dosage, till you find it comfortable)

400-600 mg of Magnesium Citrate
1,000 - 2,000 mg of Vitamin C (w/ Bioflavinoids)
1-2 teaspoons of Xylitol Sugar

This will not only help you with stools but will help maintain your health!!!

And for morning sickness sparkling lemonade!!!

And if you are taking too much calcium it may upset your stomach... it interferes with digestion, because it cancels out the acid of the stomach needed to digest your food... I had no idea that was the cause of all my problems back then!!!

Love, G.. :0)
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I'm sorry you are going thru this. I went thru that when I had back surgery so I can relate but I didn't have any problems during pregnancy & I think it is because I had the back surgery before my pregnancy & so I had been on a routine that I continued during pregnancy. I ate a scoop of cold milled flax seed (u can get @ walmart) per day in a smoothie I ____@____.com in fiber & omegas. Using apple juice will help with more fiber, a banana & blueberries, ice & blend-for the basic recipe or you can add whatever else you want like wheat germ for folic acid etc. Also ate 1 apple per day & on really bad days a cup of coffee would help move it...During my back surgery I also used an enema here & there when nothing else worked. Any drug store & the pharmacist can help with questions. I also had horrible morning sickness up to 17 weeks & had to be put on a medicine about half way thru since I was bed ridden from it. I couldn't open the fridge with out gagging from different smells & I was becoming dehydrated. I ate cliff bars peanut butter flavor since it was one of the few things I could keep down. But I was able to do the smoothie & apple sliced most of the time...If you want you can ask your Dr. about the medicine...sorry I forget what it was called but if I get pregnant again I would use it @ the first sign of what I went thru last time since it worked wonderfully once I got on it. My baby came out as healthy as possible-just an fyi-I am not usually a med person but I had to make that choice for my own survival & we were both just fine in the end. Good luck! & congratulations!

There's not really anything you can take. Try drinking more water and eating foods that have a natural effect to make you go. I know it's a horrible part of pregnancy but it is worth it in the end.

I had the same problem lady.. Prune juice is the most natural and effective method that I found. Just a small glass every day worked like a charm. Whole Foods has a nice organic one. Good luck!