Constipation....yuck...

Avoid dairy, eat as much fiber as you can stand, drink lots of water, and consider monthly hydro-colonics (a true blessing for me throughout my pregnancy last year). I recommend http://www.carolinescolonhealthcare.com/ ... Caroline is the BEST, and she has a special place in her practice for pregnant mammas.

Steff
:)

1 mom found this helpful

WATER! WATER! WATER!
Before adding a bunch of harsh juices or laxatives, most of the time it is because we are not drinking enough water. Pregnant women need more water especially during these hot summers when we are getting the moisture sucked right out of us. When I was pregnant I was drinking about a gallon of water a day. It isn't an easy task to accomplish but, with almost certainty, drinking more water will help with many other ailments you may encounter with your pregnancy.
I am a mother of five and I can tell you from experience that you will never stop learning something new from each pregnancy and, it doesn't get easier because you've done this before. Most of the time you get yet another sympton that you didn't get before.
Good Luck and God Bless,
M.

Hi J.,

It so common while pregnant! There are two things that I know that work, one is Colace that they say it's safe but I would call the doctor or nurse and ask anyway.
What I used to do and I asked my doctor when I was pregnant is put some mineral oil in my dinner salad, about a teaspoon or more if needed, usually it helps a lot the next morning. You have to be careful with this though, some people gets diarreah with it.... not me!
Also activia yoghurt is great if you eat one every day.

Hope it helps!

M. Abadie
www.MyKidsFirst.com

i know it sounds odd. but i found sunflower seeds to be a great help while i was pregnant with my son... a hanful did wonders. Of course, lots of water as well. Good luck.

Prune juice will work. Hot coffee works great, too. One cup can do the trick. Decaf or regular, it doesn't matter. Nurses often tell people to drink hot coffee to get things moving. I worked with some nurses that would tell people to have one prune juice and one cup of coffee. If that didn't work then they would call the doctor. They rarely had to call the doctor.

With my first pregnancy, I bought some metamucil powder, opened it, looked at it, thought "oh yuck" - and I guess it scared my system into moving. lol

And then I discovered that mexican food worked wonders for me. That only worked while I was pregnant, which is strange, but I ended up eating a lot of tacos that pregnancy.

When I was pregnant I had to change my "whole grain" cereal to either Shredded Wheat or Raisin Bran. They were the only two that would help with constipation. If all else failed, try Fibercon, it's bulk fiber in a tablet, and not a "medicine" really. Oh, and drink LOTS Of water and stay away from caffeinated products, even iced tea. :)

Hope this helps. I had three babies, this is what worked for me.
S.

Try prune juice mixed with apple juice, it masks the taste and the smell. My son used it and it got things moving so to speak.

I have always had the same problem as well. I am 5 1/2 months pregnant myself. I have found something that works better than Metamucil. I love it. I would love to give you more info. I could give you a call.

K. Thompson
###-###-####
www.greatlifeformoms.com

Try Activia yogurt. They have a 2-week guarantee that you'll be regular or they'll refund your yogurt. I have used this with my daughter, and it really works. They have a prune flavor that seems to work especially well and it is her favorite flavor, too! Good luck!

Increase your water to 8 16oz glasses a day. That is 4 liters. It seems like a lot but it will help. The other thing that really helped me was raisan bran cereal and apple juice. Good luck.
M.

Milk of Magnesia was recommended to me by my OB. It has natural ingredients, works quickly and doesn't cause cramping. I also suggest you drink as much as possible-water is the best.

Hi J.!

As a woman who has suffered with IBS all of my life, I feel for you. You might try some yogurt or Acidolphilus. It is a wonderful product. Taking it can take a few days to help you regulate but once you do then the constant use is very beneficial. You do not become addicted and it is an all natural enzyme. It can be purchased in WalMart, Osco, Walgreens and most other places.

Another good thing is LOTS of water and walking/low impact aerobics/Pilates. Sometimes the body needs some movement to help it along. Sounds weird but kind of like a dog who goes in circles and walks forever before it does its thing. As a last resort you can try enemas or stool softners but they are a bit uncomfortable.

If you do not have some relief soon, you should contact your doctor. It is not safe to be so constipated. You do not want to injure yourself or cause an infection.

I hope this helps. :)

Hi J.,
I just wanted to add that I had this problem with my 4th pregnancy. I used glycerin suppositories and I ate yogurt one a day. I ate the A&E and there was one other. I tried the prune juice and there was no way, just the smell made me gag, I didn't even have morning sickness. The suppositories work the best and the easiest. Anyway hope you find some relief, soon. W.

I know it sound silly but Gerber makes a great product to help with this. You know how they have those individual juices in the baby isle. They are 100% pure and not from concentrate, best you can get. Well they make an apple - prune juice blend to help with babies who get a bit bound up. I am willing to bet that two a day until you get back on track, and then one a day from there on out should give your digestive track a gentle nudge. It may take a day or two to see full effect, but you want something natural and gentle that won't put everything out of wack. I had the same problem while pregnant and had to eats prunes because i couldn't tolerate the juice. Plus it was just too strong and gave me painful gas. I recently had a new bout and since i was out of prunes i tried one of my sons juices and it did the trick. With a better taste and much less gas. Hope this helps.

Have you tried prunes or prune juice yet? I also took a couple of the metamusil capsules when prunes didn't work, my doctor said those were just fine.