Tummy Trouble?! « Back to Group Discussions

[OtherMother]

So, sorry if this is TMI- but I need SOMEWHERE to talk about it!!

I used to be very normally functioning and 'regular', but this pg has totally messed up my belly! I'm usually constipated, often have gas, and always bloated. It stinks.

Eating less, and avoiding meat/carbs/nuts seems to help ... but I often slip up. The result is a huuuuuuge belly.

Any tips that can help me out? It's no fun!

[timesway]

yes interestsed on what laxitives are ok.. i was on a lot pre preg.. now i am strangely going more.. but it is thick.. yuk.. and more like a ubersticky clay.. yuk.. no fun cus doesnt come out easily.. anyway i have a draw full of phosphate enemas (guessing there not ok)  movicol (?) docusate (?) and i just started wondering about suppositarys... also does any of this start being ok in 2nd trimester? im 11w5d (ee)
 

[Lynann]

I'm more clogged up too, more so than my previous pregnancies. I'm usually a "go as often as I eat" girl, but the last week or so I'm only going once a day, and its work to get it out. I've never been this bad, even after my c-section. DH did comment that I'd been drinking a lot of milk, so I haven't had any since Monday and I seem to be getting more "movement" back down there. The gas and bloating is something I get with every pregnancy and I just try to burp as much as I can to get rid of it before it makes it way further down.

It is all hormonal, as pregnancy causes our whole digestive systems to slow down. Eating smaller amounts more frequently can help some. And also encouraging your body to go every morning can help too. It is better to avoid laxatives if at all possible as they actually encourage your body to not work by itself. I've also been finding eating raw fruits & veg and increasing water intake can help (just stay away from bananas at this point) and I've also heard good things about taking probiotics, although I've not tried them yet.

[kimble]

OMG, me too. I keep wanting to tell DH about it but know it is TMI for him. (or maybe it could be training for a toddler? "yay I made a poopie!") Thanks for making a safe space for this!

Before pregnancy I had #2 a few times a day, and usually felt pretty "empty". Boy has that changed thanks to hormones. I've only been able to go every other day maybe for weeks now. I have never been this constipated in my life, and when I did go it was very dense and not a lot of volume. Ick. I went two months without feeling emptied, which was really starting to bother me. Then this weekend I had two days in a row which were almost back to normal ... only once a day but back to normal consistency.

I think this is from two factors: first is nearing the end of my first trimester, and the other is trying to eat a lot of fiber. I've been having oatmeal in the morning and snacking on dried fruit in the afternoons. Apricots usually "got me going" before, and as long as I have plenty of water I see no reason to avoid them now. DH cooks our dinners and has been trying to get me more fiber too. The other night we had whole wheat pasta with a squash and bacon topping which tasted oh so good.
 

[timesway]

im supposed to be on laxitives permenantly due to atonic colon, and lax bowel/megacolon aswell as almost zero digestive motility pre pregnancy lol (im a once fortnight kinda girl).. soooo much worse now.. hense why im asking about laxitives.. im seeing ob on 5th nov so they are gonna play with my meds.. but its all getting bad so trying to wokr out which ones are best.. atm i have a bit of a tummy med which is making it a little better.. woke up and was sick aswell as v dodgy tummy-yuk.. hope babys doing ok in there!!

for normal constipation, plums are really good as is liquorice :) i used to live off them xxx
 

[Lynann]

black beans work really well too. DS1 was having problems going when he was just over a year old and we started giving him black beans and it went back to normal soft, every other day BMs.