[The Lucky One]

I cannot believe I just started a thread with the word 'constipation' in it. I'm so embarassed, but I need help.

I have a tendency to be a little constipated most of the time when non-pg. But add in the pre-natal vitamins and the hormones and I have even more trouble. It isn't horrible yet, I am still having a BM every day or every other day, but they are hard and painful to pass. (Oh, God, can I die now? Can't believe I just said that).

I'm already drinking 60-100oz of water every day, so I cannot imagine increasing my water intake. I also am eating lots of pinto beans (they have fiber, don't they). I do eat fruit, although most of it is in the form of apples and bananas and some raisins.

Can anyone give me any natural ideas to help me?

With my last pg, my mom made tons and tons of bran muffins for me and I ate so darned many of them the thought of eating one now honestly makes me wretch.

Help, someone.

lisa

 

[mamaroni]

My mom was always trying to get me to eat stewed prunes and swore it would help. I couldn't do it, but i wasn't in that bad of shape.

good luck!

 

[Chelly2003]

Oh I've suffered the same thing, you're not alone by a long shot.

I was really really bad when it hit earlier in my pg..... I stopped taking the pre-natals until things "eased" up a little bit - it was the only thing I could do... or could think of to do.......to poo! :LOL

 

[gossamer]

Drink lots and lots of hot water with lemon. It worked for me.
Gossamer

 

[beanma]

oh, poor you! i don't tend toward that problem, but here's a sympathy hug anyway

.

fruit is good, but apples and bananas won't help, i can tell you that. they don't necessarily hurt, but they won't help. you know the BRAT diet for stomach upsets like diarreah and vomiting -- bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast? none of those things are going to help unstop you.

things that might help are greens -- salads, cooked greens like spinach, kale, collards, chard. the beans are excellent. my first OB told me raspberries were good and had more fiber than most things. fruits and veggies that start with the letter P tend to help -- Pears, Plums, Peaches, Peas, Prunes, aPricots, and figs (okay no P in that one). whole grains are good -- doesn't have to be bran muffins, though. a whole wheat bagel or whole wheat pasta or whole wheat bread should help or at least not hinder the process like wonder bread might.

cheese and dairy will definitely plug you up, so you might want to go light there.

i think orange juice might help. that's just my personal theory, though. i know lotsa vitamin C can have a laxative effect, but not sure it's recommended in copious quantities while pg. you could ask your midwife or dr if you keep having trouble, though.

exercise is good. lotsa walking. works like a charm for our dogs every time!!

hope some of this helps and good luck!

 

[Quirky]

You can look into taking an iron-free vitamin. Divvy up your vitamins if you have to - definitely keep the folic acid (800 mgs), find a vitamin-only supplement, and find an iron-free mineral supplement (Country Life makes one that I take).

A nice hot cup of tea in the morning always helps me get things going.

Lots of bulk-forming fiber, oatmeal, whole-grain cereals like Kashi, plenty of vegetables.

A psyllium fiber product like Metamucil, Citrucel, or my personal favorite, Benefiber, are good, too. Benefiber is great because you can stir it into juice and you'll never notice it.

If you make a smoothie with OJ, frozen blueberries, 2 T of flax oil, and 4 T of Benefiber, it will be really tasty and you'll never notice the flax oil and Benefiber.

HTH! (I feel your pain on discussing the unmentionable...let's not even get into talking about the messy aspects of birth they never warn you about!

)

 

[BowenTherapist]

nak...

flax oil is great
increase your vit c intake
do you take all natural pre natals? i took rainbow light and they were great!

hope you get some refief (hhmm can't seem to spell that right lol)

 

[Eggie]

Prunes!! Prune juice, stewed prunes, natural prunes... they work great!! I would avoid taking so many beans also, they make you feel so full and gassy (or you can cook them with lots of garlic to avoid so much air on them). Apples are good but bananas are a little hard to digest. Increase also your cereal intake, organic whole bran. Good luck!

 

[arcenciel]

Apart from the diet advice already given, you should make sure you take some exercise too - like a 30 minute walk each day, or as often as you can manage. And when you are sitting on the toilet, try and raise your feet so you are in more of a squatting position - like if you have a step-stool of something similar height to put your feet up on.

Try not to push too hard or you'll get those horrible hemerroids!

Good luck

Katherine

 

[bananasmom]

I tried every single thing mentioned here... and really most of them weren't far from my normal diet/lifestyle. I still had troubles in the last 4 months of both of my pregnancies.

I finally gave up and took Colace, and a lot of it. Sorry, nothing natural to offer that hasn't been already mentioned (except maybe granny smith apple juice, can find in freezer section)

 

[bebe luna]

Dietary advice:
*limit your dairy intake (especially cheese and ice cream, yogurt and sour cream should be okay)
*Add 2000 mg of essential oils to your diet (flax oil, hemp oil, etc... this can be in capsule form or a couple Tbsps of straight oil)
*avoid white flour and fried foods
*avoid bananas & citrus (limit OJ)
*eat plenty of fruit~ prunes, figs, apples, pears, berries, etc
*eat plenty of vegis, especially leafy greens and yams
*miso, sour kraut, yeast free sour dough bread, tempeh, kefir, amazake, mochi, and yogurt all contain beneficial enzymes that aid in promoting healthy digestion... try adding some of these foods to your daily diet.

If you are following a good high-fiber diet and drinking plenty of water, and the addition of essential oils still does not help, you may want to try adding a couple Tbsps bulk fiber (psyllium husks, etc) to your diet daily.

I think acidophilus is very important for healthy digestion. If you aren't eating yogurt or kefir daily, I would add a couple capsules of acidophilus to your diet.

Avoid synthetic based prenatals. Synthetic iron can be very constipating. Rainbow Light and Source of Life by Natures Plus both make great whole foods based prenatals.

Another idea is to try a homeopathic remedy. You should be able to find a good homeopathic remedy for constipation at any health food store.

Abdominal massage in the direction of the colon is also a helpful technique for helping stimulate movement and elimination.

Rooibos red tea is also a good tonic for digestive problems. It is a great idea to drink a couple cups a day. It also has calcium, natural flouride, and antioxidants. Great for pregnant and nursing moms.
Ginger tea is another good tonic for digestive issues. It is usually used for nausea but is also great for bloating and constipation, as it is very warming to the body and nourishing for the digestive system.