What to Take for Severe Constipation

Black Starp Molasses! My clients are amazed at not only the loosenng of stools but they feel great taking it. It is high in iron,, calcium, potassium and B bitamins and guess what it's a food not a supplement. But it isn't the best tasting and in early pregnancy you may not be able to do it. start with just 1 tbsp a day and work up to 2 tbsp a day 1 in the am and 1 in the pm. Don't forget lots & lots of water!
M. the midwife

Hey M.
I had the same problem I took prune juice but that didnt work the milk of magnesia worked a whole lot better, try it again just take smaller amounts. Good Luck!!!!!

You poor thing!!! I've SO been there!
Try colace it works pretty good. Its safe and gentle so it won't make you sick. I actually tried the "Fleet" glycerine suppositories that they sell for infants as well. That worked too, but not so pleasant. Hang in there and good luck to you! :)

Try some fiber. Citrucel is good and you can get it w/out any flavor. Try it 3 times a day for a few days until things get going, then once or twice a day. Also add more raw veggies to your diet and look for foods with high fiber content. Walking on a regular basis also gets things moving. There is probably iron in your prenatals, too. If things don't get better, talk to your doctor about a prenatal without iron if you're not anemic. Good luck.

Talk to your Dr. before doing anything, but what I found works for me when it gets really bad is a plain water enema. I have always eaten plenty of fiber, but I have struggled with te same problem since I was about 3 months along with my first daughter, and she just turned 4, so it has been a long time!

Hi M. -

I am also pregnant - 33 weeks. Almost to the end...WOO HOO! Constipation is not fun. What I've taken is LOTS of water, Metamucil (you will notice affects of this after a day). Just read the instructions. Also, if your constipation is really bad, your doctor may prescribe colace, which is very good. I'm actually taking colace because I'm also taking an iron supplement which makes me all stopped up.

Anyway, I hope these suggestions work. Good luck.

I am almost 21 wks yes!!! LOL Ready for this to be over. This is my second baby and I run after a 14 month old all day. FUN I had this problem with my first and I use to eat Mini Wheats everyday any kind and that really helped me. Also, drink all the water you kind that will help too.

I had this same problem at the beginning when I was pregnant. I used colace, drank prune juice, drank lots of water and ate lots of fruit but didn't really end up find the cure all. The constipation just ended up going away after a while though it was frustrating for a time just be aware that it will eventually go away!!! Good luck!!

Miralax is a great stool bulker and softener, you would have to check with your Dr. I use it every day, it keeps me regular like clockwork. As u know ,u should increase your fiber with fruits, veggies and whole grains.
A.
Mom of 3 and a RN

My doctor recommends colace....it is a stool softener. My prenatal pills also have a stool softenerr in them so ask your doc if your does. Apples are also a way of getting thngs going. Your diet needs to consist of lots of fruit and veggies right now.........low dairy until it gets better. hope this helps

Raisin Bran works great for constipation! Stay away from bananas because they could make it worse.

Have you tried increasing your fiber and fluids? Water, veggies, fruits especially prunes and figs, grains such as brown rice or whole grain bread... If so,and still having problems. You should ask your doctor about taking an all natural constipation relief aid? Probably a bunch to choose from at Hi Health!

I take, and have taken throughout my pregnancies, psyllium husk capsules. You can get a bottle from anywhere in the laxative section, and they are cheap!!!!! It's natural and has NO side effects. I take 2 with each meal to keep me regular. Also, colace helps soften your stool. You can take that along with the pysillium(which is a natural form of fiber) and it should help you smoothly with no adverse affects. Good luck to you, I know it can be soooo uncomfortable. But, congrats on the baby to be :)
Aimee

Bless you M.! I can relate and was so glad when I found an easier way to deal with constipation. Everyone is so different, but what works for me was to increase my magnesium. I take it at night with my calcium and choline before bed and it keeps me regular! =) Please double check with your Doctor to make sure it's okay with the baby first!
Good Luck and CONGRATULATIONS on your first child!!

How do you feel about Prunes & Prune Juice? They work really good for a lot of people. Also please make sure you are drinking a bunch of water. A minimum of eight 8 oz. glasses a day! Some chinese food, maybe Panda Express helps me out! *grin* Good Luck and I hope you feel better soon.

Canned pumpkin is high in fiber and it is sensitive on the GI tract.
Hope that helps.
D.

I am in my 23rd week of pregnancy and I was having the same problems you are having now. I had tried metimucil and colace like crazy and none of them was working so I asked my doctor what to do because my constipation was so bad that I hadnt gone in a week. My doctor told me to go get some Miralax, you can get it at walgreens or walmart, Im sure CVS would have it too. Its a power that you can mix into any beverage of choice and the is absolutely no taste to it. Anyway give that a try it gives you releif with NO cramping at all and is completely safe to take while you are pregnant just keep in mind it usually takes a day or so to work. If you have any other questions about it just let me know, I would be happy to help cause I definately know what you are going through.

See if your Dr. will prescribe a prenatal vitamin called Prenate DHA. It has a stool softener in it that has been a lifesaver for me. I ate a banana, an apple, and an orange almost every day with my first pregnancy and I never had any problems. This is my second pregnancy (week 13) and I haven’t had much of an appetite for anything so the constipation started right away. I didn’t start taking the Prenate DHA until approx. 10 days ago and it has been the only thing that has truly helped. Plus, the DHA is good for your baby’s brain development.

I am not sure if this will work or not but try prune juice or some of the new yogurt drinks that they have out now that help with "digestion" These are both safe with pregnancy :) But a word of caution: if you go the prune juice route, don't drink too much or you will have the runs! :P I hope this works for you. Congratulations on the pregnancy!

Just found your post... sorry so late. My daughter has the same problem, to the point she has nearly been hospitalized for it. Prune juice is terrible, but they have come out with a much better version - Plum Juice! It tastes like a combination of grape and apple juice, it is clear, so doesnt have that thick consistency. I know you can get it at Wal-Mart superstores, and Albertsons, but should be able to find it anywhere. Chocolate covered raisins are another great one I have not seen mentioned. Fresh cherries work GREAT as well as fresh appricots. Dried ones work too, but fresh ones will help soften as well. Frosted mini-wheats work great for me, extra large bowl in the morning. Ask your doctor about digestive enzymes as well. My daughter takes digestive enzymes too. here is a link to the ones she takes...
http://www.nutrivene.com/view_item.php?ProductID=11&
Also try a juicing machine. Costco has the Jack Lalane juicer for under $100 and it works great. Juice apples, plums, apricots, grapes, etc, and use the pulp that is leftover to add to your cooking. I found it is really good in brownies! But you can add it to muffin mix, spaghetti sauce, mix in with hamburger meat. The possibilities are endless. These are all safe during pregnancy and while nursing, but if these dont work, e-mail me ... I have an endless list of things to try.
Miralax does help, but it does have a warning on the back for pregnant and nursing women, so I would ask your doctor and use it as a last resort.
And Congrats on the new baby!

I am in my 26th week now, and I was stuggling with this for a good while. Switching prenatals helped (I use the "Source of Life" brand prenatal now). This prenatal has probiotics and added vegetable extracts that help with digestion. I get it at Sprouts. I also started eating prunes. Between these two things, I have had no issues. My doula also recommended extra Magnesium (in lieu of prunes, although you could do both if you needed to). I can't remember how much, but that may help as well. Also (I know this is a given, but..), don't forget to make sure you're drinking plenty of water!

hello I am 15 weeks and also constipated. I actually just bought prunes and it has helped alot!! Sounds like you were constipated before so not sure if it will work as good on you. I am not really constipated except during pregnnacy.

Prune Juice is the answer. It might not taste the best & also might be unpleasant if you are having any type of morning sickness but it does work. It's natural & won't hurt anyone.
I also would put bottled water in the frig & drink a whole bottle in the morning when I woke to get my system working.
Together the cold water & prune juice worked great.
I've had three kids, now 17, 14, 11 and I still do this when irregular & give it to my kids also.
Hint: Plug your nose if you don't like the taste.
Hint 2: Also, kept prunes/ raisins on hand. Ate those on a regular basis. Before you know it you will be regular just do it in moderation so as not to get more bloated than you already are right now.
Good Luck. Let me know how it works.
C. Sexton

Fiber! Eat lots of fruit and veggies, oatmeal, shredded wheat, anything high in fiber but make sure to drink enough water because if you eat large amounts of fiber and not enough liquid it will cause them to be very hard and painful causing hemmorhoids which is not fun! Dried fruit did it for me (dried cherries, esp) just don't eat too many or you'll be living in the bathroom. I took Citracal prenatals that have softener. Lay off on cheese, esp cheddar, it can cause constipation. Also flax seed oil helps, I've always been irregular and it's helped me a lot. Prune juice helped a friend of mine, put powdered fiber in your food while you are cooking for a boost. HTH, talk to your doc if it doesn't because not only is constipation uncomfortable it can cause hemmorhoids and during pregnancy they can get really bad and require surgery.

Hi M. -
If you are still having problems with constipation, I would suggest Chlorella. It is safe to take during pregnancy. It is a blue-green algea and contains all of the B Vitamins, plus C, E, Zinc, Calcium, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Germanium and is 60% protein. Chlorella also removes heavy metals and elevated blood fat levels. As a digestive tract cleanser, Chlorella is mild and does not cause cramps or gas and it returns your elimination system to its proper function. You can buy Chlorella at Sprouts, Whole Foods and other health food stores. Chlorella is also save for kids.

Hope this helps.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!
I had the same problem with all of my pregnancies....so's here's what I did and still do....
The old 'apple a day keeps the doctor away' works well. Eat the entire apple with skin. I now ROTATE between ALL of them: apples, popcorn, a high fiber cereal, prune juice, dried prunes, home-made vegetable soup, colace when we travel, psyllium husks at night when I haven't had any of the above during the day...otherwise, once I'm plugged, it takes a lot to unplug my system. The glycerine suppositories work well to get things moving after several days. The stool becomes too hard to pass, then it can tear and cause fissures/hemerhoids. You'll probably need to keep this regime up after the baby is born while your body regroups.
My best to you and your health!