Please Help!! CONSTIPATED!

[sewarsh]

Seriously, I haven't gone in like 5 days. I feel horrible.

My OB suggested Metamucil.
Any other suggestions?
I'm 7 weeks pregnant.
Thanks.

[misshollygolightly]

Maybe increase your bran and fiber intake, while drinking plenty of fluids? You can buy wheat bran and wheat germ at the health food store and add them to cereal, bake up a batch of bran muffins, etc. A brief internet search shows that Dulcolax is *probably* safe to take during pregnancy--there are "no known" harmful effects, but you might want to check with a doctor or pharmacist first. I know I used it *after* my first pregnancy, but I've never taken it during. You might also back off on the iron supplements (in your prenatal vitamin or whatever) until things get back on track--iron can cause constipation, iirc.

So sorry! Hope you find some relief soon!

[misshollygolightly]

And congratulations on your pregnancy :-)

[Minnifer]

For pretty quick and painless relief (it doesn't make me feel crampy like a laxative) Milk of Magnesia does the trick, and for ongoing "maintenance" of the problem (I'm on Zofran so major constipation is a side effect), I take 3 Colace a day plus 300 mg of magnesium. All were approved by my super conservative OB.

[Indianamom2]

Zofran constipated me like nothing I have ever experienced. I was seriously *this* close to going to the ER because I was so miserable. I think I was well on my way to impaction.

I ate fiber like it was going out of style. Anything that had a huge fiber content was my friend. I drank so much water I thought I'd drown. And I did take stool softeners. I ate the Quaker Oatmeal breakfast bars for breakfast every morning with a huge glass of water, IIR.

I believe that you can take Miralax, but I'm not positive, so you might want to talk with your doctor/pharmacist. I was eventually able to go, but quite honestly, it was almost worse than childbirth when I did, and I'm not exaggerating. DO NOT let it get any worse. I am so very sorry because I know how bad that feels.:hug:

[mezzona]

lots of fiber, lots of water. fiber is useless w/o water/fluids. also coffee helps sometimes, as does activity.

[kaharris83]

McDonald's. I was miserable and tried everything my OB suggested. In desperation I tried McDonald's and not even 2 hours later problem solved.

[newg]

I believe I took Colace and gas-x.

[tmahanes]

I had to take zofran almost the whole time and took both kinds of dulcolax with approval of my OB

Sent from my Ally using Tapatalk

[RunnerDuck]

Miralax is OK (safe) but never worked for me. Metamucil does but I have a hard time remembering to take it. I should go make a big glass... Those fiber bars, like fiber 1, I have been finding if I eat 2-3 a day help a lot. Kellogs makes a chocolate coconut one... it's like colon blow meets samoas. They're REALLY good. So good I only got 2 of them and my son ate the other 4... I need to buy more of that flavor and hide them.

[stinkyfeet]

In addition to fiber (oatmeal is great!), drink lots of water and exercise (like walking). I have used the metamucil fiber crackers in the past just to keep me regular--i ate a pack of 2 per day.
:wavey:

[♥ms.pacman♥]

like pp mentioned often times in first trimester, i had to take Colace religiously, bc Zofran constipated like nothing else (and i HAD to take Zofran otherwise i'd have been non-function due to the nausea/vomiting).

[boltfam]

I did Metamucil and/or Miralax during pregnancy. Exercise always helped, too. FYI: If you do Milk of Magnesia, make sure you're going to be home for a while afterward. IME, it does it's job VERY well.

[AnnieW625]

I like Citrucel fiber. I mix it with orange juice or water. Also try not eating a lot of wheat products for a couple of days. When my IBS w/constipation gets really bad this is what I have to do. Ironically when I was pregnant my IBS was pretty much under control.

[lowrioh]

For immediate relief, use a glycerin suppository. You should go in about an hour. To prevent constipation try the suggestions of the PP.
You shouldn't use suppositories regularly but for immediate results it's either that or an enema.

[hopeful_mama]

My MFM preferred Miralax. As I recall it's just plastic pellets so it's inert (I wasn't concerned about types of plastic at that point so don't really know). It did taste and smell plasticy so I preferred it in something flavored (ginger ale) and in a plastic cup. Worked well and was not intense.

[barkley1]

don't a lot of prenatals have stool softeners in them? I believe it's colace.

[JanBaby]

PRUNES. Seriously, I love them.

[BabbyO]

I'm someone who prefers to add foods to my diet that will help because for me it it gentler than supplements. Prunes usually do the trick for me, but if you hate them, try Kashi Go Lean cereal. Seriously that stuff made me regular like nothing else on earth. It isn't the tastiest thing in the world, but it isn't repulsive, either.

Definitely try walking, too, esp if you can do it after eating a high fiber food. And like PP's said, plenty of water, too!

[RunnerDuck]

My MFM preferred Miralax. As I recall it's just plastic pellets so it's inert (I wasn't concerned about types of plastic at that point so don't really know). It did taste and smell plasticy so I preferred it in something flavored (ginger ale) and in a plastic cup. Worked well and was not intense.

Plastic pellets???

I swear it smells just like elmer's glue to me. It's actually plastic? I don't know which is weirder... it being elmer's glue made sense, since it never did anything for me LOL

[salsah]

for immediate relief, try glycerin suppositories and milk of magnesia. if this is an ongoing problem, try taking your prenatal vitamin (assuming that it has iron in it) with a glass of oj. i also used fiber choice, just an easy way to get in more fiber. other than that, a high fiber diet, lots of water and walking should keep you regular. avoid binding foods. if doing those things gets you back on track, but you have times when things slow down, try collace (stool softener) as soon as you notice, before it gets too bad and you need the suppositories or milk of magnesia.

GL and congrats on the pregnancy!

[WolfpackMom]

I ate lots of Fiber One bars or Quaker bars w/fiber when I was taking iron supplements.
Hope things work themselves out:wink2:, sorry, couldnt help myself...

[logan's mom]

I like FiberChoice tablets. You just chew them up. Although, I feel like they give me gas and bloating. I can't get regular Metamucil down (which my doctor recs) but I have had better luck with the Metamucil Clear. I mix it in Gatorade which is the only liquid other than GingerAle that I can get down.

Sometimes before bed I will munch on Quaker Oatmeal Squares cereal. It seems to help with both the constipation and waking up sick in the middle of the night.

[Minnifer]

I've kept reading here (although my little system I posted about earlier still works relatively well - still painful to go (sorry TMI) but things move along)... anyway, I just wanted to comment that it's so interesting how everyone's body is so different - when I've tried more fiber via fiber bars, cereal, or the kind that mixes into liquids, it has the opposite effect - makes me feel much more bound up (even if I'm drinking tons) and really uncomfortable. It's awful. Whereas fiber via fruit (prunes, juice, etc) seems to help a bit. Of course, what would help the most is if I could get off the darn Zofran!!!

[czekit7]

I was working notes in the ICU, and googles EVERY POSSIBLE CONCOCTION...maalox extra strength finally helped...(after trying "1/4c warm OJ, 1/4c warm prune juice & 1/4c warm whole milk" yuk, warm prune juice with a pat of butter, yuk! Oh let me tell you the other options!!!