Re: constipation frustration
Asked by ren119
Question:
Hi all,
Just wondering if anyone out there has experienced this...... I was very regular before being pregnant. Through my pregnancy I got extremely constipated (normal I know) to the point of needing an enema
at 27 weeks. I also had to take senokot, metamucil, prunes every day in order to go once every two to three days.
Problem is I have never returned to normal regularity and my baby is nearly two. I am becoming extremeYy frustrated with this. I try drinking lots of water, take senokot as an absolute last resort (once a fortnight if I just cant take it anymore) I eat muesli every morning, try to eat fiber foods but just cant stay regular. I am only going once every two to 3 days again with maybe a pellet somewhere in between (sorry for the imagery)
Is this something I will just have to come to terms with? Has my body changed that much from pregnancy? Or is there anything more I can do?
My Advice:
Constipation will hit us all at some stage in our lives. for me, It's a normality that i only use my bowels once a week, sometimes twice and yes, it's very painful. The cramps, the pressure and the nausea that goes with it is daunting, but i have been like it since i was a very young child, and not even supposotries worked for me.
Here is some advice that may help YOU to keep your bowels regular:
Laxatives: The best laxative for your bowels are "coloxyl with Senna". Sennokot will purge you and the pressure the purging puts on your bowels will cause you to get internal hemorrhoids. The coloxyl on the other hand, will gently move and soften your motions, not purging your bowels. If you take 2 of these each night for a month, you will be giving your bowels a chance to become regular, and you can gradually wean yourself off them , so that you don't have to rely on the laxatives to poo.
Water: When you are taking the laxatives, you need to make sure you drink AT LEAST 6 glasses of water a day, otherwise it will not have the same effect as what it would with water. Also, water in itself, can help you to keep your poo soft, thus making you go regularly to the toilet to open your bowels.
Fruit and Veg: Make sure you get the recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables. 2 serves of fruit and 5 of vegetables. Try to avoid eating too many apples and bananas, as these fruits can constipate you - causing you more problems. Also, eat the fruit and vegetables as close to raw as possible. The more cooked they are, the less nutrients you are getting. Your body needs these nutrients, as it these that help with your metabolism.
Exercise: Your body will only dispose of your waste as fast as your metabolism will allow it to. If you have a low metabolism (obviously that is us haha) then you REALLY need to exercise as much as possible to increase your body's metabolic rate. This will also allow you to burn fat faster if your metabolic rate is faster. Exercise AT LEAST 3 times a week, and for AT LEAST 30 min each session, as this is how long it takes for your body to get it's adrenalin pumping properly.
Fiber Foods: As said in the answer to your q, by toosh... having too many foods high in fibre can make your bowel movements worse, so just stick to stuff like wholegrain bread (2 slices a day MAX) and your muesli for breakfast. You could also try increasing your protein in your diet by eating, nuts, avocado, mushrooms, miso soup etc.
And Fatty Foods: Try to avoid convenience foods and take away as much as possible, as this can make your poos smell terrible and also can constipate you more. This is because they are very unhealthy - often deep fried in pig fat (lard) and this will clog your bowels.
I hope these tips help you - as i know constipation is very painful! Good Luck.
(May 2008) (
