Question about constipation

[Juliakay]

Hello all - I don't post frequently but have learned so much from you ladies! I am about 20 weeks along now and for the past week and a half have had trouble with constipation, despite eating plenty of fiber (25-30 grams/day), drinking plenty of water (80-90 oz./day), and exercising 5 days/week. I understand this is pretty common in pregnancy but I have never had these problems before! My doctor said it's okay to use a stool softener called Colace, and I took it twice, several days apart,which was helpful each time I took it. My concern is I seem to be getting in a pattern where I am unable to go unless I take the Colace and this does not seem healthy. Any ideas or suggestions from you moms who have dealt with this problem? Thanks for your input!
Julia

 

[Tammyspq]

Hi Julia! I tried two different things. I first used Shaklee's herb-lax because I felt better taking a natural (food-based) supplement than a drug-like one. I also use Shaklee's soy protein drink every day as an additional source of nutrition (sometimes 2-3xs a day in addition to meals). I found that for a while when I stopped, the constipation could only be alleviated with Herb-Lax. When I went by on my soy protein I had no problems.

As we all say - "Everyone is different" but I thought I'd let you know what's helpful. You technically have to be a member of Shaklee to purchase their products but I order for friends who aren't yet members all the time - if you're interested.

Hope this helps! If you'd like any information on what I take, you can e-mail me at [email protected].

good luck! jeni

 

[bridge]

What works for me (like clock work) is Barley Green. If I don't take it even when I'm not pregnant I have trouble. It is just a green drink, I buy it from a distributor, but you can get similar products in health food stores. It is not a laxative, just a food suplement that is full of vitamins and minerals that you would get from green veggies but also works so well for me in this area.

 

[tchersue]

If your prenatal vitamin has extra iron, ask your OB whether you need it... iron pills often cause constipation. It also can be a culprit in morning sickness. There are prenatals that come without it.

Susan