Constipation

pianist1989

Hi ladies!! I'm looking for natural ways to relieve constipation. Part of my problem is that water is making me sick right now and juices, like prune juice are way to sweet and make me sick as well. My very awesome OB has suggested prunes, but I don't like them by themselves. Do you have any other ideas? I really want to stay away from any OTC meds if possible...

sschwege

What about a smoothie with prunes in it?

barnwife

I don't like prunes either, but I ate them during both pregnancies to avoid constipation. Frankly, having to eat 2-3 prunes a day seemed like a small price to pay. (While I don't like prunes, I intensely dislike prune juice.)

I would try a prune smoothie or bake prune bars or...sorry, but prunes are really an easy, natural solution.

beachhippiemama

Crunch on ice cubes. Try apples/apple juice, peanut butter & ezekiel bread, a small cup of coffee, eat something spicy, make black beans and brown rice for dinner. Stay away from cheese (or any dairy for that matter until you go), soft drinks, dried fruits (they can dehydrate you and make matters worse), or anything super salty/sugary.

sbevmc09

Maybe water down the juice a little bit?  If you're not liking the taste of water (I went through that as well in my first few weeks of pregnancy) that might be part of the problem.  You need a lot of water during pregnancy and you have to get enough in to flush out your system! 

ETA: Also, try lemon water for your water intake.  I drank ice cold lemon water when water didn't taste good to me and it really does help!

oliversmommy32912

I use a Magnesium supplement called Calm that is sold at most stores that sell supplements. It's a powder that you mix in with water. It actually tastes really good. I always get the raspberry lemon kind and it tastes like lemonade. It's great for constipation and if you get the one with Calcium it will help a lot with leg cramps. I took it all through my pregnancy and I would double the dose if I was more backed up than usual. Good luck! Not a fun problem...

mystrana

As others have said, can you combine water and prune juice to make two things you don't like become one thing you can drink?

I dunno if metamucil is out of your comfort level but I would recommend that otherwise. I've been using it throughout my pregnancy and it helps. (As long as I remember to take it v_v )

Also, I believe lentils are high in fiber, so you can make lentil soup or snack on apples and pears (with the skin) and raspberries. 

MrsP052909

Apples or a cup of coffee usually do the trick for me. When DS gets constipated I give him some apple juice and stick him in a warm bath tub. The warm bath helps to relax him and makes it easier for him to go. Of course there have been a few times where I've had to clean the bath tub after...but it's worth it to know he's more comfortable!  Hope you find some relief soon!

jillms413

I have had really bad constipation this pregnancy.  I tried a bunch of different things that would normally work once or twice but wasn't a long term solution.  What has worked long term for me is drinking an insane amount of water and taking occasional stool softeners (I haven't needed them on a daily basis).

 The one natural remedy that worked for a me a couple times that hasn't already been mentioned is steel cut oatmeal.  That has a high amount of fiber in it.

Hyaline

This may be an overshare, but...a bowl of high-fiber cereal with a half-cup of coffee chaser every morning has eliminated any constipation issues I had early in pregnancy.  Not recommended right before a long commute.

How does your tummy handle mixing juice and water, or juice and seltzer or soda?  Plain water sometimes is too much for me to handle, but if I mix in some cranberry juice it's golden. 

Mrs E in Oregon

Eat a lot of blackberries or blueberries. I've had a lot of them in the past few days and feel very cleaned out.