Poop Talk....please?!?

SkiChic626 · April 2016

First of all, this is going to be totally TMI, so I apologize in advance, but I'm really looking for some relief here.

Am I the only one who's been having serious issues with this during this pregnancy? I recall a little bit of constipation with DD, but this time is horrible and causing me extreme pain and discomfort - making me completely incapacitated sometimes because I'm doubled over in pain, sweating, shaking. It's not even the constipation that's bothering me, but I've been getting diarrhea a lot and since I'm constipated the other stuff can't make it's way out so it causes me a ton of pain until it all manages to work it's way out. It's been happening to me every few days, so it's really having an effect on my quality of life. Does anyone else have this problem? What do you take as a daily stool softener so this doesn't happen? My PNV is supposed to have one in it, but I would say it's not doing it's job. I have talked to my OB about it, and took her advice on this supplement that's supposed to help....doesn't help.

charmedlifex3 · April 2016

I've been absolutely having the diarrhea issue. We upped my iron, and that seems to have mostly taken care of it. I also stopped eating whole grain everything (even though it tastes better) because I was having issues. I haven't had white bread in YEARS before this, lol.

Does you PNV have iron in it? My OBGYN said that can cause constipation. You could try taking one which doesn't have iron and see if it gets better, then add back a lower dose iron only supplement (especially if you aren't anemic)

JournoGrl23 · April 2016

I'm not sure if this will work for that level of constipation, but I've struggled with it off and on throughout my life and now really bad with this pregnancy. I usually drink a full glass of organic made from apples apple juice with no added sugar in the mornings and usually by the next day I'm able to go. I've always heard apple juice is like a natural laxative so I gave it a try a couple years ago and it works for me. But I have no idea if that would work for everyone or if it's just me. Doesn't hurt to try though. Maybe your OB would approve of an over the counter laxative you could take? I hope you find some relief soon.

SqweetyPie · April 2016

I tried prune juice after a few other ladies told me about it. I have a small glass at night and everything is ready to go by morning. I have issues with diarrhea at times (not while drinking the prune juice) so I stay away from stool softeners.

charmedlifex3 · April 2016

@journogrl23 I've been CRAVING applesauce, maybe *that's* my issue... That would be an easy fix.

jamiesc58 · April 2016

My OB recommended a dose of Colace a day which is a stool softener, not a laxative. It seems to keep things moving fairly normally.

tmk0325 · April 2016

I'm also on the Colace once a day and it definitely has helped me. I have been constipated the whole pregnancy! Also if I have some coffee in the morning, that usually helps trigger it to go. The stool softener just helps it so its not rock hard.

SkiChic626 · April 2016

Hmmmm...apple sauce, I'm going to down some tonight!

Hummingbird125 · April 2016

I haven't had any of those issues since the first tri (though I'm sure they'll be back soon enough...But for me, a spoonful of Benefiber in my morning cup of coffee was MAGIC. I highly recommend it.

SkiChic626 · April 2016

I sorta wish this happened in first tri instead of now. Sometimes it's so violent that it feels like in pulling muscles in my pelvis.

Mrsrundell · April 2016

I had trouble going in the first trimester. I started eating about 5 dried prunes a day and it helped soooo much. I'm more regular now but, no longer eat the prunes so not sure if it's because I started exercising regularly again (stopped in first tri for a bit) or because of something else.

So so sorry you are going through this - I'll say a little prayer to the potty gods that everything clears up for you!!

Wolfie646 · April 2016

My husband and I have been following The 21 Day Belly Fix for a year and a half know, it's all about fixing your gut health. Every morining (minus the weekends when I'm lazy) I drink 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with three tablespoons of water, and take a probiotic pill. Since I've been pregnant I haven't finished the whole thing, but I drink one to two big sips of it. I also drink a cup of ginger tea every morning. I've had semi-regular number 2s, no diarrhea or constipation. I also only have. One serving of whole grains a day, usually with dinner. Good luck!

SkiChic626 · April 2016

I also think there's just something about this pregnancy that's making my stomach more sensitive than normal, and I think I may have a bit of lactose intolerance. It takes a lot for me to feel icky from too much dairy, but that never happened at all before. Too much sugar also seriously upsets my stomach. It's typically like a rock and I didn't get any of this with DD, so I'm just like wtf is going on!?! I have an OB check up on Friday, so I'm going to talk to them about what else I might be able to do to stop or lessen both ailments.

Wolfie646 I've been hearing about this apple cider vinegar thing all over the place. People at work were even passing around a bottle of it the other day. Even just the thought of drinking vinegar makes me gag, though. I can put it on salads and cook with it, I def don't dislike it, but I don't think I could just drink it like that. Oy!

amccul20 · April 2016

I haven't been able to consistently poop at all this pregnancy and it's driving me bonkers! I just cut my dairy and upped my fiber intake in hopes that it would help. I'm miserable but hate taking meds if I don't have to. colace is a last resort.

lizzitbe · April 2016

*Knock on wood* I've been lucky in this regard. I was super constipated through my first trimester but since then I take fiber gummy chews every morning which I think are my saving grace. That and maybe that I eat an apple every day... I crave granny smith apples.

Nikkoli98 · April 2016

If you are having constipation stay away from the applesauce. It is one of the 4 BRAT diet recommendations for diarrhea!

Two common offenders for waxing/waning constipation and diarrhea are dairy and gluten (which are often hidden ingredients that are hard to avoid.) I've been dairy free for over 7 years and gluten free for almost 4. I had symptoms like you describe daily for years before I figured it all out. Try keeping a food journal (what you eat, and when/ what symptoms you experience.) You may also want to read about leaky gut syndrome.

My go-to for constipation is 4-6 ounces of prune juice daily until the desired effects are achieved. A good probiotic also helps a ton. Eating dried prunes and apricots are also good for gut motility, as well as tons of water. Once you have cleared out the system, something more mild like the apple juice may help you to maintain a comfortable speed of motility.

Best of luck! :-)

Sunnyn75 · April 2016

I am kind of an anti medicine kind of person unless absolutely necessary, and I take colace daily. My first pregnancy I had MAJOR constipation issues, and so far I'm great this time...with the help of colace

SkiChic626 · April 2016

Nikkoli98 said:

If you are having constipation stay away from the applesauce. It is one of the 4 BRAT diet recommendations for diarrhea!

Two common offenders for waxing/waning constipation and diarrhea are dairy and gluten (which are often hidden ingredients that are hard to avoid.) I've been dairy free for over 7 years and gluten free for almost 4. I had symptoms like you describe daily for years before I figured it all out. Try keeping a food journal (what you eat, and when/ what symptoms you experience.) You may also want to read about leaky gut syndrome.

My go-to for constipation is 4-6 ounces of prune juice daily until the desired effects are achieved. A good probiotic also helps a ton. Eating dried prunes and apricots are also good for gut motility, as well as tons of water. Once you have cleared out the system, something more mild like the apple juice may help you to maintain a comfortable speed of motility.

Best of luck! :-)

Thanks, I definitely think this is pregnancy-related, though. I've never had these issues before, so I don't think it's coincidence. I love milk and yogurt, they're a great source of healthy fat and calcium for me, so I don't think dairy is something I could give up, especially while pregnant and BFing.

ballofmeat · April 2016

Collace and kiwi are the only things that work for me. I feel your pain though.

lalalorelai · April 2016

My doctor recommended colace and adding fiber to my diet. I get constipation off and on so I only use colace as needed.

Also, exercising always helps get things moving. I know that, pretty much without fail, I'll get "unblocked" after a nice jog. Maybe even just a few long walks would help? And make sure you're drinking plenty of water.

entropicallyfavored · April 2016

Hi, @SkiChic626, I think that I am way late to this post, but I just wanted to tell you that this past weekend, I had the same pains that you referred to. I was doubled over in pain for about 48 hours, and was so scared that I was in labor!! The pain was unlike anything that I have ever felt in my life, but I thought that it might be gas.

My husband went on a walk with me that lasted only 30 minutes and I was in so much pain that I had to sit down in random people's yards FOUR TIMES!! I am an ex-college athlete and very active normally, so this was bizarre for me. However, the walking really helped, and if you can muster the energy to walk while in pain, it might buy you some relief.

And since I was so relieved that I wasn't the only one when I read your post, I will tell you this: at one point on the walk, I was hunched over on all fours farting very audibly in a neighbor's front yard!!!!! My husband was laughing the hardest I've seen him laugh in months-- it might turn out to be his favorite memory of this pregnancy. So embarrassing, so funny, and yet the best part, such sweet relief.

Sorry that is all TMI but the pain is REAL and I feel you!!

Best of luck!!

P.S. Since then I have made some diet changes and am feeling great. Good luck!!

vsalazar411 · April 2016

Came here to add to the poo party.

Not the same issues as OP. But whenever I had a bowel movement I felt like I was passing GLASS SHARDS, it was horrible, I thought I was dying. Long story short, OB makes me take a single dose of Colace daily and drink over 3Liters of water a day and things are going a nice and smoothly now. So make sure you ladies are drinking PLENTY of water! Hope all your poos are smooth and painless!

Snaps816 · May 2016

Ok this is super embarrassing and TMI, and I would never ask anyone IRL but... has anyone else had the largest poops of their life while pregnant? I assume this has something to do with constipation and things getting "backed up," but today I was seriously shocked. I'm not trying to go into gross details but it was way more poop than you'd think one person could generate in a day (more like 5 days). I clogged a toilet at work (luckily on a vacant floor where I sometimes sneak when I need privacy), then a few hours later, clogged another stall in the same bathroom! Fortunately I was able to flush that one several times until it finally cleared away. I don't know if I could live with myself clogging two public toilets in one day. I would just have to make an anonymous call to building maintenance and then quit my job in shame.

I'm not sharing this just to gross everyone out and be funny. Mostly I just laugh, but as with most things during pregnancy, it made me a little worried. I've heard about women having diarrhea or large bowel movements before labor, so I'm on high alert for early labor. Anyone else have this lovely experience?

Mfuller76 · May 2016

@Snaps816 Rest assured, you are not alone! I had such an epic poop last month that I also clogged a toilet at work. The one toilet shared by the 18 people on my floor. It was mortifying. I've had a few more "omg did all that come out of me?" moments since then. I think you're right about things getting backed up, and then it all comes out at once.

I've also noticed that when that happens, I get super hungry and the baby starts kicking more. Guess freeing up that much space makes a big difference!

tmk0325 · May 2016

vsalazar411 said:

Came here to add to the poo party.
Not the same issues as OP. But whenever I had a bowel movement I felt like I was passing GLASS SHARDS, it was horrible, I thought I was dying. Long story short, OB makes me take a single dose of Colace daily and drink over 3Liters of water a day and things are going a nice and smoothly now. So make sure you ladies are drinking PLENTY of water! Hope all your poos are smooth and painless!

Are you still experiencing this? I only ask because a few years ago I had a fissure and it felt like this. I had to have surgery to repair it. A lot of times it can heal on its own, but it severe cases it won't. Usually red blood when you wipe with it is a sign of it.

texasmama2014 · May 2016

@Snaps816 I'm just impressed...

ballofmeat · May 2016

@Snaps816 I never thought I would be jealous of someone who poops. I have to take collace and skip my prenatals every other day just to make it happen. So bravo!

Image: https://m.popkey.co/390fea/oGme8.gif

JournoGrl23 · May 2016

tmk0325 said:

vsalazar411 said:

Came here to add to the poo party.
Not the same issues as OP. But whenever I had a bowel movement I felt like I was passing GLASS SHARDS, it was horrible, I thought I was dying. Long story short, OB makes me take a single dose of Colace daily and drink over 3Liters of water a day and things are going a nice and smoothly now. So make sure you ladies are drinking PLENTY of water! Hope all your poos are smooth and painless!

Are you still experiencing this? I only ask because a few years ago I had a fissure and it felt like this. I had to have surgery to repair it. A lot of times it can heal on its own, but it severe cases it won't. Usually red blood when you wipe with it is a sign of it.

I had fissure a few years ago too. It is really painful! Thankfully mine healed with some medication. But that's something you definitely want to keep an eye out for with those symptoms.

kristynmac · May 2016

@Snaps816 I am seriously jealous and impressed. I like that you use a different bathroom! There is an apartment complex with a community room above our offices, and I always go up there to use the bathroom--even though we have several in the office.

Snaps816 · May 2016

@Mfuller76 Glad to know I'm not alone. And now I feel lucky to have the 6th floor to sneak off to when I need to. What happened to you sounds mortifying! I hope you've recovered.

Bookhousegirl · May 2016

@Snaps816 I pooped like 6 times yesterday. None, unfortunately, were as epic as yours, but I definitely go more often, albeit inconsistently, than I did in the past. Some days I won't go at all, and then others I feel like I could constantly go. I think it's just everything getting moved around and pushed on.

AliKay20 · May 2016

Lately my Ikea stool has been a life saver. Legs up and all is well with a bit of a push. Ha, now to apply that to giving birth...

Stephanie7693 · May 2016

@Bookhousegirl ,that's how I've been this pregnancy too. I either don't go at all, or I go 5 times in a day. And I really have to go all 5 times.

Snaps816 · May 2016

You guys. We just got our weekly email from the company that manages my office building. The bathrooms on the 6th floor are being demolished. Apparently my poop was that bad! Also... where am I going to go now?

texasmama2014 · May 2016

@Snaps816 Have you ever seen the How I Met Your Mother episode where Marshall uses the bathroom on another floor and they demolish it while he's in there? He gets pretty creative where he goes, sometimes even renting a hotel room...

Snaps816 · May 2016

texasmama2014 said:

@Snaps816 Have you ever seen the How I Met Your Mother episode where Marshall uses the bathroom on another floor and they demolish it while he's in there? He gets pretty creative where he goes, sometimes even renting a hotel room...

Haven't seen that one, but that is funny! I've never been that squeamish about going until now.

Edsilva14 · May 2016

I am on and off constipated these days. I am trying to drink a lot of water, and exercise, and prune juice....that's working for me but feel I am always in the bathroom!! I noticed when I drink a lot of water, and do a little exercise, I feel much better. I hope all our poop issues go away, it is so uncomfortableness!!!

bsamples381 · May 2016

This was an issue for me the entire time. On the advice of my OB I have been taking Colace and Miralax. Works for me.

Want a personalized experience?

Poop Talk....please?!?

Re: Poop Talk....please?!?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards