Any cures for pregnancy constipation?

I'm hoping that someone out there has found something that works for this!  I'm in my 12th week and this has been a constant problem since week 6.  I don't take a prenatal with iron and I drink 10+ glasses of water a day and get 30+ gms of fiber and exercise every day.  I've tried prunes, prune juice, 1/2 cup of coffee, miralax, milk of magnesia, metamucil, colace, all of which make me feel sick but don't do anything.  So far only laxatives (which I shouldn't be taking) and the enema (yuck) that my doctor told me to try a few days ago have worked, but I'm still constantly bloated and my stomach hurts almost all the time. 

Anyone have any miracle cures out there?  Please share!

This might seem counter intuitive but I read that having a lot of fiber during pregnancy can have negative results resulting in a lot of gas, bloating, and pain.  I am not saying you are not constipated - I definitely was during the first trimester but some of the bloating and pain may be caused by excess gas.

I was able to get my doctor to give me some sample vitamins from his office that have a stoole softener in them! They worked great. I got enough to take about 2-3 per week and on the other days I would just take my regular prenatals. I would have gone with the sampled vitamins full on but my insurance didn't cover them and they're expensive. I also did several Citrucel drinks per week!

On the plus side of things... as of about week 22 or so, the constipation vanished. For the past several weeks though, my baby boy has really grown and now I'm heading in the "other direction" of things. You just can't win.

Good luck!!

I ate a bowl of Fiber One Honey Clusters every morning for breakfast and an apple for a mid-morning snack. I was more regular during pregnancy than I had been before it. If you decide to try that, watch out; Fiber One has a ton of sodium in it. I just watched my sodium intake the remainder of the day.

After having my son, I was prescribed Colace which is a stool softner. It is actually over-the-counter and Target has a generic brand. I was breastfeeding while using it so it may be safe to use while pregnant. You should ask your doctor.

flgirl: I had the same problem in my last trimester.

First, STOP the laxatives!!  Your discomfort is a small sacrifice for the health of the baby :O)

Second, try a cup of coffee...Starbuck is pretty strong.  That usually does the trick with me!  Just  keep it to one dose of caffeine a day and one a week if not less.  Hope that helps!

The biggest thing that helped me was... Watermelon.  But that was the summer and it was in season.  But try some fruit with a high water content.

I had my OB/GYN clinical rotation last semester, I'm a senior nursing student, and we would tell our mothers to make sure that they exercise along with their fluid and fiber intake. Constipation in pregnancy is most often due to the baby putting pressure in the GI tract and nerves inhibiting peristalsis. Exercising increases peristalsis. Also, laying down in bed on your left side or with a wedge under your right hip helps shift the baby off your major vessels with help perfuse the GI tract. You can also try getting on your hands and knees to reduce the pressure that on the GI tract. Have you been to any prenatal classes or birthing classes. I sat in on one last semester and they had a whole bunch of natural techniques for almost all the situations that the different mothers (and husbands) were experiencing during the perinatal period. 

ALSO::: One of the most common side effects of prenatal pills is constipation do to the high iron content. Don't take laxatives unless the doctor has specifically told you too because it can cause dehydration, electrolyte and fluid imbalances...

I had this problem with all three of my pregnancies.  My doctor prescribed something called collace which I believe is over the counter now.  But ask your dr before you take anything please.  Its not a laxative its a stool softener and it worked but surprisingly enough beets helped me.  I know it sounds funny cause that is not something that someone would suggest but with my first pregnancy I ate them and it helped so with each of my pregnancies I tried it and it also helped.  I don't know maybe my body is strange. lol

Prunes!!!!!! They will help!

You can buy baby food pureed prunes, and they are mild, or prune juice

I had the exact same problem first 12 weeks of my pregnancy (i am now 17 weeks) and i can feel your pain! i was always bloated, gassy and uneasy looking more pregnant than I actually was. What helped me was to drink 2 glasses of water right after waking up followed by a cup of hot tea. I would then wait till i had to go and not eat anything till then. Once I started doing that i became very regular.

I hope this helps and congratulations on your pregnancy!