Hello! I’m 35(f) FTM so just a nervous Nellie all around. Went in for my first ultrasound yesterday and saw the heartbeat and everything looked good which was reassuring at the time but now I’m back to being worried again (I’m about 7w5d btw) I would say the vast majority of my pregnancy I have been outrageously constipated or having diarrhea. I don’t think I’ve had a single normal poop in over a month. I hear a lot about constipation but not as much about diarrhea? Is it normal? Basically my poop cycle rn (lol) is somewhat normal tho mostly constipated, VERY constipated, force myself to eat a prune after dinner for a few nights, then diarrhea paired with the most vile reflux I’ve ever experienced (like I can feel acid just chilling in my esophagus for the whole day), cut out the prunes, then back to constipation. Like what the hell
@gordondb It can be normal. Hormones really mess with digestion. I'm someone who often gets period diarrhea, so I wasn't surprised to find that my digestion was screwed up not just during pregnancy but postpartum as well. If you're concerned, talk to your doctor. They may be able to recommend pregnancy-safe meds.
@jesking I think that’s what’s making me nervous—I associate diarrhea with getting my period. But some of the hormones are the same so I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised…
@gordondb I haven’t had diarrhea, but I’ve definitely had some not-normal poops. I also have a massive hemorrhoid, so that’s fucking great too. I have GERD, and was reading recently that some of proton-pump meds are linked to dementia, so I stopped taking them and I am in a world of hurt. The only thing helping right now are Tums. I told my husband being pregnant is miserable.
@gordondb I haven’t had diarrhea but I need to take restorlax once or twice a day. My OB said it’s safe to take as often as needed. It was so bad I ended up at L&D. Most mortifying experience of my life to have to have my fiancée witness all of that. He’s a champ
@gordondb You can still have diarrhea and be very, very constipated. The liquid just moves around the solid
Definitely get your constipation sorted out, 600mg of magnesium bisglycinate nightly should help but for the immediate time period, try Miralax or some other type of OSMOTIC laxative (very important) and make sure you are super super well hydrated.
Well hydrated = taking in lots of electrolytes with your fluids. Pounding a ton of straight water will not be your friend here.
I’ve been hesitant to try any kind of medical intervention bc I never have before so I’ve been choking down prunes. But I’ll try magnesium. I’m definitely a water person, but have had to into Gatorade into my diet as well
@gordondb Try LMNT electrolyte packets, way better than Gatorade!
And be very mindful of which type of magnesium you get. Bisglycinate will be the best for this purpose.
If you don’t want to go with Miralax or similar, increase your fiber. Raspberries are surprisingly very high in fiber! You can also buy plain psyllium husk (basically Metamucil without all the trash fillers and dyes and sugars) and take some of that everyday.
@gordondb I had ridiculous reflux when I was pregnant, and it turned out that I had a distended gallbladder. Hormones do crazy things, and that can be one of them. Not saying this will definitely be the case with you, but it’s something to look into! I had to maintain a low fat diet for the remainder of my pregnancy so as not to overactivate my gallbladder. After I had my son, the reflux went away and my gallbladder is back to its normal size!
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