Thank you all for your reassuring comments on my last post. I really really appreciated them. I ended up calling the nurse practitioner at Dr. Zen’s office on Tuesday morning, because, I am (let’s face it) a complete spaz/worry-wart/psychopath. She was like, “Yeah, this is normal, but call us if it’s worse or you have bad cramping.” She also recommended taking a warm bath to try to flush some of it out. (Now I am addicted to nighttime baths. So. Relaxing.)
By Wednesday morning I no longer had the smear of brown/red on the t.p…..such a relief!! From then on I was only getting pink and brown Crinone curds (sorry) when I rather aggressively and slightly internally swiped the t.p. (You probably are wondering why in the heck a person would go and do a thing like that that. I think it’s a combination of masochism and IF-nurtured-nothing-is-off-limits thinking. Hubs wasn’t impressed when he heard about my “sweeping” routine on every visit to the bathroom. I have stopped doing them, I swear.) Since it’s no longer obvious every time I go, I’ve begun retreating from the ledge.
Alright! To continue my trend of repulsive bathroom-inspired posts, here’s another fun one. Constipation!
Ohhhh yes. We have been intimately acquainted for yeaaaaaaars. I have issues, my friends. I have serious troubles going when I’m not in my parents house that I grew up in or my own apartment. (This made college rather traumatic.) I get pretty darn stopped up when I skip a cup of morning coffee or don’t run. And I can’t go in public bathrooms. Period.
So, now here we are in pregnancy, when normal women suddenly develop issues. Well my ISSUES have developed their own issues. If you catch my drift. I don’t know if it’s the lighter running sked, the no caffeinated coffee sked, or just the hormones sked. The “sked,” is that there is NO sked.
Oy.
I’m drinking a teaspoon of Metamucil mixed with water twice daily, which I’m upping to three times a day today. I’m drinking hot water with a lemon slice a few times a day. I’m eating plenty of fiber-rich veggies. I’m running about 30 minutes a day (supposedly exercise helps get things moving). I’m having a few sips of real coffee in the morning. I’m drinking tons of water all day and night, per usual. I’m contemplating Colace, which Dr. Zen’s office recommended, even though I’m loathe to take a pill for this. Any other ideas? (Please don’t say prune juice!)
On the big upside, at least it makes me feel like I’ve checked a symptom box. Does it count if you totally had it beforehand?
Sorry, yuck, I know. That is all.
Such A Good Egg 
OMG I cannot go unless I’m at home either – it sucked in college…
I’m glad the bleeding stopped – I wish we had a tub so I could take relaxing baths in…it sounds really wonderful right now.
I’m so thrilled everything is going wonderfully! 🙂
I have similar, uh “sked” issues, and I also need my routine, coffee, etc for things to even have a chance of working. I will admit I did drink 1 cup of 1/2 caff coffee all throughout my pregnancy, ok’ed by my doctor. I really do think that helped, FWIW. Good luck! I feel your pain 🙂
They also prescribed Colace for me when I was on bedrest…it works okay. It isn’t a magic poop pill IMO though! :-()
Glad to hear the internal aftermath is ending! yuck! And..I take a stool softener daily (It might be the same as colace). It works better than nothing but still not perfect! Good luck eggie!
LTB
I giggled all the way through this. I have the exact opposite problem. I wish my body would perform at home and not favor public settings.
I am glad everything is good. And, as long as the condition was worse than it was before, it totally counts.
Glad the yuck spotting is gone, but sorry about the yuck constie issues. I think that’s the only pregnancy I don’t have! I think a prescription stool softener is perfectly fine, especially if it’s recommended by Dr. Zen and not just your regular doc. Hope you get some relief soon!
My advice– keep taking the fiber suppliments and do everything that you are doing, but really, consider the Colace. Constipation is a terrible pregnancy symptom, but guess what’s worse? Hemmorhoids!! (OUCH!!!)
Laxatives and prune/apple baby juice helped clear me right up after my surgery. The prune/apple is NOT bad. I promise!
This post was soooo gross! I love it!!!
I’m glad the spotting, or whatever it was, finally stopped. HUGE Phew!
As for constipation, I don’t know. I got a little, but only intermittently and nothing I had to take action against. Since the beginning of 2nd tri, I’ve had mainly the opposite problem. Don’t ask me why, but things are loosey-goosey in there, and it is annoying because all the rumbles and squelches in my belly take away from my ability to feel baby moving. Maybe you will be so lucky as to have alternating diarhea and constipation at some upcoming stage, too!
…and like FCblacksheep, my ass has become a real slut about where it likes to do business… unfortunately!!
Well, I’m glad the spotting is gone, but that new issue doesn’t sound like fun. I have similar problems, and find that eating high-fiber cereal helps. Though that may not be great in pregnancy if you have morning sickness problems…
Ugh, constipation. I have the other form of ibs which I sort of like better because it makes you feel better after you go. However, with constipation it just feels awful and bloated and ugh. Sorry for tmi in my comment lol. I hope the extra fiber helps!
Well, you know, it’s all gotta come out eventually. I think if you’re well hydrated and taking in the fiber you’ll be on a slow schedule, but it should get more regular. Glad the spotting has stopped!
Constipation? I’m your girl! I have all the exact same problems you listed (vacations can be a nightmare for me). It is better now that I have changed my diet, but I feel for you.
Colace is best when pregnant (I have other non-pregnancy preference which is Dulcolax). Take the colace at night (probably 2 at first). It is more gentle but can still cause cramps. To help more long-term, try to either take a priobiotic or eat foods with it in there (like yogurt or cottage cheese in the morning). I don’t know why, but it also helps me to ease up on raw vegetables for a few days until my system is better. That sound counterintuitive, but for some reason the salads hurt my stomach when I’m dealing with the big C.
I could write a book on this subject. I hope you feel better soon.
Second thought…have you tried Uncle Sam cereal? Totally does the trick and tastes yummy, too!
Not that you asked for advice, but coconut milk is MAGIC. I don’t know why because obviously it isn’t full of fiber (being liquid and all), but it clears you (and by “you” I mean “me”) right out.
Also it is an excuse to eat Thai food and/or coconut milk ice cream.
Ugh, I alternated between your problem and the opposite of your problem when I was pregnant about three times a week. Yucky, yucky both ways! I was taking citrucil to try to even it all out.
Egg, you crack me fricken up! How I know that if we met in person we’d probably exchange TMI/TTC stories all night over a bottle (or 3) of wine :).
No suggestions here as I tend to have the opposite problem. But, I would certainly do what you can because even someone with squishy, soft bowel movements can develop hemorrhoids (believe me, I know) and you definitely don’t want to mix those suckers with, uh, heavy pushing.
Don’t have a lot to say about the constipootion (sorry), but so, so glad the TP tinting has chilled out somewhat. That’s scary stuff. Take good care and…yay for symptoms?
Liquorice!
It’s amazing how much one’s day can center around, er, SHIT. Literally. I’ve never been so focused on it in all my life. (In fact, I first misread your “Crinone curds” statement as “crinone turds,” both of which I find enormously hilarious.) I’ve started swigging a few ounces of prune juice each afternoon when I get home from work with the hopes that it moves things along for me. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I have to forwarn you, though, that too much fiber can simply add more logs to the logjam, if you know what I mean… I eat a ton of fiber–big bowls of Kashi in the morning and for snacks, plus lots of fresh veggies and fruits and whole grains–and I still have issues. I’ve never had issues like this in my whole entire life. It’s annoying, but survivable. 😉
not sure if anyone has already suggested this, but i highly recommend a tab or two (more than that made me feel queasy) of a calcium/magnesium supplement. does the trick, and you can use the calcium anyway.