Are Laxatives Safe During Pregnancy?

Constipation is a common issue while expecting a baby, and women aren`t always talking about it. This in turn will often lead to great misfortunes. In case this turns into a serious problem, natural methods like a higher intake of water or fiber-rich foods might not help at all. And some of the first thoughts that may pop into your mind are laxatives. Before choosing this option, you should talk to your doctor and inform yourself on how safe they really are during pregnancy.

About Laxatives

Laxatives represent a type of medicine which aid you pass your stools. There`re different laxative type and each of them has distinct effects on the digestive system.

Bulk-Forming Laxatives

Your doctor will generally start with this type of laxative. They`ll work by aiding the stools to retain fluid, which will mean they are less likely to dry out, leading to faecal impaction (a solid and immobile bulk of faeces which might develop in your rectum due to chronic constipation). This type of laxatives makes the stools softer as well, meaning they may be easier to pass.

The most frequent prescribes ones are sterculia, ispaghula husk and methylcellulose. When taking bulk-forming laxatives, you need to consume lots of fluids and avoid taking them before bedtime. It`ll generally be 2 – 3 days before you`ll feel their effect.

Stimulant Laxatives

If you experience soft stools, but you find it difficult to pass them, your doctor might prescribe you a stimulant laxative. This will stimulate the muscles that line the digestive tube, aiding them to move your stools as well as waste products along the large intestine to your anal orifice. – Check this out!

The most common stimulant laxative that you can get with a prescription is bisacodyl, senna, sodium picosulphate. These 3 laxatives are generally only used for short periods of time, and they begin working with 6 – 12 hours.

Osmatic Laxatives

If you experience hard stools after taking bulk-forming laxatives, your doctor might prescribe you osmotic laxatives. They`ll increase your amount of fluid in the intestines. This will soften the stools and stimulate the body to pass them.

The most common prescribed osmotic laxatives are macrogols and lactulose. Just as with bulk-forming laxatives, you should make certain you`ll consume sufficient fluids. It`ll generally be 2 – 3 days before you`ll feel their effect.

Are Laxatives Safe during Pregnancy?

Before considering taking drugs, it`s always best if you`ll take into account to use natural remedies of relieving constipation. Visit this link for more info on How To Relieve Constipation During Pregnancy!

If none of these remedies help, your doctor might recommend using a mild laxative. Such a laxative is milk of magnesia, and is considered to be safe during pregnancy. Your doctor might also suggest Metamucil, a bulk-producing agent. Last but not least, he might recommend a stool softener to reduce symptoms of constipation, which contains docusate.

If it should happen for all these products to fail in helping you with your issues, you may want to consider a stronger medicine. However, before considering such an option, you`ll always have to talk to your doctor first. Additionally, you don`t want to overuse laxatives. This may lead to diarrhea, which in turn leads to fluid loss, and make you more prone to experience them in the near future. – More like this!

It`s essential to have a prophylactic attitude an follow your doctor`s advice accordingly in order to prevent constipation.

Is It Safe to Take Dulcolax while Pregnant?

To alleviate constipation during pregnancy, the health provider might recommend a stool softener, such as Dulcolax. Just as any other drug without prescription, if you are expecting a baby or breastfeeding, you should first talk to your doctor before taking a stool softener.

After pregnancy, Dulcolax might be an option to alleviate constipation. Recent studies on 10 mg of Dulcolax showed the active ingredient of this drug, bisacodyl, isn`t excreted in breast milk. However, talk to your doctor first before taking this drug during breastfeeding.

Is It Safe to Take Lactulose while Pregnant?

Lactulose represent the type of sugar which isn`t digested and, thus draws water into the intestine. This will soften your stools and aid them move along the intestine. There`s no research performed to test if using lactulose while pregnant is connected to issues in the unborn child. Still, lactulose is frequently used while expecting and the manufacturers claim that it can be used while pregnant if required.

Are Enemas Safe during Pregnancy?

Enema represents a fluid injected into the large intestine through your rectum. The most common use of this procedure is to alleviate constipation.

While there`re mixed thoughts on their safety during pregnancy, lots of pregnant women are tempted to try one before giving birth. As already mentioned, their most frequent reason is to relieve constipation, although there`re lots of other solutions to try before trying an enema during pregnancy. – Visit this link!

There`s no sure answer regarding this, and like they say – one`s medicine is another one`s poison. No one out there can make any guarantees about what may help a pregnancy run smoothly. There might be risks involving uterine contractions that are triggered by intestine spasms. Other people may want to use enemas in their future pregnancies.

Natural Remedies vs. Laxatives

Laxatives may sometimes bring side effects after using them, so natural remedies may often be a better idea to overcome these issues.

• Eat foods rich in fibers – Ideally, you should consume 25 to 30 g of fibers per day, coming from fruits, vegetables, whole bread or cereals.
• Drink lots of liquids – It`s essential for you to drink enough liquids during pregnancy, but when feeling constipated, you should consider drinking fluids even more. Drink around 10 to 12 cups of water per day, and you should be safe.
• Daily physical exercises – It`s common knowledge that physical exercises help you stay in shape and get rid of some of the pregnancy symptoms. More than this, if you stay inactive, you may stay experiencing constipation while pregnant. Walking, swimming and other moderate exercises help quite a lot.
• Reduce your iron supplements – Did you know that supplements based on iron contribute in constipation? A good nutrition can satisfy the iron intake in pregnancy. Also, if you take small doses of iron throughout the day, this may help in alleviating constipation. Do your medical examinations regularly and establish with your doctor the best method of iron supplementation.

Be Careful!

Cold oil is among the most frequently used laxatives, but it isn`t recommended to alleviate constipation as it may interfere with the absorption of specific minerals and vitamins. For the very same reasons, mineral oils aren`t recommended either.

Purgative, which are stimulating intestinal laxatives by irritation, aren`t allowed during pregnancy as they might stifle the beginning of uterine contractions.