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Pregnancy and constipation

Pregnancy is a time of great change, when your body is constantly adjusting to the new life growing inside you. Unfortunately, constipation is common during pregnancy and can leave you feeling heavy and uncomfortable.

Constipation in pregnancy

Unfortunately, it is not unusual to get constipated in pregnancy, which can be painful and be the source of much discomfort. Around a third of pregnant women are affected, especially in the last three months of pregnancy. Mothers-to-be are often unsure what to do and prefer to put up with constipation rather than run risks by using an unsuitable treatment. As a mother-to-be, you would rather play it safe and use a gentle medicine which does not affect you or your baby. Because it acts locally in the rectum, MICROLAX® Enema is suitable as a laxative for pregnant women.

Why constipation occurs during pregnancy

During pregnancy, your body steps up its production of hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which reduce muscle tension and slow down the activity of the intestine. As a result the digestive process for water to be absorbed out of the contents of the intestine slows down and leads to stools that are too hard and too dry. Of course, a much more obvious change is the size of your abdomen. As your womb grows in size, the intestine and its activities come under increasing pressure, which can also produce stools which are too hard. During pregnancy, your body must produce more blood, which is why it often suffers from iron deficiency as well. The iron supplements prescribed when this happens can also bring about constipation as a side effect.

Things to be aware of during pregnancy

Simple and gentle ways of preventing constipation in pregnancy are exercise and a diet with sufficient fibre and fluid intake. If these remedies do not help you, you mustn’t just try any laxative. This is because many laxatives can produce severe side effects such as electrolyte shifts – especially if used over time – or even stomach cramps, which are particularly undesirable in pregnancy. An alternative, for yourself and your unborn baby, is a locally acting micro-enema such as MICROLAX® Enema.

Relieving constipation in pregnancy

With good reason, only a few medicines are licensed for the treatment of constipation in pregnancy. MICROLAX® Enema has established itself as a laxative for pregnant women over many years and is well tolerated, even by children under 3 years old. It takes effect locally in the rectum, so there is no fear of it having any effect on your unborn baby. A further benefit: MICROLAX® Enema acts within 30 minutes – so your pregnancy can be a pleasurable experience untroubled by any tiresome discomfort.

Find out more here about the gentle mode of action of MICROLAX® Enema.

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What is constipation?

If you’ve got that heavy, bloated feeling, and haven’t had a bowel movement in a few days, chances are you might have constipation.

Babies and Constipation callout

Children and Babies

As children grow, it’s normal for their digestion rhythm to be a bit unpredictable. And knowing why can help you find a way to help them avoid the discomfort of constipation.

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Home Remedies

Uncover the small everyday changes you can make to help find relief for constipation.

MICROLAX® Enema

Find quick relief usually within 30 minutes.