see also Constipation
The hormone which maintains pregnancy, progesterone, decreases the tone of the bowel muscles, and the growing foetus also presses on the large intestine; the net result is delayed transit of faeces. If constipation does not respond to the homeopathic remedies or self-help measures below see your medical doctor. On no account take laxatives - they may cause Miscarriage or premature labour.
Specific remedies to be taken 4 times daily for up to 14 days
- Dull headache, feeling of fullness in rectum, frequent but unsuccessful straining to pass stools Nux 6c
- Hard, knobbly stools, never emptying bowels properly, piles or inflammation around anus Sulphur 6c
- Hard, dry, burnt-looking stools, especially during morning, discomfort made worse by movement and cold drinks, thirst for large quantities of fluid at infrequent intervals Bryonia 6c
- Large, hard stools, rectum feels as if there is a hard ball inside it, pains which shoot up rectum Sepia 6c
- No desire to pass stools unless rectum is full, even soft stools are difficult to pass Alumina 6c
- Hard, small stools, passed with difficulty, never emptying bowels properly, ineffectual straining, passing a lot of wind Lycopodium 6c
Self-help: Drink more, increase the amount of fibre in your diet, take more exercise, and never suppress the urge to pass stools. If these measures fail, try taking psyllium husks or linseeds, once a day to begin with, then three times a day; the correct dose is 1 teaspoon husks (1 dessertspoon linseeds) stirred into a cup of water and drunk immediately, followed by 2 more cups of water. Most healthfood shops stock both psyllium husks and linseeds. |
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