Seriously, have you ever been constipated—for days? You are not alone. It’s awful—bloating, pain, gas, and feeling like you’re pregnant. While it can be a very uncomfortable situation, if it goes on longer than a week, it can become a serious medical issue.

Constipation complications include hemorrhoids, anal fissures, fecal impaction and rectal prolapse, along with intense pain—sometimes as bad as labor pain. But this time, it’s a Poo Baby that won’t come out!

Here’s a few reasons you may be constipated, and what to do about it: 

1. Poor Diet—Eating a diet that contains too many processed carbohydrates, sugar, and even vegetable oils, can be constipating because of the low fiber content in these foods. Start eating a diet that has plenty of fiber in it and it will make a difference.
2. Not Moving Enough—Physical movement is a necessity to keep things moving along in your digestive tract, so too much sitting around slows everything down. Start your morning with a brisk walk and get things moving!
3. Not Drinking Enough Fluids—Fluids in your diet help to keep your stools moist and help them move out of your system. Being even slightly dehydrated can cause your bowel movements to become hard and dry and stuck. Drink plenty of liquids every day.
4. Medications—Many common medications including pain relievers like Tylenol and Advil can slow down your bowel movements. Even over the counter allergy medications will slow things down. Opioid pain relievers will definitely cause constipation. Other meds that can cause constipation include diuretics, blood pressure drugs, antidepressants, antihistamines, along with calcium and iron supplements.
5. Hormones—Believe it or not, your hormone levels affect your ability to poop, especially thyroid hormones. When thyroid is low or not working well, it will cause a slowdown in most all body systems including bowel movements.
6. Gut Dysbiosis—Your gut hosts a wide variety of bacteria and yeasts. When the delicate balance of beneficial bacteria and yeasts is off due to medications, diet, or lifestyle, you easily can become constipated.

Keep things moving in the right direction from here on out by starting your day with coffee–the caffeine will stimulate bowel movements. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids every day,  and get moving in the morning.

Be sure to include plenty of fruits and vegetables for healthy fiber and a healthy digestive tract. Prunes and prune juice are actually very effective for better bowel movements as they contain natural ingredients that will stimulate your digestive system. Just be careful and go slow. Too many prunes at once can cause abdominal pain and cramping.

If you feel you need more fiber, add ground flax to your smoothies or soups. There are also some fiber-based preparations you can purchase for added bulk. Natural supplements that aid in healthy bowel movements include vitamin C, and magnesium–both of which work well before bed. Senna makes a great natural laxative as well.

Probiotics are also known to help digestion, absorption and bowel movements. However, taking probiotics can be hit or miss as many people have different microbiomes and it is difficult to know which beneficial bacteria will help get your gut in balance. Trial and error works best here.