How to relieve constipation during pregnancy.

 

Pregnant and unable to go normally to the bathroom? Ah, I know that feeling. But, don’t worry, in this article, I am going to give you a safe list of things you can do to relieve constipation during pregnancy.

Causes of constipation during pregnancy.

Constipation is one of the first symptoms to appear during pregnancy and is produced by the increase in hormones that relaxes the smooth muscles of your intestines, causing a slowdown of the Gastrointestinal system, the hormone to be blamed for this is the Progesterone. During pregnancy, hormones produce a loss in the motility of the intestines, to ensure that your body reabsorbs all the necessary nutrients and fluid for supplying the new demand of your growing baby. The combination of slow movements and dryness of the fecal bolus causes constipation.

Later on, in pregnancy, the causes for constipation are going to be the larger size of your uterus that exert added pressure on the adjacent organs, in this case, the intestines.

Another cause of constipation during pregnancy is the intake of Prenatal vitamins. Why? Because they are usually loaded with iron, a crucial mineral that can sometimes be deficient during pregnancy. However, Iron can cause constipation by hardening your stools.

 

How to relieve constipation during pregnancy.

1. Increase your fiber intake to relieve constipation during pregnancy.

The fiber passes undigested through the intestines, so it acts like a natural sponge, absorbing the fluid around it. By increasing the fluid in the stool increases as well the speed at which it passes through the intestines, counteracting the lack of motility of the intestine caused by the pregnancy hormones.

The American pregnancy association recommends 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day for pregnant women.

What are the foods that will help you with fiber? Here is a list.

Fruits such as:

• Pears.
• Prunes.
• Apricots.
• Figs.
• Avocados.
• Acorn squash.

Vegetables, especially crunchy ones:

• Zucchini.
• Carrots.
• Cucumbers.
• Celery.
• Psyllium (a natural stool softener).
• Sweet potato.

And finally:

• Whole grains or whole wheat.
• Legumes.
• Corn.
• Peas.
• Quinoa.
• Barley.
• Kidney or black beans.
• Lentils.

To get the full benefit of those fruits and vegetables to relieve constipation, you should eat them raw or slightly cooked with the skin left on, to avoid the intake of pesticides do not forget to wash them very well before consuming, or buy organic, or create your own organic produce.

Related post: Pregnancy diet. What to eat or what to avoid during pregnancy.

2. Increase your fluids.

Fundamental part of a healthy pregnancy free of complications. Drinking a lot of water will not only help you minimize or even eliminate constipation, but it will also give you other benefits such as:

• The proper functioning of your body, organs such as the kidneys and the heart that are working hard during pregnancy will work better if you drink a lot of water.
• It helps the placenta to maintain healthy levels of amniotic fluid within the gestational sac, and facilitate the appropriate exchange of nutrients and waste from the baby.
• Prevent you from having a premature delivery due to dehydration.

Returning to the importance of water to eliminate constipation, here is the explanation:

If you increase the fibers and do not increase the water consumption, it can be counterproductive, and aggravate the situation.

The recommended amount of water for women during pregnancy is an additional 6 to 8 glasses of water daily. If you don’t like water, I have a good option for you, switch to nectar’s such as prune, pear, or apricot. These nectar’s are not only high in water content but also contain more fiber compared to other juices or nectar’s, and also have low levels of sugar.

And finally, try to avoid or decrease your caffeine intake.

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3. Learn to listen and obey your body.

During pregnancy, you must learn more than ever to obey and listen to your body. I know it can be a little inconvenient when you are at work or doing chores at home, and you have to pause to go to the bathroom, but you must evacuate your intestines when you have the natural reflex to do so.

When you need to go to the bathroom, and you simply ignore the signal, over time, this signal will become weaker, the intestinal muscles will get lazy, and therefore your constipation will get started or get worse.

In other words, when you need to go to the bathroom, don’t wait, just go.

4. Increase physical exercise.

Increased physical exercise has countless benefits during pregnancy, as well as drinking a lot of fluid.

When you increase exercise, you’ll get not only your body moving but also your intestines.

Being active helps stool move through the intestines. Getting regular exercise, with a doctor’s approval, can help relieve constipation. Keep in mind that although exercise during pregnancy is generally good for the mother and baby, your doctor might advise you not to exercise if you have any of the following conditions:

• Preeclampsia or high blood pressure.
• Some forms of heart or lung disease.
• Cervical incompetence.
• Recurrent vaginal bleeding during pregnancy.
• Placenta Previa.
• Higher risk for preterm labor.
• Multiple pregnancy (Twin or more babies).
• Severe anemia.

5. Try probiotics.

Millions of healthy bacteria live in the gut and help it function correctly. Probiotics may help repopulate the gut bacteria with healthy strains that encourage normal and regular bowel movements. Foods high in probiotics include yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi

Related posts:

What to expect from your fetal anatomy scan and how to prepare.

Coronavirus, important information if you are pregnant.

Pregnancy symptoms for the second trimester.

Pregnancy symptoms for the third trimester.

Final thoughts about How to relieve constipation during pregnancy.

Constipation is not only painful and very uncomfortable, but it can also bring complications if you do nothing about it. But as you can see in this post, there are natural ways to combat or even eliminate constipation during pregnancy. In case that a natural approach doesn’t work for you, you can always consult the doctor to try other measures such as laxatives, stool softener, or even prenatal vitamins with stool softener.

I hope this article was helpful to you. Comment below if you suffer from constipation before during pregnancy, and what do you do about it?

Stay tuned for more helpful posts like this one.

Zadi, xo.

Disclaimer: The medical information on this post is for educational and entertainment use only. Under no circumstances, this information is to replace your doctor’s advice or to treat any disease. For proper care, always visit your doctor.