Coping with Constipation during Pregnancy

Constipation during pregnancy is common. Pregnant women suffer from constipation due to increasing pressure of uterus on rectum. Read on to find tips for coping with constipation during pregnancy. When you are pregnant, often you will feel constipated. You will feel bloated, miserable, gassy, and would get desperate for relief by pooping out. Constipation is very common in pregnant women and also serves as one of the symptoms of pregnancy. In this articleWhat Causes Constipation in Pregnancy?How to Cope with Constipation during PregnancyIncrease the Intake of FluidsRoughen Your FoodScrutinize Your SupplementsAvoid Self-MedicatingExercise It OutRush to the Bathroom Whenever You NeedWhat Causes Constipation in Pregnancy? The causes of getting constipated in pregnancy are very simple: The hormone progesterone makes the smooth muscles of the large bowel to relax, thus making it less active and sluggish.Your growing baby takes most of the place and the bowel has no place to work due to the growing uterus on the rectum.The vitamin and mineral supplements you are having according to your doctor’s prescription may bind you also. How to Cope with Constipation during Pregnancy There are few things you can do to ease your constipation: Increase the Intake of Fluids Drink 8 glasses of fluids every day, water being the best and most available. Fluids soften the solids and make their movement easy through the digestive tract at an impressive rate, and thus your stool will soften and can pass out easily. You can also try fruit juices, vegetable juices, broth, or other healthy liquids, and even prune juice as it acts as a mild laxative. Try drinking warm water with lemon that may stimulate peristalsis, thus contracting the bowels and helping them pass out. Avoid tea, coffee, cola, alcohol, etc. as these diuretics may dehydrate your system and make constipation worse. Roughen Your Food Roughages i.e. fiber-rich foods aid digestion and help you eliminate waste. So if you are not used to eat a lot of fiber, take up the habit gradually until you get 25-30 g of fiber a day. Start eating lots of wholegrain cereals, wholemeal breads, fresh or dried fruits, fresh green vegetables, beans and peas, and also kiwi as it is a potent laxative. Try to have psyllium occasionally and also try spreasing linseeds on your cereal as both are rich in fiber. Avoid refined grains like white bread, white rice, refined cereals and pasta. Scrutinize Your Supplements The vitamin supplements, mineral supplements (mostly the calcium and iron supplements) and also the antacids your doctor has prescribed make constipation worse. So it is better to discuss with your doctor about what to take besides these to ease your digestion. Go for a slow-release pill or some alternatives or adjustments in dosages of your supplements to make it easy for you by speaking to your doctor about it. Avoid Self-Medicating Do not get carried away by the commercials for laxatives and stool softeners (especially the herbal or homemade ones) as you are not sure how safe they are for your baby. It can be very risky to take over the counter medicines during pregnancy therefore, it is better to avoid them completely. Reach out to your doctor for any medicines you want to take up for loosening your stool. However, it is best to keep your pregnancy free from any medicines for coping with health issues. Exercise It Out Staying active and exercising will help you a lot to get rid of constipation. Walking, swimming, aquanatal classes, pregnancy exercise classes, simple yoga positions, mild pilates, and even few kegel exercises, will help you move your bowels and will keep constipation at bay. Rush to the Bathroom Whenever You Need Never hold a bowel movement because that can weaken the bowel muscles, which may again contribute to constipation. So whenever you feel the urge, use the washroom. At the same time do not put too much of pressure for bowel movements as it can cause bleeding and even miscarriage. Constipation is not a very serious problem unless it gets severe accompanied by abdominal pain, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, etc. It is always better to take precautions and ease out the problem by following the above-mentioned ways before it worsens out. You need not take stress or worry. Enjoy your motherhood and get rid of constipation easily. If you still worry, discuss with your caregiver and get yourself evaluated.What are the common causes of constipation during pregnancy? How to cope with constipation during pregnancy? What are the home remedies for coping with constipation during pregnancy? Discuss here.