One of the most common and uncomfortable issues that a pregnant woman faces is constipation. It results in infrequent bowel movements, difficulty in emptying the bowels, and difficulty in passage of hardened stool that might last for days or even weeks.
This is caused because of the slowed down digestive process during pregnancy. The hormones are responsible for this. Required for growing a healthy baby, it is important that food stays longer in the absorption phase. Even if this is healthy, the more time the food spends in the intestine, more water is pulled from waste. This can result in constipation.
Causes of constipation
For a healthy pregnancy, you and your baby need more calories, vitamins, and nutrients. For making this possible, the hormones in the body slow down the digestive process so that food can spend more time in the absorption phase. But this might pull more water from the waste. By the time the meal reaches the colon, it will be completely dried out making it hard to pass resulting in constipation. This is normal and won’t affect your health. However, it can make you feel uncomfortable and sluggish.
If a bowel movement hasn’t passed in several days, you must consult a physician. If the waste stays in the body for too long, it can cause impaction. This means that someone will have to dig out waste from the mother’s body.
Treatment for Constipation
If you are pregnant are feeling constipated, the most effective treatment for this is water. It helps in lubricating the bowels and keeping them moving in the right way. Here are some tips that will help in fighting off the condition:
- Drink a lot of fluids: It is very important to drink water for a healthy pregnancy. You need to consume at least 10 to 12 cups of water every day. For proper elimination of best, you need to drink lots of liquid and consume a high fibre diet. If you live in a hot/humid location and exercise or sweat a lot, you need to increase the fluid intake.
- Eat a high fibre diet: For an ideal diet, you must consume 25 to 30 grams of dietary fibre every day. You can get this from fruits, vegetables, whole grain bread, bran, prunes, and breakfast cereals. All the extra fibre will help you pass the old waste. You need to take more water to make up for all the extra fibre that you will be eating. Fibre acts as a bulk-forming laxative that must be taken with water for it to work. Without enough water, constipation becomes even worse.
- Exercise routinely: If you don’t do any physical activity, the chances of constipation will also increase. You can try some moderate exercises like walking and swimming. This will help stimulate your bowels by making your intestines work. Schedule a 20-30 minutes long exercise routine three times a week.
- Reduce or eliminate iron supplements: Iron supplements can worsen your constipation. All the iron needs of a pregnant woman can be met through good nutrition. For reducing constipation, instead of taking it all at once, you should take smaller doses of iron throughout the day.
- Over-the-counter remedies: Using over the counter products like Metamucil can help in reducing constipation and softening the bowel movements. Make sure that you talk to your doctor regarding these over-the-counter medications.
- It is not recommended to take laxative pills during pregnancy to treat constipation because they can cause dehydration and stimulate uterine contractions.
- You should not use mineral oils during pregnancy because they will reduce nutrient absorption.
- Eat healthy green vegetables and fruits. Don’t take large meals as they will put pressure on your digestive system. Instead, eat smaller meals throughout the day.
