Pregnancy Constipation: Are Stool Softeners Safe
There are a variety of reasons that may be behind constipation during pregnancy. Some common causes include: Reduced food and water consumption due to extreme nausea in early pregnancy. Ongoing hormonal changes in the body during pregnancy that can relax some muscles, including those that move food through the digestive tract.
Do not eat fast – in fast and nervous absorption of food in the digestive tract and enters a certain amount of air. Do not drink water during meals and chew your food longer. Avoid gassy foods and drinks – soda, beer, soft drinks. Do not smoke – smoking also takes a certain amount of air. Replace water 23 times during cooking bean.
Where constipation is not caused by eating habits, long-term and systematic treatment is needed to prevent its cause and reduce the symptoms. There are over 10 different constipation types, the treatment of which depends on their causes. For example, constipation caused by a poor diet is called dietary constipation.
Causes Of Constipation Constipation is often caused by not paying attention to the call of nature in time. A sedentary lifestyle, irregular eating habits, an incorrect diet, a disturbed and worried mind, and drinking too much tea or coffee add up to an already sluggish digestion, further causing chronic constipation.
When Does Constipation Occur During Pregnancy
Constipation is found to affect a whopping 3 out of 4 pregnant women. It may occur in the first trimester but can also appear as soon as you conceive .
However, the hormone that triggers constipation is found to increase its levels in the 9th and 32nd weeks of pregnancy. This is usually the period when it may hit you real hard. Constipation may also develop during the end of the pregnancy, owing to the enlarged uterus and the consequent pressure on the intestines.
It is best to get medical help immediately to avoid severe side effects.
Constipation Related To Iron Supplement
If constipation seems to be connected to the iron supplement, the above strategies also help with this side effect. These strategies must be attempted instead of stopping the supplement. Promoting better iron absorption can also reduce gastrointestinal symptoms related to the supplement. For more information, see the following article.
If all these measures are not sufficient, before turning to laxatives, it is essential to consult a doctor.
RéférencesBradley, C.S., Kennedy, C.M., Turcea, A.M., Rao, S.S.C. et Nygaard, I.E. Constipation in pregnancy. Prevalence, Symptoms and Risk Factors. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 110, 1351-1357.Cullen, G. et ODonoghue, D. Constipation and pregnancy. Best Practice & Research Clinical Gastroenterology, 21, 807-818.Derbyshire, E., Davies, J., Costarelli, V., Dettmar, P. Diet, physical inactivity and the prevalence of constipation throughout and after pregnancy. Maternal and Child Nutrition, 2, 127-134.Gibson, G. R., Roberfroid, M. B. . Dietary modulation of the human colonic microbiota: introducing the concept of prebiotics. Journal of Nutrition, 125, 1401-12.Hamza, O.B., Barbeau, C. et Caponi, É. . Femmes enceintes. Ordre professionnel des diététistes du Québec. BabyCenter. . Constipation et grossesse.Extenso. . Favorisez votre régularité.Extenso. . La grossesse sans constipation.
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Could It Be A Sign Of Something More Serious
While most cases of constipation are not a sign of illness, sometimes there are complications such as haemorrhoids, faecal impaction or rectal prolapse. In rare cases, constipation can be caused by more serious conditions such as tumours.
Speak with your doctor if you are concerned, and especially if you notice blood in your stools.
How Is Constipation Treated During Pregnancy
The first step in treating constipation is to increase the fluids and fibre in your diet. Eating wholegrain foods, fruit and vegetables can often resolve constipation. If symptoms continue, then fibre supplements or laxatives may be a short-term solution however, it is always better to stimulate the bowel with a healthy diet rather than take medications. Taking laxatives can sometimes result in side effects such as abdominal pain and diarrhoea.
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Adjusting Your Diet To Prevent And Treat Constipation
Dietary problems are the most difficult to deal with, as people have been told so many different stories about what constitutes a good diet.
Youve likely already received well meaning advice from friends, relatives and others, which may have you in a bit of a pickle about what you should be eating.
Whether you are vegetarian or a meat eater, your daily pregnancy diet should contain:
- A good amount of protein
- At least several cups full of raw and cooked green veggies
- As many coloured veggies as you can
- Some fruit
- Good quality dairy for calcium supplemental calcium if you cant eat dairy
- Around 6 tablespoons of saturated fats in the form of virgin coconut oil, butter, animal fats
- Around 4 tablespoons of monounsaturated fats such as avocado, olive oil, nuts and nut oils
- About 2 teaspoons of polyunsaturated oils such as cod liver oil, flax oil, evening primrose oil, blackcurrant oil or borage oil
In total, the calories should add up to around 2,600 for both a pregnant and nursing mother. If your diet has enough of the foods above and in the right proportions, it should prevent constipation.
The Aborigines, First Nation Native Americans and Eskimos all praised eating enough fats to help keep the bowels moving. Their diets were low in carbohydrates, but as long as they had enough fats, it wasnt a problem. Do avoid heat processed oils such as rice bran, canola, rapeseed, soy, and oils labelled as vegetable, as they are rife with carcinogens which cause cancer.
How To Manage Constipation In Pregnancy
Nearly three out of four women experience constipation and other bowel disorders during their pregnancies. Heres how to handle it.
Noticing a flutter or two in your belly lately? It’s not necessarily your baby kicking. Thanks to pregnancy hormones and an enlarged uterus, you might start feeling bloated, constipated, and generally uncomfortable. Constipation can also lead to hemorrhoids, another common side effect of pregnancy. Here’s how to manage and prevent constipation while expecting.
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What Causes Constipation During Pregnancy
As with many other pregnancy symptoms, pregnancy hormones are the culprit behind constipation. Progesterone causes the muscles in your bowels to relax, allowing food to hang around longer in the digestive tract.
The upside is there’s added time for nutrients to be absorbed into your bloodstream and reach your baby. The downside is you end up with a waste-product traffic jam. Your expanding uterus also takes up valuable space normally occupied by your bowel, cramping its usual activity.
Make Time For Yourself
Its important to go when you need to go. Give yourself plenty of time for toilet breaks, so you can take it easy and dont have to rush. Holding it in can lead to constipation, so try to listen to your body and visit the toilet as soon as you need to .
If you are pregnant and suffering from constipation, read our article about constipation in pregnancy, as there are ways to help improve it.
If you are concerned about your health during your pregnancy talk to your midwife or GP for advice.
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What Can I Do If I Become Constipated
The first thing to try is to increase the fiber in your diet, drink a lot of water, and exercise regularly. You can also try prunes and prune juice, as these things help to speed up elimination. If these things do not help, see the safe medications page during pregnancy. If you are unable to pass a bowel movement, have severe abdominal pain or rectal bleeding, you should contact your physician.
Constipation During Pregnancy Treatment And Remedies
Treating Cramping During Early Pregnancy At Home. The first trimester is a nerve-wracking period in your pregnancy journey. The risk of miscarriage is high during the first trimester. Therefore, the cramping during early pregnancy can cause severe anxiety in you. You may think about the negative effects and feel frustrated.
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Treatments For Constipation During Pregnancy
Home remedies for constipation during pregnancy include lifestyle changes or over-the-counter medications. The following treatments may help relieve constipation symptoms:
Increase dietary fiber and water
A diet that is low in fiber can contribute to constipation. The two types of dietary fiber are:
- Soluble Fiber, which blends with water in the intestines and forms a gel-like substance. This type of fiber helps control blood sugar.
- Insoluble Fiber, which passes through the intestines without being absorbed. It increases the size of your stool and can help you pass it more quickly.
Increasing the fiber in your diet should be the first step in treating constipation during pregnancy. Foods high in fiber include:
- Bran cereals
- Nuts
- Quinoa
In addition to increasing fiber, increasing your water intake can help with constipation. Women who are pregnant should drink 10 8-ounce glasses of water daily.
A sedentary lifestyle increased the risk of constipation. Increasing your daily exercise can help with constipation. Walking more is one of the best ways to increase your exercise during your pregnancy. It is very low risk and can help with constipation.
Laxatives
Stool softeners
Stool softeners containing docusate sodium are safe to take during pregnancy.
Lubricant laxatives
Lubricant laxatives such as mineral oil work by coating your stool and digestive tract with a waterproof layer. It keeps water in the stool which makes it softer and easier to pass.
Pillars To Prevent Constipation During Pregnancy
The fundamental pillars to prevent constipation during pregnancy are: diet, exercise, and generating bowel habits.
Diet during pregnancy
One should follow a balanced diet high in fiber in order to naturally alleviate the discomforting symptoms of constipation and regularize bowel movements.
Some examples of foods containing fiber are:
- Whole grain cereals: Oats, brown rice, oat bran
- Legumes: Peas, lentils, beans, soy.
- Fruits: strawberries, raspberries, prunes, pears, oranges.
- Vegetables: Broccoli, beetroot, artichokes, eggplants.
The ideal daily portion of fiber is 25 to 30 g.
Something important to keep in mind when incorporating foods rich in fiber, is that it should be done gradually, in terms of quantity and frequency so that the body adapts slowly and to avoid any discomforts such as gas or bloating.
It is also important to drink a lot of water or fruit juice to hydrate the body properly and soften bowel movements.
Other recommendations concerning diet is eating slowly, chewing well, have fixed schedules for meals, not skipping any meal and including snacks.
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Tips To Treat Constipation During The Gestation Period
But there’s nothing to worry about! You already know that from NatureVia we like to take care of you at all times, especially if you are going to bring a new child to the world. And in this sense, through this article we are going to give you a series of tips that are sure to help you make this long process lighter:
It is necessary to increase fiber consumption
Fiber is one of those natural nutrients that are very beneficial for our intestinal flora. In fact, it reduces the chances of suffering diarrhea and constipation and therefore will help you to go to the bathroom more times.
Among the foods rich in fiber, it is worth highlighting the wheat cereals, vegetables such as beans, peas and beans. Also, nuts such as almonds have a high concentration of fiber. Finally, fruits such as plums, grapes, raisins and kiwi They are a considerable source in this nutrient.
- Constipation: symptoms, causes, complications and treatment
Drink at least two liters of water
Drinking a considerable amount of water also seems essential during pregnancy since moisturizes and renews all the liquid inside the amniotic sac, while at the same time the woman is sure to be less prone to suffer intestinal calculus as a constipation that can be the most annoying during the gestation period.
Perform daily physical activity
Consult your gynecologist or doctor
- Tips for constipation: how to relieve it naturally
Tips For Preventing Constipation During Pregnancy
Relieve constipation during pregnancy by drinking water, eating more fiber, exercising and taking laxatives. Pregnancy causes a lot of changes in a woman’s body, including an increase in the hormone progesterone. Rising levels of this hormone can slow down gut motility, which is how fast your food and stool move through your intestinal tract.
Pregnancy Constipation Pains. Constipation can be very painful and during pregnancy, it can be hard to tell if pains are from constipation or if there is something else going on. That whole area of the body can be really hard to diagnose the cause of pain normally but especially during pregnancy.
There are other reasons which may bring about constipation, and these may include. Worry or anxiety Lack of physical exercise A low-fiber diet Low intake of fluids Preventing or treating constipation during pregnancy. As with most issues, prevention is the best form of treatment, but in reality most people are not concerned about prevention until they suffer from the condition.
Iron supplements prescribed in pregnancy to prevent and treat anaemia can also cause constipation. If this is the case, don’t stop taking the tablets. Instead, speak to your doctor, who can prescribe a different brand of the supplement that might suit you better.
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How Do You Relieve Constipation During Pregnancy
Natural Laxative Home Remedy: Instant Natural Laxative Treatment. The following are instant natural laxative home remedy. Get a glass of warm water and add a teaspoon of honey. Consume twice a day to relive constipation. Get equal parts of orange and olive oil. Mix well and drink two glasses of this mixture every day.
Heartburn during pregnancy is common. Heartburn occurs to 25 to 50 per cent of pregnant women, and it begins during the first or second trimester. Symptoms of Heartburn During Pregnancy include following. It starts as a burning sensation in the upper abdomen and then it advances towards the chest
In constipation, bowel movements slow down and stool hardens. The most common symptoms are difficulty in defecation and bloating. Still life, intense stress, malnutrition, low drinking, some medications and some diseases can cause constipation. Temporary constipations can heal with a simple treatment at home. Over-the-counter laxatives can help.
Side Effects Of Colon Cleansing During Pregnancy. Colon cleansing while pregnant isnt safe, and it can lead to many adverse effects, some of which include: Colon cleansing can cause dehydration. During pregnancy, dehydration can cause significant damage to fetal health. Subscribe. Colon cleansing can also cause injuries to your colon and rectum.
Best Foods To Eat To Avoid Constipation During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, many unpleasant “side effects” can crop up. Morning sickness, heartburn, and even early pregnancy fatigue are all well known. But, did you know that the digestive system and a person’s metabolism slow down during pregnancy, due to hormones? This, and other factors like stress, can contribute to pregnancy constipation.
It comes as no surprise that foods play a big role in causing or preventing constipation. Do you want to stay on the right side of constipation during your nine months? You’re lucky there are lots of things that pregnant women can do to avoid and to cure pregnancy constipation. Altering your diet can help! How?
Drinking plenty of clear fluids during pregnancy helps prevent lots of different pregnancy ailments, and constipation is definitely on the list. Staying hydrated is one of the biggest favors any pregnant woman can do herself, and it is at the top of the list when it comes to constipation too. Drink at least eight glasses of water or herbal teas, as these are the best liquids to drink during pregnancy. Eat whole-grain products instead of foods containing white flower. White flower is hard to digest and contributes to constipation. Red meats are another “constipation hazard”. Try eating less bacon and steak. Chicken and fish don’t have the same tendency to cause constipation.
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How To Treat Or Prevent Constipation During Pregnancy
Pregnancy can be stressful phase for a woman on both physical and emotional levels. Constipation, or irregularity in bowel movements is one of the commonest symptoms observed by pregnant woman. Lack of exercise, slow-down of digestive system due to pregnancy hormones. Iron supplementation, expanding uterus, lack of fiber rich diet etc. can all be the causes for it. The good thing is that you dont need to suffer from this discomfort throughout the nine months of pregnancy. There are simple and safe home remedies and treatments that will help you in relieving from this discomfort.
Maintain A Balanced Diet
Are you getting your five a day? When youre pregnant your eating habits may change. Tiredness in pregnancy can also cause you to reach for a quick but not always the most nutritious snack.
Its really important to eat a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fibre to keep constipation at bay. So make sure youre including wholegrains in your diet as well as plenty of fruit and vegetables .
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Constipation In Pregnancy Treatment And Prevention
If constipation is your issue, there are a few ways to get things, er, moving along. Here are some tips from the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ‘s consumer pregnancy book, Your Pregnancy and Childbirth Month to Month.
- Drink plenty of liquids, especially water and prune juice or other fruit juices.
- Eat high-fiber foods, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, whole-grain bread, and bran cereal. Aim for about 25 grams each day.
- Walk or do another safe exercise every day. A simple walk around the block will help things get moving.
- Try eating smaller meals more frequently.
- Ask your doctor about bulking agents such as FiberCon, which add fiber and water to your digestive system, or stool softeners.
Here’s the good news: bowel problems don’t really affect a pregnant woman’s quality of life all that much. But if you’ve been spending more time in the bathroom than usual lately, at least you know you’re not alone!
