What Is Good For Constipation During Pregnancy

November 24, 2021

Varicose Veins In Pregnancy

Is constipation during pregnancy normal. If so, what can I do about it?

Varicose veins are veins that have become swollen. They can be uncomfortable but aren’t harmful. They most commonly affect leg veins.

You can also get varicose veins in the vaginal opening , although these usually get better after the birth.

If you have varicose veins, you should:

avoid standing for long periods of time
try not to sit with your legs crossed

try not to put on too much weight, as this increases the pressure
sit with your legs up as often as you can to ease the discomfort
try compression tights, which you can buy at most pharmacies they won’t prevent varicose veins but can ease the symptoms

try sleeping with your legs higher than the rest of your body use pillows under your ankles or put books under the foot of your bed
do foot and other antenatal exercises, such as walking and swimming, which will help your circulation

Try these foot exercises:

bend and stretch your foot up and down 30 times
rotate your foot 8 times one way and 8 times the other
repeat with the other foot

Side Effects Of Constipation During Pregnancy

Given below are the side effects that may occur when you are pregnant and constipated . In some cases, these may even call for a medical emergency.

Severe abdominal pain
Repetitive rectal bleeding

Hemorrhoids

The complications that surface with constipation during pregnancy may be very irritating and painful in the long run. If you are among those who have developed constipation during pregnancy, start using the remedies described here after consulting your doctor to obtain relief.

What Is Constipation During Pregnancy

Constipation is a common complaint of women who are pregnant. It affects up to 38% of women at some point during their pregnancy. Constipation can be painful and negatively affect your quality of life. It can also lead to physical problems like hemorrhoids if you don’t treat it.

Symptoms of constipation during pregnancy

Symptoms of constipation can include any of the following:

Infrequent bowel movements

Hard, lumpy, or dry stool
A feeling like all of your stool hasn’t passed
Excessive straining to have a bowel movement

Causes of constipation during pregnancy

If you are experiencing constipation during pregnancy, it may be a result of one of the following potential causes:

Hormone changes in pregnancy

Not enough fiber in your diet

Who can get constipation during pregnancy?

Any woman who is pregnant can experience constipation, but the following factors may increase your risk:

Age over 35
Pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index over 24

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Lemon Or Peppermint Essential Oil

Aromatherapy massage using peppermint or lemon essential oil may help soften fecal impaction and treat constipation .

You Will Need

1-2 drops of lemon/peppermint essential oil
1 teaspoon of any carrier oil

What You Have To Do

Mix the essential oil with a carrier oil of your choice.

Massage this mixture on your abdomen.

How Often You Should Do This

Do this once a day.

What Can I Do About Constipation When I’m Pregnant

8 Easy Remedies for Constiptation in Pregnancy

You don’t have to resign yourself to nine months of discomfort. There are plenty of tactics to combat colon congestion :

What to Expect selects products based on independent research and suggestions from our community of millions of parents learn more about our review process. We may earn commissions from shopping links.

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Causes Of Constipation In Pregnancy

Changes in estrogen and progesterone levels during pregnancy slow down the time it takes food to go through our body.

Increased uterine size. Your growing uterus can cause a physical obstruction.

Iron supplementation. Most iron supplements list constipation as a potential side effect.

An increase in levels of sodium and water absorption in the colon leads to small, hard stools.

Low motilin, and activity of relaxin appear to change activity of muscle of the gastrointestinal tract.

Low ingestion of dietary fiber. Dietary fiber increases stools bulk, weight and frequency, and reduces the mean transit time.

For occasional constipation during pregnancy lifestyle changes are recommended first. Then if constipation persists some over-the-counter medications can be used if necessary.

However, you must talk to your healthcare provider if constipation becomes an ongoing problem, or you dont see improvement with these first and second line recommendations.

Peeing A Lot In Pregnancy

Needing to pee a lot often starts in early pregnancy and sometimes continues until the baby is born. In later pregnancy, it’s caused by the baby’s head pressing on your bladder.

If you find you need to get up in the night to pee, try cutting out drinks in the late evening. However, make sure you drink plenty of non-alcoholic, caffeine-free drinks during the day to stay hydrated.

Later in pregnancy, you may find it helps to rock backwards and forwards while youre on the toilet. This lessens the pressure of the womb on the bladder so you can empty it properly.

If you have any pain while peeing or you pass any blood in your pee, you may have a urine infection, which will need treatment.

Drink plenty of water to dilute your pee and reduce pain. You should contact your GP within 24 hours of noticing these symptoms. Read more about urinary tract infections .

Don’t take any medicines without asking your midwife, doctor or pharmacist whether they’re safe in pregnancy.

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Fit Until Birth: Helpful Exercises To Do At Home

Fit for your digestion against constipation

Sit cross-legged on a yoga mat or on a comfortable but not too soft surface and straighten your spine.
Now turn your upper body to the right and grasp your right knee with your left hand. Make sure to keep your back straight and not bend your spine.
Do the exercise to the left and repeat the exercise.

effect: Not only will your digestion be improved by this exercise, your spinal ligaments and nerves will also be stretched and activated.

Please note: If you are more advanced in pregnancy, it is better to do the exercise with your legs stretched out.

For a strong pelvic floor

Sit on the floor with the soles of your feet together.

Grasp your ankles with both hands and carefully pull your feet towards your body again.
On the next exhale, spread your knees apart by gently pushing your knees toward the floor. The head and spine should always stay straight.
As you inhale, release your knees again.

Repeat this exercise.

effect: This exercise promotes blood flow to the pelvic floor muscles and relaxes them at the same time.

Stimulates circulation and blood circulation

effect: This exercise gets your circulation going and promotes blood flow throughout the body.

Best Food To Relieve Constipation In Pregnancy

How to manage severe constipation during pregnancy if resistant to laxatives? – Dr. Shailaja N

Watermelon, high-fibre foods, magnesium supplements, lemon, water, oranges, prune juice, chia seeds, flax seeds, berries, kiwis, pears, beans, cereal, apples, guava and spinach are some of the foods that relieve constipation in pregnancy.

Many women have constipation before they get pregnant, but with the increase in hormones and pressure of the womb against the bowels, the problem can get considerably worse. Luckily, there are some tried-and-true natural ways to get things flowing again, without resorting to counter drugs that can harm a developing baby.

How Much Fruit Should I Eat While Pregnant

While fruit is a healthy, whole-food, it still contains natural sugar which needs to be limited when youre pregnant. The general recommendation for a pregnant woman is 2-4 servings of fruit per day.

But watch those serving sizes to make sure you arent accidentally super-sizing them.

One serving of fruit equals:

1 cup of cut fresh, canned, or frozen fruit.
½ cup of dried fruit.
8 ounces of fruit juice.

½ cup of pureed fruit.

Fruit is seasonal, so it can be hard to get good-quality fruit all year long. If your favorite fruit isnt on the shelves, frozen is a fantastic substitute since its usually preserved at the peak of freshness, and the nutrients may be even denser than the fresh fruit you find in the produce section.

Constipation Due To Diet

Its important to understand that refined flour products such as pasta, bread, cakes and pastries, or refined white rice, have lost most or all of their fibre. Just like when you remove the skin from an apple, it takes away much of the goodness and you feel less full.

Refined flour products dont move through the digestive tract very easily. Refined foods cause constipation by absorbing any liquid that you drink, and creating a plaster-like substance which makes your bowels become stretched. It can exacerbate the issues when you have hormonal changes on top of that.

Avoiding grains can significantly help with digestion, inflammation, blood sugar levels and weight gain. After all, livestock are fed grains to fatten them up!

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Tips To Prevent Constipation During Pregnancy

Constipation is difficulty having regular bowel movements . It is a common symptom of pregnancy. However, you do not necessarily have to suffer from constipation or irregular, hard bowel movements, and the pain associated with them when you’re pregnant. There are things you can do to keep things moving along and prevent constipation during pregnancy.

Prune Juice For Constipation

Wondering how to cure constipation during pregnancy, prune juice is widely hailed as an effective cure for constipation. All you need to do is have prune juice, four to six times in a day to leave constipation and soften the stool. If the concentrated taste of the prune juice is too strong for you, they mix it with a bit of water and add a slice of lemon.

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Ask Your Provider About Medications

Some medications can increase the likelihood that you will have constipation. One big culprit in pregnancy can be iron-laden prenatal vitamins, which are often given to help prevent anemia. If you are having issues with the vitamins, ask your provider if you can switch. You might also try ways to prevent anemia in a nutritional manner.

One study found that certain brands of prenatal vitamins might be able to reduce constipation by up to 30%.

There are medications available to help with constipation, but generally as a last resort. These medications can particularly problematic in pregnancy and you would want to talk to your doctor or midwife before taking anythingeven if it is over the counter .

Benefits Of Fruit During Pregnancy

Do you want a healthy pregnancy?

Then there are many reasons to eat fruit while pregnant, including:

It Provides Important Nutrients: Your baby needs certain nutrients to grow properly. Those most notably provided by fruits include Vitamin C and folate. Vitamin C is necessary to build collagen and connective tissue , which helps boost your babys immune system and allows them to increase their iron stores to help prevent anemia. Folate is necessary for healthy spinal development and helps prevent neural tube defects in a developing fetus.

It Helps Satisfy Your Sweet Cravings: One of the hallmarks of fruit is it can be incredibly sweet or sour, both of which are common pregnancy flavor cravings. Opting for fruit instead of a bowl of ice cream can help you give in to your cravings in a way thats both satisfying and healthy.

It Helps Manage Your Blood Sugar: Whole fruits contain fiber, which helps to regulate the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream. If you eat a candy bar, the sugar hits your bloodstream quickly, resulting in a huge spike and subsequent crash. But eating a piece of fruit can give you the burst of glucose energy you need without the huge crash later. This long-lasting energy effect is even more helpful if you pair your fruit with a protein like a piece of cheese or beef jerky. This is especially helpful advice for those who have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

What Can I Take For Constipation During Pregnancy

If you have tried some of these natural pregnancy constipation remedies, but are not finding the relief that youre looking for, you may be wondering if you can take a laxative to help move things along. Always talk to your midwife or doctor about your constipation before taking any over-the-counter products.

There are a few different options when considering laxative medication for constipation in pregnancy, lets take a look at these options:

Best Fruits To Eat During Pregnancy

Easy Yoga Exercises For Constipation During Pregnancy

If youre pregnant, fruit should be part of your daily diet but for more reasons than you probably think.

In this article, well discuss everything you need to know about why fruit matters, how much fruit you should be eating during pregnancy, and which ones to pick along with which ones to skip.

Fruits to Avoid During Pregnancy

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Am I More Likely To Experience Constipation If I Had It Before Pregnancy

Women who have had constipation before pregnancy are, unfortunately, likely to experience worsening of symptoms during pregnancy.

If you have constipation and are planning a pregnancy, try to get into good habits before you become pregnant. Keeping to a healthy diet, drinking plenty of fluids, and doing regular exercise may help you maintain regular bowel motions.

It is better to prevent constipation early on rather than wait to treat it later.

Meal Plan For Constipation Relief During Pregnancy

MS, RD, LDN, CSSD, CBS

Rachel holds a Masters in Nutrition Communication from Tufts University and is also a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. She works as a nutrition and wellness coach with focuses on infant and maternal nutrition, and mindful eating.

High fiber foods including vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts,seeds, and whole grains help to increase fluid content in your stool, which makesit softer and adds bulk, both of which help the stool to pass easier.Additionally, prunes may help with constipation due to their high content ofsorbitol, a sugar alcohol that pulls fluids into the colon and aids with thepassage of stool.

Probiotics are bacteria that can help promote health whenconsumed regularly and in the right amounts. Probiotics are not naturallyfound in foods, but some probiotics are added to some foods, e.g. certain yogurts,cereals, supplements.

During pregnancy, your fluid needs are approximately 10 eight ounce cups per day. Eating plenty of produce will help meet your fluid intake as these foods tend to have a high water content.

Pro tip:

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Please Avoid These Sports

Some sports can be dangerous for the baby in the womb: Please avoid any type of sport with higher levels Impact forces, jumps and Opponent contact as well as high Risk of falls and injuries. These include: martial arts, skiing, snowboarding, team sports, climbing, diving, inline skating, horse riding and from the 20th week also extreme abdominal exercises.

How Soon Can Constipation Occur In Pregnancy

Due to the aggressive hormonal changes, some pregnant women may get constipated very early. In fact, constipation can also be an early sign of pregnancy in some cases. In a few cases, it may only be found in late pregnancy.

So the answer varies from woman to woman. The same goes for how long it will last. Again, it can be attributed by several different factors.

Constipation is quite common in pregnant women. Pregnancy hormone is to blame for the cause, though the exact cause is not fully understood yet. When does it occur in pregnancy? This can vary but in general, it can occur anytime over the course of the pregnancy.

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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.

Due To Iron Supplements

One of the causes of constipation in pregnant women is increase in iron due to the precribed supplements.

Though constipation can be a cause of discomfort, it is easily remedied by a simple diet and lifestyle changes and a few easy home-remedies. While some offer immediate constipation relief during pregnancy, others help you get better gradually. Here are some remedies to help relieve constipation during pregnancy.

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What To Eat For Constipation While Pregnant

Getting constipation while pregnant can be very bothersome. Luckily, its usually manageable and treatable. Many times, some lifestyle measures are enough to cope with it. For instance, your diet does help prevent and treat it! Here is brief summary of lifestyle measures, what to avoid, and what to eat!

What Are Symptoms Of Constipation During Pregnancy

What to do about constipation during pregnancy

Symptoms of constipation during pregnancy are the same as symptoms of constipation any other time and may include:

Fewer than three bowel movements per week
Hard, dry, or lumpy stools

Stools that are difficult or painful to pass
Feeling not all stool has passed following a bowel movement

Constipation during pregnancy is not usually serious, but it may be a symptom of another problem. See a doctor if constipation:

Is severe

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