4 Ways to Constipation Relief During Pregnancy
Most women are prone to constipation throughout their pregnancy. Early in pregnancy you can again blame pregnancy hormones, which slow the movement of food through your intestines.
In physiologic jargon, this change is called decreased gastrointestinal motility. The slower passage of food and fluid allows more fluid to be absorbed (perhaps another one of nature’s ways of ensuring that you get the necessary fluids into your system). The combination of reduced motility of the intestines and firmer waste products (since more fluid has been absorbed) contributes to constipation. In later pregnancy, the pressure of your enlarging uterus on the large intestine further hinders the passage of stools.
The good news is you can outwit this uncomfortable effect of your hormones by eating foods that increase the water content of your bowel movements and foods that naturally travel faster through your intestines. Try these tips for constipation relief during pregnancy.
1. Increase Fiber
There are two different types of fiber: insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fiber is “roughage” and goes undigested to create bulk that is in stool. As insoluble fiber passes through your intestines, it adds bulk to the stool and helps food pass more quickly through the stomach and intestines, helping with constipation relief during pregnancy.
We also need soluble fiber, which absorbs water. Soluble fiber helps moderate digestion and a whole lot more. In addition to better digestion, some of the benefits to soluble fiber include glucose absorption, cholesterol management and satiety. Soluble fiber is also a prebiotic. It feeds the beneficial microbes (probiotics) that live in our guts.
To increase your fiber intake, include more:
- Fruits, especially prunes, pears, figs and apricots
- Vegetables, especially crunchy vegetables such as carrots, zucchini, cucumbers and celery
- Psyllium (a natural bran-like stool softener, available at nutrition stores)
- Whole grains, such as 100 percent bran and multi-grain bread
- Legumes, beans and peas
- Soluble fiber and probiotics. We like Regular Girl, which contains a safe and effective blend of premium prebiotic soluble fiber and specialized probiotics to promote gut health.
2. Increase Fluids
If you increase the fiber in your diet, you must correspondingly increase the volume of fluids for constipation relief during pregnancy; too much fiber and too little fluid can actually aggravate constipation by making your stools even firmer.
Increased fluid helps your stools move faster, it also helps you to pass them more easily. If you love juice, switch to nectar (prune, pear, apricot), which is not only high in water, but also higher in fiber than plain juice. But make sure to get an additional six to eight glasses of water a day too.
3. Increase Exercise
Getting your whole body moving gets your intestines moving and gives you constipation relief during pregnancy. Regular exercise seems to keep all your physiologic systems more regular, and your intestines are no exception.
4. Obey Your Urges
One of the conveniences of modern living is that people are seldom more than a few steps from a bathroom, but busy pregnant women may not take the time to empty their bowels when their intestines tell them to.
As with most of your body’s communication systems, however, unanswered signals soon lose their communication value. When you need to go, go; otherwise, your intestinal muscles get lazy, the signals get weaker, and constipation gets worse.