An increase in the pregnancy hormone progesterone can cause your gut to work less efficiently and your food to move more slowly through your intestines. This is known as reduced gastric motility. Another cause of constipation is the medicines and supplements that some women take during pregnancy.
Medicines prescribed for nausea and vomiting , antacids for heartburn , and some strong pain medicines can induce constipation in some women. Supplements like iron and calcium, as well as some multivitamins can also trigger constipation. If you take any of these during your pregnancy and are troubled by constipation, speak with your doctor about whether a change in the formulation of your medicine or supplement can help. Sometimes a simple change of brands or dose can reduce constipation.
However, everyone is different and a formulation that causes constipation for one person might work well for another. 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. 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.
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.
Most laxatives are not well absorbed into the bloodstream and can be taken during pregnancy and breastfeeding , but always check with your pharmacist before taking a medicine while pregnant.
There are several reasons why constipation may continue after birth. Women who have had a caesarean often experience constipation for a few days until their regular bowel movements return. Women who have stiches after a vaginal birth may hesitate on the toilet, which can cause a build-up in their bowels.
Also, straining during a bowel movement or passing a hard stool can lead to or worsen hemorrhoids, which are swollen veins in the rectal area. Hemorrhoids can be extremely uncomfortable, though they rarely cause serious problems. In most cases, they go away fairly soon after your baby is born. However, if the pain is severe, or if you have rectal bleeding, call your doctor.
Cunningham, F. Gary, et al, Ch. Constipation in Pregnancy. What causes constipation during pregnancy? How can I prevent or treat constipation during pregnancy? Prevention and treatment of constipation involve many of the same steps. Here are a few things that you can do to help prevent constipation from occurring or treat it if you are already experiencing it: Eat a high fiber diet: Ideally, you will consume 25 to 30 grams per day of dietary fiber from fruits, vegetables, breakfast cereals, whole-grain bread, prunes, and bran.
This helps ensure bulkier stools that are easier to poop. Drink a lot of fluids: Drinking plenty of fluids is important, particularly when increasing fiber intake helps ensure softer stools.
Drink 10 to 12 cups of fluids each day. By drawing more water into the intestines, these laxatives help soften the stool. They also allow the bowel to contract more to move the stool along. These types of laxative can also cause cramping and bloating in the abdomen.
Examples of osmotic laxatives include polyethylene glycol and magnesium hydroxide. In most cases, constipation in pregnancy is short-lived and resolves with no or minimal treatment. In rare cases, however, prolonged constipation can cause fecal impaction, which may need removal by a doctor. These drugs can also cause electrolyte or fluid imbalances in some people.
Such issues usually affect people who have other health problems, such as diabetes or kidney disease. It is vital that pregnant women speak with their doctor before taking any medication, including laxatives or other constipation remedies.
As always, mention any other symptoms or concerns to the doctor for more specific information and advice. Normal discharge during pregnancy is clear or white and is known as leukorrhea. Other colors of discharge may indicate yeast infections, a sexually…. A doctor should monitor high blood pressure hypertension during pregnancy to prevent complications for the mother, such as preeclampsia, and the…. Here's what you can do if you're feeling stopped up.
Constipation tends to start as early as progesterone levels rise, around the second to third month of pregnancy. It may get worse as pregnancy progresses and your uterus grows. 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. You don't have to resign yourself to nine months of discomfort.
There are plenty of tactics to combat colon congestion all the while heading off hemorrhoids, a common side effect of constipation :. 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. Healthy eating habits and regular exercise encourage a speedy digestive system, which can help prevent constipation during pregnancy.
Consuming lots of fiber-rich foods fruits, veggies, whole grains, lentils , drinking enough water and staying or getting active can all combine to prevent constipation by counteracting the natural digestive slowdown of pregnancy.
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