Relieve constipation in pregnancy for good!
Heartburn, swollen feet, weird cravings, and constipation, to name a few.
Constipation in pregnancy is particularly and is a very common compliant among pregnant women.
Being swollen and bloated with a growing baby is uncomfortable enough, then add a sluggish intestinal track and you are in very long couple of months.
To make matters worse, your solutions regarding medications for constipation relief are drastically limited.
So what is a pregnant woman to do to help relieve constipation during pregnancy?
Here are a few easy and natural remedies for constipation. But first, let’s look at some of the common causes of constipation during pregnancy.
Causes of Constipation During Pregnancy
Constipation during pregnancy can be caused by many contributing factors.
It is a very common complaint among many pregnant woman and tends to worsen as the pregnancy progresses.
The combination of physical and hormonal changes during pregnancy can really take a toll on the gastrointestinal track leading to constipation and other digestive issues.
Some common causes of constipation during pregnancy include:
Increased Iron Intake
Although taking an iron supplement during pregnancy is vital if you are anemic, the excess iron winds up in your digestive tract and causes build up of undigested foods.
Dehydration
Morning sickness, not drinking enough water, or excess sweating (boob sweat anyone?) all can lead to dehydration during pregnancy. Side effects may also include increased cramping, headaches, and nausea, in addition to constipation.
Lack of Exercise
When you are not moving enough, every part of your body can become sluggish, including your intestines.
Poor Sleeping Positions
When your growing belly and back are not supported correctly and your colon is not being aligned in the optimal position for digestion, it can lead to bloating, heartburn, and constipation.
Certain Foods
Certain foods can cause bloating, indigestion, heartburn, and constipation during pregnancy.
Most commonly, highly acidic foods such as tomatoes, citrus fruits, cabbage, and broccoli.
However, many of these causes can be easily remedied at home and without additional prescriptions. Just make sure you are always checking with your physician before trying any home remedies.
1. Leachco Snoogle Total Body Pillow
Now you may be asking yourself how the heck is a body pillow going to help me poop?
First of all, it should be mandatory that all pregnant women get a pregnancy body pillow!
They help with a multitude of aches and pains during pregnancy and beyond. Plus they are also great for supporting mama and baby while breastfeeding!
Sleeping or laying on your left side helps aid in digestion by moving waste to your lower colon which is located on your left side. So let gravity help you out and lay on your left side snuggled up with your pillow.
The Leachco Snoogle Total Body Pillow helps to support pregnant mamas in all the right spots.
The shape of the pillow also supports the knees and back which keeps the midsection and back aligned, reducing strain on the digestive process and promote proper digestion.
So if you are suffering from heartburn, constipation, or any digestive ailments, cuddling up with the total body pillow, it is just what the doctor ordered (or at least it should be)!
2. Water
Expectant mothers should be conscious of their water intake and make sure they are drinking about 50% more water than the daily recommended intake of their non-pregnant counterparts, or roughly 96 ounces a day.
Pregnant women should also make sure they are drinking enough water throughout the day rather than chugging a bunch all at once.
This could cause even greater nausea.
Easily track your water intake with this adorable and easy to use water bottle.
Filling up this water bottle three times per day will give you the recommended 96 ounces per day with an easy to follow hour-by-hour tracker.
So you are drinking about ¼ of the bottle every hour, which is totally doable even for people who don’t like water!
You can also consume warm lemon water first thing in the morning to help wake up and get your bowels moving to help relieve constipation during pregnancy.
3. Pink Stork Pregnancy Probiotics
Make your water work a little harder by adding some Pink Stork Pregnancy Probiotics to your water bottle.
If you aren’t already familiar with probiotics, they help to promote healthy bacteria in your gut.
And healthy gut bacteria means healthy, happy poops!
The big problem with many over the counter probiotics is that they are not formulated with mothers-to-be in mind.
The Pink Stork PregnancyProbiotics contain specially selected strands of good bacteria to help combat morning sickness, constipation, and help support an overall healthy gut.
In addition to a probiotic supplement, you can also include foods into your diet that aid in digestion, such as yogurt or other fermented foods that are full of those good bacterias.
4. Squatty Potty
So if you haven’t already seen the hilarious commercial for the Squatty Potty, stop, watch it and come back.
Great, right?!
What happens when we sit on the toilet is our colon and legs are at a 90-degree angle, causing a kink and straining to go (which can also cause hemorrhoids…boo!)
Pro tip: Taking sitz bath can immediately help you with hemorroids.
When you sit on the toilet using the squatty potty, there is no longer a kink and straining. The unicorn really does a great job showing you what I mean.
Looking at things from an evolutionary standpoint, we were not meant to sit on toilets to go to the bathroom.
Our ancestors, even the pregnant ones, squatted.
Heck, they even squatted to give birth!
Therefore, that is how our bodies developed to eliminate waste.
So sitting in a squatting position while going to the bathroom aligns everything how it was meant to be resulting in easier elimination.
5. Exercise
Staying active during your pregnancy has numerous health benefits.
It will help to keep weight gain under control, relieve some of the aches and pains associated with pregnancy, and help to relieve constipation.
Exercise helps to stimulate bowel contractions and decreases the time it takes for food to move through the digestive tract and relieves stress.
It can be as simple as walking for 20-30 minutes per day. But just make sure you have some comfy walking shoes that will grow with your swelling feet!
Gentle, prenatal yoga is also a great option to keep your intestines limber and working properly.
6. Natural Laxatives
If you need immediate relief from constipation, natural laxatives are a great option. Although it doesn’t taste great, prune juice can be a huge help when you need relief like yesterday!
Another great option is Smooth Move tea which is made from the herb senna which stimulates bowel contractions.
This stuff is amazing!
It produces a bowel movement within 6-12 hours.
Let me tell you, when you are plugged up, this tea is a big relief and actually works!
Make the tea according to the directions, add a bit of stevia and a splash of vanilla almond milk and you have yourself a little latte.
If you are a coffee drinker, you can also try having a cup (or two) of coffee.
The caffine in the coffee causes the large intestines to contract leading to a bowel movement.
In addition, if you are the kind of personal that doesn’t like your coffee to actual taste like coffee (cream and sugar anyone?) the additional dairy and sugar added to coffee puts an additional strain on the gut and can cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea, particularly if you are lactose intolerant.
7. High Fiber Foods
High fiber foods are great for getting the bowels moving!
Fiber acts like a brush to clean out your intestines.
Some of the food categories that you want to stick to that are high fiber include grains and cereals (think oatmeal, not fruity pebbles), fruits, vegetables, bean, seeds, nuts, and legumes.
Some great high-fiber foods to include in your diet are:
- Spinach
- Watermelon
- Almonds
- Black beans
- Apples (with the skin on)
- Cauliflower
- Oatmeal
- Brown Rice
Also make sure you are not consuming large amounts of food in one sitting.
Having smaller meals throughout the day will lessen the stress on your digestive system. When you are choosing your foods, go for whole grains whenever possible.
8. Meditation
Stress can manifest itself an any ways in the body.
Including your inability to properly poop.
Incorporating meditation into your daily routine will not only help you to move your bowels but also physically and mentally prepare you to deliver your little bundle of joy.
Meditation can help you to balance your mind and body and provides many benefits during pregnancy.
Although meditation can be practiced at any point in your life, it can especially help during this time of emotional and physical changes.
One of the great things about meditation is you don’t need anything extra or special to do it. You don’t even need to block out a bunch of time. It can be done almost anywhere and any time.
Meditation helps you to focus your mind, relieve stress, be more mindful, and relax and energize you.
Relieving stress in your entire body helps to relieve stress on your bowels as well, thus relieving constipation and related symptoms.
Relieve Constipation in Pregnancy Once and For All
You can easily prevent or remedy constipation during pregnancy by incorporating healthy lifestyle choices during your pregnancy.
Over to you – what advice to you have for pregnant women suffering from constipation? Share your suggestions in the comments.
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