pregnancy and constipation
Constipation is a common problem during the in initial stages of pregnancy. About thirty to forty percent of pregnant women may experience this at some point. The main cause for it is the changes in the hormone level. The progesterone hormones in the body will increase and it will relax the intestinal muscle and a pressure will be expanded by uterus on intestinal muscles. The relaxation of the muscles in your bowels causes the food and waste to move slowly through the digestive tract. Constipation in early pregnancy is also often accompanied by heart burn.
Quite often iron tablets in high dosage can also lead to constipation. You should make sure that you are drinking plenty of water when you are having these tablets. A low fibre diet can also cause constipation in pregnant women. If you have severe constipation, then that will lead to a pain in abdomen. If the feces are hard, it will also result to the passage of blood and mucus from the rectum.
Change in the dietary habits also causes constipation. Most of the women will lose much water from their body due to vomiting caused by morning sickness. They may also won’t consume enough dietary fibre which will lead to constipation. It can also be caused to the higher consumption of dehydrating fluids like coffee, alcohol etc. Increased anxiety, worry and stress can also lead to constipation. The presence of some diseases like diabetes, uremia, scleroderma can also increase the chances for constipation.
Many women may also experience constipation after pregnancy. It can be caused mainly due to the drugs which were given to you for discomfort during labor. This will slow down the digestive system. If you have stitches, then that can be also a reason for constipation.
For preventing constipation, the should have a fibre rich diet like cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables. These food will help the intestines top work efficiently and helps to eliminate the waste from the body easily. It will be better if you have dried fruits. They should also drink plenty of water like six to eight glasses everyday. They should also drink fruit juices. They should do mild exercises like walking, swimming, yoga. This will help them to ease constipation and makes them fit and healthy.
I used to have constipation when I was three months pregnant, one of my friend suggested me to have ginger tea in the early morning. Initially I didn’t liked the taste of the ginger, but somehow I tried to drink it. I discovered great improvement after one week.
When I was four months pregnant, I used to suffer a lot due to constipation and I had pain in my abdomen whenever I go to toilet. I read in one maternity care book about the benefits of ginger tea and when I started using it I found out great difference.
My aunt suffered bad constipation during pregnancy and she was finding it very difficult. Her gynecologist advised her to take plenty of water and fibrous food for proper digestion and also given her some antacid tablets to prevent acidity.