6 Natural Ways To Prevent Constipation In Pregnant Women

Pregnant women experience a lot of changes in their bodies. These changes may bring about certain symptoms that may confuse women about why they have them. Constipation is something that pregnant women usually have. This may be brought about by several changes in the woman’s body like the production of hormones.

Progesterone and its effect on constipation

When the woman gets pregnant, many female hormones are produced. One of the hormones that are produced is progesterone. This hormone helps the body of the woman to prepare for the coming of her child. This will develop the body so that it could feed the baby with the milk she will produce. Although the pregnant woman needs this hormone for her body’s preparation, this hormone also causes the digestive tract to slow down.

It is usual for pregnant women to be constipated but the hormone progesterone is not the only cause of constipation. When women are pregnant, they are advised to take in iron supplements. Iron is not easily digested and it might cause constipation to occurring. We all know that taking in medicines during pregnancy is dangerous, especially for the baby. This is why it is advised that pregnant mothers find natural remedies for constipation.

6 Natural remedies for constipation of pregnant women

Although constipation is something you cannot really escape when you are pregnant, there are some things you could do to lessen them and prevent them from worsening. Natural remedies for constipation are advised because it is a much safer way to treat constipation especially if you are pregnant. Here are some ways how you can help cure constipation in pregnant women.

1. Drink plenty of water
2. Eat foods that are high in fiber
3. Walk instead of riding a car
4. Add bacteria to your diet
5. Don’t eat too much
6. Don’t hold it in

1. Drink plenty of water

Keeping your body hydrated is a great way to prevent constipation from worsening. The problem with constipation is that your stool is too hard because it contains less water. Drinking less water may be the cause of this, so drink plenty of water. If you are tired of drinking plain old water, you can try to add prune juice to your diet. But you should avoid drinks that are diuretics because these will just remove the water content in your body. Drinks that could be diuretics are those that contain caffeine like coffee and tea.

2. Eat foods that are high in fiber

Eating foods that are high in fiber will work if you also drink lots of water along with it. If you just eat a lot of fibre-rich foods and do not drink enough water, there is also a tendency that you will become more constipated. The fiber will help relieve constipation if you also help yourself become hydrated. The fiber makes the stool compact. There are many foods that contain fibre and an example of this is bran cereal.

3. Walk instead of riding a car

Walking is a great way to obtain exercise. It will help your body have the adequate movement that it needs. Movement helps in the proper digestion of food. You should be able to schedule a time when you are going to move around. Being pregnant does not mean you have to stay stationary in one place, instead, you should still move. You could ask others to accompany you during your walks, in this way, both of you would also get the exercise you need.

Also Read: Top 5 Exercises To Perform Post Pregnancy 

4. Add bacteria to your diet

Not all bacteria are bad for you. There are also certain bacteria that help in the digestion of food. These types of bacteria are normally found in your intestines. They help in the digestion of different types of foods. Lack of these bacteria may also cause either diarrhoea or constipation to occur. These bacteria are collectively known as probiotics. An example of a food that contains probiotics is yogurt.

5. Don’t eat too much

Consuming large amounts of food will just cause your food to pile up. Instead of eating too much at a time, you should just eat small meals more frequently. This will prevent you from being always hungry and from indigestion. You should also take a look at the foods that you eat. Ensuring that you eat healthy foods will also help in your digestion.

6. Don’t hold it in

There is nothing wrong with defecating and you should go whenever you feel it. You should never hold it in or force it to come out. This will just worsen your constipation. You need to be sensitive to your body’s needs. Defecating is an action that people usually do, so don’t be shy if you feel that you should use the bathroom in a public area.