Constipation during pregnancy is quite common, with the problem affecting as many as 50% of pregnant women at some point or another during their term. To fully avoid constipation, you need a TipTop Gut that will work properly and gut bacteria will ease this issue. One of the reasons that constipation is experienced during pregnancy points to an increase in levels of progesterone, leading to smooth muscles relaxing throughout the body which includes the digestive tract. With the muscles in the digestive tract relaxed, food in the intestines passes through more slowly. The resulting constipation may also later on be compounded by additional pressure in the abdominal area as the baby grows.
The good news is that while being pregnant puts a woman in a delicate situation, constipation during this period can be addressed with the usual remedies that ordinary people can turn to in order to promote bowel movement. Some of the things you can do to alleviate constipation when you’re pregnant include:
- Increasing fiber intake. You can easily increase your intake of fiber by loading up on whole grain breads and cereals, beans, brown rice, fruits, and vegetables. It may take a couple of days to see any difference when you increase your fiber intake but things should move along in no time because of the increased fiber in your system.
- Drinking a lot of water. Increasing your fiber intake should go hand-in-hand with drinking a lot of water because fiber needs water in order to work. Fiber absorbs water as it forms stool so drinking a lot of water helps to ensure that your stool won’t end up too hard, worsening the constipation instead of relieving it. Drinking water is also generally good for the body so there’s no harm in drinking a lot of water, especially when the weather is warm.
- Exercising regularly. Moving about massages your intestines, helping the digestive process along so it not only aids in addressing constipation but it may also help prevent it from happening in the first place. Just make sure that the exercises you do are not too strenuous as that may cause discomfort instead of relief.
- Watching your vitamins. Some vitamins cause constipation so what you’re taking may be the reason why you’re experiencing constipation during pregnancy, with iron being the common culprit. If you feel that your supplements are making you constipated, talk to your doctor. Typically, you will be told to take iron supplements only when extremely needed and that each time you do should be accompanied by a gentle laxative to prevent constipation.
- Making time for the loo. As much as possible, heed the urge to go so you keep your bowel movements regular. Try to never put it off. Also, the bowels are likely to be active after a meal, so do schedule a trip to the bathroom after you have eaten. Make a habit out of it so you don’t forget.
Pregnancy and constipation doesn’t usually signify anything serious but it can be a symptom for an underlying condition, so don’t ignore it completely.
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Another important thing to take care of when it comes to your digestive system is – maintaining the Probiotics in your gut. These digestive bacteria need to be nourished so that they can do their job properly. Including a good Prebiotic in your regimen can help ensure this.
Simple and Effective Home Remedies for Constipation
Constipation is never easy to have so you want to resolve it as soon as possible and get things moving again. Fortunately, there are home remedies for constipation you can take advantage of so you don’t have to waste time finding relief, since this means using remedies that you can easily find around your house. Which in turn means you’ll be able to sooner use them and enjoy relief from constipation sooner.
Some of the home remedies for constipation you can get started with include:
- Eat more fiber. Fiber aids in bowel movement because it provides roughage that sweeps along the intestines to add bulk to stool. The easiest way to consume more fiber is to eat more fruits, vegetables, and grains. You have to be mindful though that fiber absorbs water, so you have to ensure you drink a lot of water too when you increase your intake to ensure your stool doesn’t harden too much. Stool that is too hard causes constipation as well so that goes against what you were trying to achieve. How much water is enough will depend on the kind of lifestyle you have. The general rule though is to drink more when the weather is hot or when you’ve been sweating a lot, such as during exercise.
- Have some coffee. Coffee works as one of the home remedies for constipation, thanks to its bitter taste that helps in stimulating your digestive tract. Because you just need something bitter, you can also try other bitter food items if you don’t want to drink coffee. Drinking coffee is just a convenient route towards easing constipation because a lot of people have their brew anyway everyday.
- Oil up. Vegetable oils like soybean and safflower can remedy constipation because they lubricate intestines which will allow stool to more easily pass. To take advantage of vegetable oils, consume up to three tablespoons in a day of your choice oil, but only until the constipation goes away. Oils should generally be taken in moderation, if not in very low amounts, so be mindful of the other things you will be consuming so you don’t end up piling on pounds as you try to get rid of constipation. If you don’t like the idea of taking oil straight, you can get your vegetable oil fix by mixing them with vinegar or lemon juice to create vinaigrette for salads. You get a double effect too because of the fiber you will be getting from the vegetables in your salad, combining two home remedies for constipation that’s surely to bring about desired results sooner.
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These home remedies get the relief you need swiftly. And should you not have the ingredients readily available in your home, you can just as easily head to the store and grab them. Not to mention that they are really affordable so you don’t have to worry about ruining your budget just to make room for constipation remedies.
However, it may also make sense to tune up your digestive system by taking a quality prebiotic supplement. Prebiotics can nourish the beneficial digestive bacteria in your stomach, enabling them to do their job in the most effective manner.
