Pregnancy Constipation Relief
How can I ease pregnancy constipation?
Constipation is a big pain in the butt during pregnancy—pun intended. Thanks to progesterone (which slows digestion) and your growing uterus (which compresses your intestine) regular bowel movements will become a challenge.
Here are some tips for pregnancy constipation relief:
- One of the solutions to pregnancy constipation is drinking lots of water (10 glasses a day) and daily exercise. (Seems like those two things are a solution for a LOT Of things, doesn't it?!)
- The most important thing you can do to alleviate pregnancy constipation is to eat a fiber-rich diet. Fiber is not digested by your body; it just passes right on through and helps keep you regular.
- Try your best to get seven or more servings of fruit and veggies and nine servings of whole grains each day. Although this sounds like a lot of chewing, recommended serving sizes are often smaller than we imagine. For example, six whole wheat crackers and one slice of whole grain bread each count as a serving.
- Some easy ways to sneak fiber into your diet: add beans, seeds or nuts to your salad; don't drink fruit juice, eat the fruit instead; and add a tablespoon of ground flax seeds to a smoothie.
- If you feel like you need relief immediately, be smart and always call your doctor or midwife for advice. I usually recommend starting with good, old-fashioned prunes, (now labeled "dried plums") or prune juice. You can try a stool softener, like docusate sodium, but even this can take some time.
- Sometimes you need the big guns to get you going. If you need immediate relief, drink milk of magnesia or use a dulcolax suppository.
- Enemas are all right to use but may be difficult to administer and not all Significant Others are up for the task.
Answered by
Dr. Kara Nakisbendi
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