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Constipation
Many pregnant women complain of constipation. High levels of hormones relax the muscles in the bowels leaving many women constipated. In addition, the pressure from the growing uterus on the bowels boost the chances for constipation.
Try these tips to help you stay regular:- Eat fiber-rich foods like fresh or dried fruit, raw vegetables, whole grain cereals and breads daily.
- Drink eight to ten glasses of water a day. Try the flavored water or the powder that you add to a bottle of water. You could even squeeze a fresh lemon into your water to add a little kick and the lemon juice does help to activate your colon.
- Avoid caffeinated drinks, since caffeine makes your body lose fluid needed for regular bowel movements
- .Get moving! Mild exercise like walking may also ease constipation. Yes, shopping at the mall is movement so get going!
- Try a vegetable-based laxative like Sennacot. Talk to your doctor, of course, for the recommended dose. Use the kind with a stool softener so that you do not strain when you do have a bowel movement.
Heartburn and Indigestion
Almost every pregnant woman experiences indigestion and heartburn. Hormones and pressure from your growing uterus can cause discomfort. Pregnancy hormones slow down muscles in the digestive tract. Food tends to move slower and digestion is sluggish. This can cause a pregnant woman to feel bloated.
Hormones also relax the valve that separates the esophagus from the stomach. This allows food and acids to come back up from the stomach to the esophagus. As your baby gets bigger, the uterus pushes on the stomach making heartburn more common in the later stages of pregnancy. You might sometimes feel like you cannot eat at all or you may vomit after eating because of the cramped space inside your body!
Try these tips to help ease your symptoms:
- Avoid greasy or fried foods
- Eat six to eight small meals instead of three large
- Don't gain more than the recommended weight
- Take small sips of milk or eat small pieces of ice to soothe burning
- Eat slowly
- Ask your doctor if you can take antacid medicine. More than likely he/she will recommend Tums.
- Elevate yourself at night. Most back up will just lie stagnate during the night when you are trying to rest. This can be when a lot of burning can occur. If you elevate your body then the acids have a chance to move lower or not rise as high in your esophagus.
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