How Can I Overcome Digestive Problems During Pregnancy?

Digestive problems during pregnancy are a common complaint among women. Raised hormone progesterone levels relax the intestine during pregnancy and slow the digestion system. As a result, most pregnant women face digestion issues like constipation, nausea, or Heartburn.

But digestive issues can’t disturb your pregnancy’s joy, and you can tackle them with little changes in your diet or lifestyle, so if you want to make your tummy happy, stay tuned with us to know the intelligent ways.

What Are the Digestion Problems that Women Have to Face During Pregnancy?

Here is the explanation of the most common digestive problems during pregnancy:

Constipation

It is one of the most common digestive problems during pregnancy. The hormone changes, less body movement, and expanding uterus are the main reasons to face constipation during pregnancy.

Sometimes iron tablets can be the reason for constipation. Medical experts also suggest drinking plenty of water if you take iron supplements. Then also you are facing so much constipation, you need to consult your midwife.

Due to constipation, women have to suffer abdominal pain, stomach discomfort, the passage of hard stools, and infrequent bowel movements. But it is not a big issue, you only need to change your diet routine to fight against it.

As your midwife suggests, you may include iron-rich foods such as green leafy vegetables, dry fruits, and cereal instead of taking the iron tablet. The high fiber foods like fruits and vegetables, breakfast cereals, and whole-bread grains can also help you to relieve constipation.

Moreover, regular exercises make the digestion process smooth and reduce constipation; however, constipation is usually not a severe issue. Still, there are conditions when you need to visit your doctor without wasting a minute.

Here are the severe symptoms of constipation:

• Blood in stool
• Extreme weight loss
• Pain with bowel movements
• Having constipation for more than 2 weeks

Constipation can cause haemorrhoids. The swollen veins in and around the anus are called haemorrhoids. Due to passing hard stool, the veins get swell and create pain around the anus. Haemorrhoids is a severe condition, so if you notice any symptoms that are mentioned below, then immediately call your doctor:

• Swelling around the anus
• Excessive pain and discomfort
• Bleeding during the bowel movements
• Itching at the opening of the rectum

Heartburn

Changing hormones may cause Heartburn. Later in the pregnancy, as the baby’s size increases, that may put stress on the internal organs and cause stomach acid that may irritate the esophagus. Heartburn is like a burning sensation in the upper abdomen, throat or chest. Taking spicy food, fried food, and extensive meal at a time also causes heartburn.

Here are some tips that can help you to avoid one of the most known digestive problems during pregnancy, heartburn: 

• Say a big no to late-night eating.
• Always wear loose clothes as tight pants also create discomfort for you.
• Try to sit up while eating
• After eating not go directly to bed; take at least a short walk or wait for one-two hour.
• If you are experiencing heartburn, then calmly sit on the bed and take at least 10 to 12 long deep breaths. It will make you feel relaxed.
• Try to sleep with the raised head compared to the rest of the body.

Moreover, if you are feeling so anxious, then consult your midwife, who will prescribe medication for immediate relief.

Gas And Bloating

There are many digestive problems during pregnancy that women have to face from the early months of pregnancy. Gas and bloating are one of those digestive problems during pregnancy. By opting for small changes related to your diet, you can easily overcome the gas and bloating. First of all, always try to eat slowly. As I mentioned earlier in the post, the digestion process slows down during pregnancy.

So, if you take food slowly and chew properly, that will help to speed up the digestion process. Hence, you don’t need to face gas and bloating. Some food like cabbage and bean can cause gas, so avoid these vegetables and choose nutritious foods. Take your food on time. There should be at least 4 hours gap between your food time and sleeping time so that food gets digested and you can sleep calmly at night.

Nausea and Vomiting (Morning sickness)

These are the most apparent digestive problems during pregnancy. A pregnant woman faces nausea and vomiting anytime during the day and night. Almost 70% to 80% of women face nausea and vomiting. It is normal to have these digestion discomforts. Usually, women start having nausea and vomiting in the first trimester. In most cases, the morning sickness goes until the end of the second trimester. But some women face it till the third trimester.

However, digestive problems during pregnancy can’t affect your baby but may affect your ability to complete your daily tasks and activities. The reasons for having these digestive problems during pregnancy are not known. But research suggests that human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) produced by the placenta during pregnancy may cause nausea and vomiting.

Here are more reasons to experience nausea and vomiting during pregnancy:

• Having a female baby
• First pregnancy
• Having twins and multiple pregnancies 
• Family history
• Having the stress of something
• Obesity
• History of migraines 
• Anxiety

Ways to manage nausea and vomiting throughout the pregnancy:-

• Rest as much as possible, as the tiredness can worsen nausea.
• Wash your mouth and have some water to feel relaxed.
• Having ginger may help you to get relief from nausea and vomiting.
• Suck the lemon that can help you to feel good. 
• Avoid spicy foods, hot foods, fried foods, and lovely food that can worsen your nausea and vomiting.
• Always eat fresh food.
• Avoid foods that smell can make you anxious and feel like vomiting.
• Do not take water with your food.
• Eat healthy snacks such as banana chips, dry fruits, and glucose biscuits every 2 to 3 hours, as an empty stomach can also worsen your nausea and vomiting.
• Avoid eating fast, which can create pressure on your stomach and make you feel like vomiting.
• Add sugar and salt to the water and sip it slowly. It will help you to feel relaxed.
• After vomiting, as you feel relaxed, eat foods like white rice, fruits, crackers, mashed potato etc., to feel good.
• If you have excessive nausea and vomiting, speak to your doctor to manage it.
• If you also have a fever with nausea and vomiting, then immediately visit your doctor.
• If you are experiencing pain and swelling in the stomach, then you have to need to consult with your doctor.

Innovative Ways to Tackle Almost Digestive Problems During Pregnancy

Check out some ways that can help you to overcome digestive problems during pregnancy:

Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals

We all have a fixed routine of eating 3 large meals a day, but in pregnancy, you must adjust it to avoid digestive problems. First, you must start eating small portions of food frequently, which speeds up your digestion.

In addition, eating small amounts of food prevents you from having extra foods that can create nausea. Moreover, you can also avoid heartburn by eating small portions of food. It will make you feel light and happy. A slight adjustment to food habits can help you fight against digestive problems during pregnancy.

Focus On Your Movements

Keep yourself moving. That helps you to fight digestive problems during pregnancy and makes you fit throughout the pregnancy. Walking is the permanent solution to constipation. You should walk for at least 15 minutes instead of lying on the bed after food. Walking improves your digestion system to avoid Heartburn or constipation. Discuss with your doctor about opting for the yoga routine or light exercise.

Eating Food Slowly

Having food slowly also helps you tackle digestive problems during pregnancy. As we know, digestion starts from the mouth. If you chew the food well, digestive enzymes begin to release saliva and break down food into small particles before it goes into your stomach.

So, releasing digestive enzymes speeds up digestion, and your food gets digested quickly. Proper digestion of the food helps you avoid constipation and Heartburn during pregnancy. So, next time you sit to eat food, try to eat food slowly for better digestion.

Start Having Ginger Tea

Sipping ginger is the best remedy to deal with nausea. Fresh ginger is entirely safe for the expecting mother or baby. You can have ginger tea to avoid nausea. Just grate the fresh ginger into the lukewarm water and add honey with a bit of lemon. Ginger lozenges are available in the market, so you can purchase and use them whenever you are out to tackle nausea. 3 or 4 sips are enough to make yourself relax.

Pick Fiber-Rich Foods

You move the refined carbs such as white bread, pasta, and crackers whenever you feel uneasy. If you have a small portion only to relax, then it is ok. No issues, but the excessive amount of refined crab will surely give you many constipation issues.

To avoid digestive problems during pregnancy, add healthy carbs to your diet. Here is a list of the healthy crabs’ food items:

• Oats
• Quinoa
• Whole grain crackers
• Brown rice
• Sweet potatoes
• Fresh fruit and vegetables

Keep Yourself Hydrated 

Having efficient water is a great help in preventing constipation and other digestion issues during pregnancy. Drinking water keeps your bowel movement in check. Pregnant women have at least 10 cups of fluids daily. You can add coconut water or sugar-free drinks to make your digestion smooth. Coconut water is full of essential nutrients that will help to improve your digestion. Moreover, coconut water is suitable for a pregnant woman’s skin and baby. 

Have A Snack

Whenever you feel nausea, healthy snacks provide you relief. Some women prefer to have snacks in the early morning to avoid nausea. Always have your prenatal vitamins with a snack. You can have dry fruits for snacking throughout the day.

If you have server digestive problems during pregnancy, immediately discuss them with your doctor. They may prescribe medication to deal with them. A healthy lifestyle is the best option to avoid digestion issues throughout pregnancy.

Wait To Lie Down

During pregnancy, food will take more time to digest as digestion becomes slow due to harmonic changes. So, your body needs more time than usual to digest the food and absorb its nutrients. At least wait 2 to 3 hours to lie down after eating food. That will give your stomach or digestion system enough time to digest food properly.

Conclusion

You must be aware of your diet to avoid digestive problems during pregnancy. For example, some women love to eat fried and spicy foods during pregnancy, but you should avoid them to make your digestion system smooth.

You can have a small portion for a taste, but you should take something other than fried food as a complete meal. Waking is a must to deal with digestive problems during pregnancy. You should prevent leafy greens and raw vegetables to avoid nausea and food aversions. Keep in touch with your doctor to avoid digestion issues.

Moreover, you can also take fruits like watermelon, berries, lemon, orange, banana, and kiwi are the best option to deal with any digestive problems during pregnancy. So, have plenty of fruits and vegetables to enjoy your pregnancy with another height of happiness.

FAQs Regarding Common Digestive Problems in Early Pregnancy

Digestive problems during pregnancy are common among women. Check out the below answers to deal with the digestive issues: