Along with the glowing skin and lush locks that pregnancy brings also come not-so-beautiful experiences, like nausea and constipation. Constipation is a little-known side-effect of being pregnant. Some mums even experience severe pain from constipation during pregnancy. What causes this? And are there solutions to this unpleasant problem?
This article will tackle these issues and give mums-to-be suggestions to ease severe pain from constipation during pregnancy.
Constipation During Pregnancy: What Causes It?
First, you should know that constipation in pregnancy is quite common, affecting around one in three women. As with many other pregnancy issues, constipation is mainly caused by pregnancy hormones. Specifically, progesterone.
Progesterone relaxes the muscles in the bowels. This means that food stays longer in your digestive system. While this gives extra time for nutrients to absorb into your system, at the same time, it may cause a “poop traffic jam”.
Constipation in pregnancy can start very early, almost as soon as your progesterone levels start rising.
Other than progesterone, constipation during pregnancy can also be caused by:
- Your growing uterus pushes down on your bowels, restricting its usual tasks and activities.
- Too much iron in your prenatal vitamin
- Lifestyle (lack of fibre in the diet, not drinking enough water, not getting enough exercise)
Being constipated while pregnant can be very painful.
Constipation Symptoms
As mentioned earlier, constipation can begin in the first trimester, and the condition continues throughout your pregnancy. Here are some of the common symptoms of constipation among pregnant women:
- Irregular bowel movement – you can only poop a few times a week.
- Straining when you poop, and your belly feels swollen and gassy.
- Lumpy, hard and dark stools. They’re so dry that passing them is painful.
Severe Pain From Constipation During Pregnancy
Even when not pregnant, we’ve all dealt with constipation at some point. But for some women, constipation during pregnancy can result in excruciating pain.
Here are three reasons for severe pain from constipation during pregnancy:
- Gas: this is caused by the slowing down of your digestion process. This gas can cause severe pain, either in your belly or through your chest and back.
- Anal fissures: When you push and strain to pass large, hard stools, the lining of your anus can rip and tear. This wound is known as an anal fissure and can cause extreme pain.
- Nerve injury: If your bowels are distended because of constipation, this can put pressure on your sciatic nerve (this nerve runs from the lower back down the back of each leg). The result? Severe pain.
All the pressure that builds up in your belly because of constipation may make you anxious about your baby’s situation. However, while it may be causing you extreme discomfort, unless you are becoming severely dehydrated or unwell, constipation won’t harm your baby.
How to Ease Constipation During Pregnancy
The best way to relieve the pain brought about by constipation is to make changes in your lifestyle. This includes adopting a high-fibre diet, becoming physically active and drinking lots of water.
However, if constipation persists even after a lifestyle change, your doctor may prescribe some laxatives to soften your stools or a fibre supplement to aid digestion. Avoid taking any medication without your doctor’s advice. Home remedies for constipation, like castor oil or mineral oil, should not be taken during pregnancy unless your provider recommends you take them.
How To Avoid Constipation In Pregnancy
Mums-to-be, there’s no need to suffer through nine months of severe pain from constipation due to pregnancy. Here’s what you can do to prevent it:
1. Eat more fibre
Foods rich in fibre help you better get rid of waste, preventing constipation. You should try to eat 25 to 35 grams of fibre a day. Here’s an example of the amounts of vegetables that will provide around 25 grams of fibre:
- cup carrot slices, cooked = 5 grams of fibre
- 1 cup cooked broccoli = 4.5 grams of fibre
- 1 cup raw carrots = 4 grams of fibre
- 1 sweet potato = 4 grams of fibre
- 1 cup cauliflower, cooked = 3 grams of fibre
- 2 cups raw spinach leaves = 1.4 grams of fibre
You can boost this by switching to whole-grain bread and cereals and eating plenty of fruits (tip: kiwi and prunes are great for easing constipation). Add some psyllium husk to your meals for a further fibre boost.
Avoid refined foods (e.g. white bread, white rice, pasta and cereals), which can worsen things.
Remember, before making any radical changes to your diet. You should always check with your doctor first.
2. Drink more fluids
If you are increasing your fibre intake, it’s even more important to increase the number of fluids you drink. Ideally, this fluid should be water, and you should drink around 10 to 12 cups daily. Avoid fizzy drinks like soda, bottled juices (too much sugar) and excessive caffeine.
3. Exercise
Regular exercise during pregnancy — even a 10-minute walk — can encourage bowel movements.
4. Smaller, frequent portions
We know pregnancy can make you very hungry. But resist downing three large meals, which can cause stress on your digestive system. Instead, try eating six small meals. You’ll find that with this, you also experience less gas and bloating.
5. Watch your supplements
We’re not telling you to stop taking your prenatal vitamins. But sometimes, the extra iron and calcium that is found in some prenatal supplements can make constipation worse. Speak to your doctor about an alternative (like slow-release iron supplements), as well as taking a magnesium supplement, which could help.
6. Be wary of laxatives
It might be tempting to take an over-the-counter laxative to ease constipation, but don’t do this. Please speak to your doctor first, and go with their advice.
Can Prune Juice Help Against Constipation
Prune juice can help constipation, but it’s not a miracle cure.
To understand why prune juice is helpful for constipation, you need to know what causes constipation in the first place.
The most common cause of constipation is dehydration, which can happen when you don’t drink enough water or eat too much salt. When your body becomes dehydrated, it doesn’t have enough fluid to move waste out of your intestines. This waste builds up and causes constipation.
While drinking prune juice (or eating dried plums) won’t solve dehydration issues, it can help flush out some of that excess waste and make you more comfortable while you wait for your body to rehydrate itself naturally.
Can Constipation Hurt the Baby During Pregnancy
In a word: no. Constipation is an extremely common problem during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester when your digestive system adjusts to the new hormone changes. It’s not uncommon to feel bloated, gassy, and even nauseous, but those symptoms aren’t likely to hurt your baby.
If you’re experiencing constipation during pregnancy, it’s important to treat it right away so that it doesn’t lead to more serious problems like haemorrhoids or pelvic pain. Take some time to read our blog post on preventing and treating constipation during pregnancy.
When Should I Be Worried About Constipation During Pregnancy
The first trimester is a time of exciting change and discovery. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy—especially if you’re experiencing constipation during pregnancy.
So what should you do about your constipation? How can you tell if it’s something to worry about?
The good news is, most of the time, constipation in pregnancy is completely normal and nothing to be worried about. If you’ve experienced constipation before or since becoming pregnant, it’s probably just part of being pregnant.
But if it happens suddenly or gets worse over time, that’s when you should start to worry. So how do you know if your constipation is serious? Here are some signs:
- You have a hard time passing stool.
- When trying to pass stool, you feel cramps in your lower abdomen or pelvis area.
- You experience bleeding from the rectum (either during bowel movements or afterwards)
Image source: iStock
Is It Ok to Push Hard to Poop While Pregnant
It’s okay to push hard to poop while pregnant.
As your body expands, it can make it more difficult to go. And if you’re constipated, you may be tempted to push harder and harder… but don’t! Pushing too hard can cause haemorrhoids or even tear the anal muscles. So instead of pushing, try relaxing your pelvic muscles and pushing gently. This will help move things along without causing damage.
If you’re still having trouble after trying this method for a few days, consult with your doctor or midwife about other options that can help relieve symptoms of constipation during pregnancy (like taking a stool softener).
Updates from Pheona Ilagan
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