Constipation During Pregnancy

09 Jul

Posted by Admin as Female health

Constipation during pregnancy is commonplace, affecting at least half of all pregnant women. Fortunately, there are things you can do to avoid constipation. There are several things that can cause constipation during pregnancy. Your body will produce hormones that relax the muscles surrounding the gastrointestinal tract. This causes food to pass more slowly through your digestive system. This slowed intestinal motility produces constipation. The growing baby also crowds your bowels, which will narrow your intestinal passageways.

Hormonal changes affect bowel movements. During pregnancy, the body produces more progesterone, which relaxes the muscles to allow the baby to grow. However, the wall of the intestine is made of muscle, too. As the progesterone makes it relax, it can become less efficient at moving along food and waste.

Many women take iron supplements during pregnancy which can also be a contributing factor to constipation. Tastes can change at this time and many women alter their diet. This change in eating habits can also affect bowel activity, particularly if it means a reduction in fibre-rich foods.

Early pregnancy has its share of discomforts including nausea, fatigue, constipation and a variety of other discomforts. Constipation occurs in approximately half of all women at some point during their pregnancy.

In a normal scenario, constipation during pregnancy is related to an increase in the hormone progesterone, which slows the digestive process. Constipation, gas and heartburn are all effects of sluggish digestion. In addition, your colon absorbs more water, which tends to make stools harder and bowel movements more difficult. Worry, anxiety, minimal physical exercise, and a low-fiber diet may also cause constipation.

Causes Constipation During Pregnancy

As our bodies adjust to the growth of the baby, we will begin to produce higher levels of the hormone Progesterone. As a side effect of the increase in Progesterone, the our body will slow the digestion of food, causing the intestinal muscles to relax. As digestion slows two issues occur: feces harden, making it more difficult to empty the body during bowel movements, and as hardening stool moves through the gastrointestinal system it compact causing blockages.

What are the signs of constipation?

More than four days between each bowel movement.
Faeces are hard, which makes them difficult to pass.
There is a feeling that not all the faeces are being passed.
If the faeces are very hard, they may cause bleeding from the rectum.
Constipation can also be a cause of lower abdominal pain.
In extreme circumstances, a constipated bowel can result in difficulties giving birth.

Piles

Again pregnancy predisposes one to develop piles or haemorrhoids. The discomfort from this after opening the bowel can make someone feel reluctant to go to toilet. This will lead to constipation during pregnancy, and then worsen the piles.

If you have piles during pregnancy, see your doctor as soon as possible for remedies to relieve the discomfort.

Anal Fissure

Another problem commonly found in pregnancy is tear in the back of the anus. This causes severe pain on defaecation.

Expectant mothers who suffer from this problem fears defaecation. This worsens the problem, as the next bowel opening would be even more hard and difficult.