Pregnancy comes with different life and bodily changes; making a baby is no mean feat. The hormonal changes that accompany the condition cause your body to shift gears, causing changes in the different systems, digestive being one of them.
Digestive changes during pregnancy
There are several changes that occur in the digestive tract on account of pregnancy. Preventing them might not be possible entirely, but managing them is.
Hence, knowing what changes to expect during pregnancy and having a game plan accordingly can be of help. However, it is also good to keep your gynecologist in loop, reporting them of the changes and getting their expert opinion on remedy and management.
Some common digestive issues to expect include:
Bloating
Bloating is a condition in which the stomach feels full, and thus there is heaviness and tightness in the abdominal region. Bloating can also cause a lot of discomfort as well.
Compounded by the frequent gas and constipation, bloating tends to become more common during pregnancy.
Gas
Expect yourself to feel gassy during pregnancy. Due to the hormonal changes, the intestines become relaxed. It then causes an increase in the instances of passing gas. But it is not the gas you can expect, your body may also turn to burping as well.
Hemorrhoids
Some women can also get hemorrhoids during pregnancy. Hemorrhoids are essentially the dilated blood vessels around the anus. They might also bleed, itch and lead to discomfort during passing a stool.
Hemorrhoids occur due to greater pressure on groin during pregnancy. Moreover, constipation also makes the condition worse.
If you want to prevent hemorrhoids in check, deal with the constipation by ensuring proper nutrition and hydration. But if you still get hemorrhoids, talk to your doctor. They might prescribe you cream to help ease the inflammation.
Heartburn
Pregnancy hormones cause the sphincter between the esophagus and the stomach to relax, which can lead to the acid to travel up in the esophagus, leading to heart burn.
Heartburn can be improved by taking frequent and small meals, not eating spicy, greasy, and cheesy foods, and keeping the body in incline position.
Morning sickness
A grand misnomer is morning sickness, as it gives the impression that it only occurs in the morning. In real, getting sick only in the morning might be a good day for women.
Due to the hormonal changes, women can expect nausea, with or without vomiting, all day. These are more common in the first trimester. Causing a great discomfort, morning sickness cannot be avoided in most cases but can be managed.
Eating crackers, using ginger, taking small and light meals are some things women swear by. However, if your morning sickness does not recede, you should talk to your doctor about it. There runs a danger of dehydration and malnourishment if left unchecked. Your doctor may prescribe you supplements or medication to help with the symptoms.
Constipation
Constipation is another digestive issue that you should be prepared for in pregnancy. The hormonal changes during pregnancy cause the digestive system to slow down. It then makes the food pass through the tract slowly. The rational is to allow for the better absorption of the nutrients, but it also causes constipation then as well.
Furthermore, some supplements can cause constipation as well. Then, when the baby is growing towards the later months, the space becomes cramped in the abdominal region. It can also cause food to pass through more slowly, and thus lead to constipation.
The effects of constipation not only include difficulty passing stool, but it can also cause abdominal discomfort and pain. Hence, the impact of constipation should not be underestimated.
Thankfully, there are things that you can do to improve the symptoms. Drink plenty of fluids, that also then help in making the stool softer as well. Moreover, try to take ample fiber to allow for the stool to pass easier through the digestive tract.
Also, exercising helps. Unless of course, your gynecologist, Dr. Misbah Malik has not allowed it. Best to get your doctors approval before.
