When does constipation start in pregnancy?

Pregnancy is the most beautiful period for the woman in her life, so many different experiences she faces in her life during the period of pregnancy. Today we will discuss constipation in pregnancy and symptoms of constipation in pregnancy.

During pregnancy women can experience below things after conceive 

• Heartburn during pregnancy
• Constipation during pregnancy
• Nausea, vomiting
• Pregnancy-induced hypertension sometimes
• Morning sickness
• Weight gain 

These are the most common things which happen to almost every woman during her 9 months of life in pregnancy.

List of topics discussed in the article

1. What is constipation in pregnancy?
2. What are the causes of constipation in pregnancy?
3. What are the symptoms of constipation in pregnancy?
4. And other related things with it
5. What is constipation in pregnancy?

We all know about constipation and so many people in the world have this problem, either they suffer from chronic or suffers from a short period of time.

When women have no problem in the digestive tract before pregnancy but after she suffers from difficulty in passing stool, no urge for passing stool for 2-3 days after conceiving, it is called constipation in pregnancy.

When does constipation start in pregnancy?

In general, constipation occurs when there is any kind of defect in your bowel like;

• Bowel obstruction
• Reduce or less peristaltic movements.

These are the most common causes of difficulty in passing stool and having no urge for passing stool.

Also when food from the stomach comes into the bowel or we can say in the intestine and remains for a longer time in the digestive tract and fetch up a large amount of water from the body, this results in hard and dry stool leads to difficulty in passing the stool.

What are the causes for constipation in pregnancy?

There are various causes which can make difficulty in dedication, most common causes include;

1. Chlorosis
2. Hormones
3. Nutriment
4. Stress
5. Indolence

We will discuss all the above them one by one shortly, this will help you to get more information about it.

The first cause is Chlorosis

Chlorosis or anemia is one of the most common conditions that so many women in the world suffer from, here anemia does not cause constipation in pregnancy but its medication causes.

In anemic patient there is the deficiency of iron is seen, and as for medication iron tablet is given to improve the iron deficiency anemia, Iron is the element which may produce constipation and if mother having difficulty for passing stool iron makes the condition worse.

The second cause is Hormones

We know that hormonal fluctuation is common during pregnancy, this may be one of the reasons results in restriction of food in the bowels.

Progestrion which also known as pregnancy hormone is responsible for this condition, it causes relaxation of smooth muscles which leads to less peristaltic movement and it further causes constipation in pregnancy.

The third cause is Nutriment

There are certain food makes this condition worse and if mother having no constipation this type of food mat cause it.

High-fat-containing food, low-fiber-containing food, ice cream, etc, this type of food should be avoided by the mother. Also, cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli should be avoided to prevent the condition of constipation.

Mother should have eaten high-fiber food and food which are easy to digest, also she should have increase water intake if she suffers from difficulty in the stool.

Green leafy vegetables are preferred and red meat should be avoided during this time.

The fourth cause is the stress factor

Stress could be the most underrated factor which people avoid so many time, it causes damage to your mental health as well as physical health also. It not only affects your health but is also harmful to your baby.

It mainly causes affect to your bowel movements and reduces them and triggers constipation gradually over time in pregnancy.

The fifth cause is Indolence

Indolence or less physical activity can play a role in producing the condition of constipation during pregnancy.

It is found that mothers who done fewer physical activities in comparison to those who do some physical activities are more prone to develop this condition.

So you can do some little exercise and yoga-like stuff to engage your body and can prevent constipation.

Constipation in early pregnancy

In early pregnancy more iron supplements and prenatal vitamins can lead to constipation, this also causes some bloating of your belly throughout the whole period of pregnancy.

Also if there is a low progesterone level in the body, injection of progesterone is given in the initial stage of pregnancy this causes relaxation of smooth muscles of the digestive system and results in constipation.

Constipation in late pregnancy

We have to understand the basic difference between early-stage constipation and late-stage constipation. Mother can have a problem at both times but the reasons for every time are different.

In the late stage of pregnancy, there is more absorption of water and fluid from the body which results in constipation in late pregnancy.

Reason for severe constipation in late pregnancy

We know that water absorption is increased from the maternal body in the late stage, but at this time also the release of progesterone occurs from the placenta and ovaries.

This makes the condition worse and also there is an increase in uterine pressure on the rectum due to the growing fetus inside make the condition further bad for the mother.

So there are chances of severe pregnancy in some mothers during a late stage of pregnancy.

Symptoms of constipation in pregnancy

• Irregular bowel movements
• Hard stool
• Rectal stuffing or fullness
• Pain in the abdomen (it may be due to other cause also)
• Flatulence and gas in the stomach
• Anorexia

These are the most common symptoms seen throughout the whole period.

Can constipation during pregnancy hurt your baby?

There are no such things happen that constipation affects your baby’s health, but there are chances that the mother may develop a situation of piles and hemorrhoids due to more efforts for passing the stool.

These piles and hemorrhoids are usually first-degree in nature, but if the mother has a previous history of any digestive problem or piles then it can vary in degree.

Can we put pressure while passing stool in pregnancy?

If you need to put more pressure while passing stool then you don’t have to put more pressure frequently. Instead of this, you can go to symptomatic treatment for it like you can manage your diet and increase fluid intake in the body.

You can talk to your physician they help you by giving laxatives and improving your health via medication.

Treatment of constipation in pregnancy

There is no definitive treatment available as it occurs to almost every pregnant woman, you can prevent it by maintaining your daily routine.

Better regime

You should have to eat fiber-rich food which helps you to prevent this condition, also increase fluid intake and drink more amount of water as it more absorbs in late pregnancy.

Avoid junk food and spicy food, also avoid red meat and less cooked food during pregnancy as they are difficult to digest.

Do exercise routinely

You have to remain active during pregnancy as it is beneficial for you, but if you have some serious illness or other medical histories then you have to do rest during this time.

Physical activities can help to prevent constipation in pregnancy as it helps in the absorption of water from the bowels which leads to more water consumption thus it helps to prevent it.

Change in food consumption

If you eat in large amounts and less frequently then you can break this routine and eat less amount of food and eat more frequently.

A small number of foods are easy to eat and also keeps activate your digestive system, thus it prevents constipation.

Relaxation of pelvic floor

This can help you a lot if you suffer from severe constipation in pregnancy, relaxation of the pelvic floor leads to relaxation of rectal muscles. This makes it easy to pass stool during pregnancy and in normal life also.

You can relax by sitting in your toilet in a squatting position and exhale to relax your pelvic floor, also you should not strain more to pass the stool, as more straining can lead to prolapse or piles, or hemorrhoids.

Laxatives

If the above things do not work properly or you have a more severe type of constipation in pregnancy, you can talk to your physician. They prescribe safe laxatives for pregnancy remember you do not have to take laxatives by yourself, you should always have to discuss with your consulting doctor.

Outcome

Time to conclude this article, we hope that this article helps you to solve your doubts regarding constipation during pregnancy. If you have any kind of queries or doubts regarding this condition you can comment below in the comments section.

Also, you can read our other articles regarding pregnancy and things related to pregnancy. Stay tuned with us for more amazing content and other health-related stuff.