HEDI - Constipation

Many pregnant people suffer from constipation or irregular bowel movements. Often hormonal changes are the cause. There are many home remedies that can help stimulate your digestion. You should also take care to drink enough and keep moving. Digestive problems can also have psychological causes. Perhaps your discomfort is a sign that you are suffering from anxiety, stress, and sadness and that is affecting your body.

Why your intestines may be sluggish

The body produces special hormones during pregnancy. Oestrogen and progesterone have a relaxing effect on your muscles, meaning your bowels may also become slower and more sluggish. Your growing uterus can also limit your bowel activity. The longer digestion processes take, the more water is extracted from the intestinal contents. Then your stool becomes hard and dry and going to the toilet can become a tedious and painful experience. In these cases, pushing too hard can cause hemorrhoids.

Stay active

Moving your body has a stimulating effect on your digestive tract. Walks in the fresh air, especially right after dinner, will do you good. Yoga and regular swimming also help your gut process food better.

Drinking helps

During pregnancy, you should take extra care to drink enough. Even just drinking a glass of lukewarm water in the morning will help your bowels stay active. Green tea or fennel tea are also recommended, as are elderberry juice and naturally cloudy apple juice. You could also have a glass of sauerkraut juice before your meal. It contains lactic acid, which promotes digestion. Other vegetables you can add to juices or smoothies include carrots, radishes, garlic and ginger. Chives, parsley and cress are also good ingredients for a liquid vegetable meal.

Fruit for constipation

Dried fruit, for example dried plums, figs or dates can help your digestion. You can let the fruit soak in water overnight and then mix them with a few spoonfuls of plain yogurt. Fresh fruit also helps with constipation. The dietary fiber found in apples helps the intestines do their job. But cherries, raspberries, plums, pears, peaches or grapes are also good helpers. If you want, you can even replace an entire meal with a refreshing fruit salad.

Grains get the bowels going

A porridge of milled grains, such as rye, spelt or oats, is good for digestion. You should prepare it before you go to bed. Pour the cereal in a bowl and add a little finely chopped dried fruit. Now pour water on it so that the ingredients are completely covered. The porridge will soak overnight and in the morning you can eat it plain or with natural yoghurt. Wheat bran, flaxseed, chia seeds or psyllium seeds also support digestion. They swell up in your body and stimulate intestinal activity. You should always drink a glass of water with these kinds of seeds, however. If there is a lack of liquid, the swelling of the seeds in the intestine can cause more constipation.

Laxatives

There are a number of over-the-counter laxatives available at health food stores, drug stores, and pharmacies. Many women have good experiences with lactose or magnesium. However, herbal laxatives can cause flatulence. Be sure to talk to your doctor or midwife about which of these remedies may be right for you.