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22.10.2021
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5 min reading 
Many expectant mothers are familiar with gastrointestinal disorders such as bloating, constipation, and heartburn. These conditions can seriously ruin your mood and cause anxiety.
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There are two main reasons why digestive problems occur during pregnancy in healthy women: hormonal changes and the fact that the growing baby takes up more and more space in the abdomen, displacing the internal organs of the expectant mother from their usual position.
When a woman is carrying a baby, the level of progesterone in her body increases. This hormone reduces the tone of the intestinal muscles, as a result of which its peristalsis is disturbed and this leads to constipation. And starting from the second half of pregnancy, the growing uterus also begins to put pressure on the intestines, making it difficult for the stool to pass. In addition, sometimes drugs containing iron and calcium prescribed to the expectant mother can also provoke a delay in bowel movements.
What are you? First of all, pay attention to your lifestyle. Analyze everything! A balanced diet, sufficient drinking regimen, and moderate physical activity can sometimes work wonders.
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Your daily diet should include foods rich in fiber, which improves intestinal motility. Try replacing white flour products with whole grain cereals, vegetables, fruits, and herbs. During pregnancy, remove cocoa, strong black tea, mashed foods, semolina and rice porridge, and mucous membranes from your menu, as they can interfere with bowel movements.
Many expectant mothers make the mistake of reducing fluid intake to avoid swelling. Water is necessary for normal bowel movements and is important for the functioning of our entire body. And swelling often occurs precisely from a lack of fluid intake, thus the body stores water that is deficient in it. In the absence of contraindications, the daily fluid intake is 30 ml per 1 kg of weight. It is important that most of this volume is water, and not any drinks.
Starting the day with a glass of warm water on an empty stomach is a good prevention of digestive problems, as is the habit of drinking between meals, rather than drinking with food.
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As you know, stress, fear, and anxiety do not have the best effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. To eliminate this effect, introduce relaxation practices, prayer, or meditation into your daily ritual.
Prevention of constipation is moderate physical activity. Do special exercises for pregnant women, walk in the fresh air: this will improve blood circulation and bowel function.
It is important to monitor your posture and weight, and for this reason, you should regularly perform exercises for pregnant women. Special exercises for expectant mothers who often experience heartburn should be performed 2 hours after eating.
Increased gas formation most often appears when we eat food without chewing it thoroughly, when we are nervous, overtired. Food does not have time to digest, when we sit down at the table without feeling hungry, or when we eat right before going to bed, overeat.
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What are you? If you observe your condition, you can identify foods that cause bloating and eliminate them from your diet. Everything is very individual, and you should not limit yourself, for example, in fresh vegetables, if they do not affect the formation of gases in you. If raw vegetables still provoke gas formation, then replace them with steamed or boiled ones. Eat fruits separately from the rest of the food and do not mix different types of fruits. Also, increased gas formation can be one of the manifestations of intolerance to certain products, for example, milk.
If gas does form and is causing discomfort, try getting into a knee-elbow position and staying in that position for a while. This will help the gas escape and prevent pain.
Don't forget that "grandmother's recipes" and your neighbor's "tried and tested remedies" can be dangerous during pregnancy.
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The same progesterone is to blame: it slightly relaxes the sphincter that blocks the entrance to the esophagus. Because of this, digestive juice leaks from the stomach up the digestive tract. This causes a burning sensation and unpleasant sensations.
In addition, as the pregnancy progresses, the growing fetus puts more and more pressure on the stomach, which causes gastric juices to rise up the esophagus.
What are you? Switch to small meals: eat more often, but in smaller portions. After a large portion of dense food, the volume of the stomach increases sharply, increasing intrauterine pressure. If the portions are small, this does not happen. Small meals will also prevent heartburn attacks that occur on an empty stomach.
It is better to remove pickles and smoked meats, fried, fatty and sour foods, black bread, fresh white bread, coffee from your menu. The drinking regime is also important here, since drinking liquid with food can cause burning. But drinking alkaline water during the day between meals sometimes helps to get rid of unpleasant sensations. Let's not forget to let out gas beforehand.
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After eating, you should not lie down, especially on your back. In this position, the uterus suppresses a full stomach. It is better to rest in a sitting position, or in extreme cases, half-sitting, leaning on a pillow. Pay attention to your wardrobe. Clothing should be comfortable and not squeeze the stomach.
If you are experiencing gastrointestinal problems on a regular basis, don't delay a visit to your doctor. A specialist will advise you on the safest remedies for these unpleasant conditions and explain how to take them.
