Constipation During Pregnancy: Get Rid of the Pain

Whenever we (the new-mom-and-baby.com team) write articles about constipation during pregnancy, they always get a huge amount of readership. So we've decided to make constipation control the focus of our first post.

Pregnancy induced constipation can cause severe pain, bloating, and a lot discomfort. In addition, about half of all pregnant women experience this painful condition at one point or another. Here are some important, easy to follow suggestions for the relief of pregnancy constipation:


First, why do women get constipation during pregnancy at all?

The pregnancy hormone known as progesterone has a soothing effect on the intestines, which slows bowel movement. This is one of the main reasons for pregnancy constipation. A woman's developing fetus needs as many vitamins, nutrients, and minerals as it can possibly squeeze out of food. Hence, the increased hormone levels of a pregnant woman cause food to move slower through the intestinal track. This causes constipation, but also gives a woman's body more time to absorb the extra nutrients that it needs.

Women need lots of extra water for the additional blood volume required for pregnancy. Because of this, the mother's body will absorb more water from the bowel than it usually would, which results in a firmer, dryer bowel movement- again resulting in constipation. To add to the problem, all prenatal vitamins contain iron which is known to cause constipation in pregnancy.

So here is what to do for constipation relief:

* Consume at least 8-10 glasses of oxygen rich purified water each day.

* Take steps to increase fiber in your diet such as cooked brown rice and healthy whole grains

* Eat more juicy fruit and vegetables, particularly prunes and grapes (which can easily be consumed in the form of juice).

* Try your best to minimize stress in your life. Although caring a baby and planning for delivery isn't easy, stress can cause painful constipation.

* Add a bit more exercise to your daily routine. If you do not usually exercise, just start with 10-15 minute walk every day. If you do habitually exercise, change your workout routine slightly to see if you can stimulate bowel movement and regularity.

* Brewed peppermint tea or peppermint water will ease gas and bloating discomfort.


Constipation during pregnancy isn't something that pregnant women  have to go through. It is an unnecessary irritation that women don't have to tolerate. You don't accept constipation when you're not pregnant, and you certainly don't have to live with it for the nine months that you are pregnant.