Tips to deal with constipation during pregnancy naturally

A lot of women suffer from constipation during pregnancy. This is a common problem and it occurs due to the hormonal changes during pregnancy. This may be felt during any month of pregnancy or sometimes even during whole pregnancy period.

Causes

Constipation occurs because your body tends to retain water. With the growth of the baby inside the uterus, indigestion occurs that further leads to constipation. Mostly in the first trimester, you have a low appetite because of which gas is formed inside your body. This is also one of the major causes of constipation. Some of the medicines prescribed by your doctor during pregnancy also result in constipation as their side effect. Usually, Iron and calcium tablets intensify this problem.

Home Remedies for Constipation during Pregnancy

Some common home remedies that prove to be helpful in curing constipation are discussed hereunder:

•    Drink plenty of water, juices and fluids. Dehydration is one of the main causes of constipation. This is because the body lacks water that helps in softening the stool to be able to pass through easily. Drink a glass of warm water in the early morning when you wake up. Make sure that you are empty stomach. It is an effective remedy for constipation as it helps in getting rid of all toxins your body.
•    Eat lot of fruits especially those which are rich in fiber and are juicy in nature. Examples are oranges, grapes, plums, bananas, etc. Such fruits help in movement of the body waste through the intestines and the bowels and finally flush out of the body in the form of stool.
•    Always mix some ginger pieces while preparing food each time you cook a meal. Ginger helps to run digestive system effectively, thus helping to get rid of indigestion, acidity and constipation. Intake of ginger tea or ginger ale provides equal relief from constipation.
•    Intake of dates on a regular basis is also essential to cure constipation. Dates also help regulating blood level and provide strength and iron to the body.
•    Drink plenty of soups and juices of vegetables and fruits so as to provide energy, nutrients and sufficient water to the body. Don’t make soups too chilled. This will add more water to the body and will quickly cure you from constipation.
•    Along with the proper intake of fresh fruits, intake of roughage, legumes and unrefined grains (such as high-bran cereals, bran muffins and oat meal) in your daily diet will be effective to cure constipation.
•    Holding stool inside for too long causes makes harder and thus more difficult to flush out of the body. Avoid this.
•    Do some light exercise like walking every day. Even a little bit of exercise increases blood flow and reduces stress. As stress is also a cause of constipation and exercise helps you to control it.
•    Chew your food thoroughly in order to help it getting digested easily. This will prevent constipation.
•    Avoid the intake of any refined or processed white flour products, potatoes, and white rice. They intensify constipation instead of curing it.
•    Avoid sugar and cheese as much as possible.
•    Prune juice is a good for pregnant women as it is mild.
•    Eat chapatti made of wheat and roasted black gram powder in 2:1 proportion. It is also a good constipation remedy.
•    Dip two teaspoonfuls of Spiegel seeds in water for around 5-6 hours. Add equal amount of sugar in it and take it with water before sleeping at night. It is a very simple and effective home remedy for constipation.
•    Eating small meals at frequent intervals rather than having just two big meals keeps the digestive system working continuously, eventually controlling constipation.
•    Eating a guava daily with empty stomach in the morning helps to control constipation.
•    Drinking orange juice in the morning with empty stomach regularly for 8-10 days is an effective remedy for constipation.

If you are cautious in eating and drink sufficient amount of water (at least 8-10 glasses per day), you would be able to avoid constipation.

Note: Avoid resorting to any of the above remedies in case you are allergic to them. Consult your doctor in such a case.