Does Pregnancy Cause Constipation?

Many people suffer from constipation, and it is not an uncommon complaint at all among women. There are many causes of constipation and pregnancy can in fact increase the chances of it occurring. Some of the changes that take place in the body during pregnancy can lead to constipation, and only a few can be actively avoided. Let’s take a look at some of these changes and why they lead to constipation:

Dehydration
Morning sickness is extremely common and some women suffer from it more than others. What many women will have in common though is a distinct lack of fluids due to nausea and vomiting. It is vitally important to drink more than usual when suffering with morning sickness. For some women this may just be early on in their pregnancy and yet for others it can last a lot longer. If you don’t drink enough you may find that you become dehydrated which can lead to constipation or hard stools.

Hormones
When you become pregnant, the amount of hormones in your body increases (this is actually the basis of the pregnancy test). The levels of progesterone and oestrogen in your body will rise dramatically in order to support the new child growing inside you, and this will have a profound impact on you. Progesterone, for example, leads to a relaxation of many muscles to allow for the expansion of the uterus as the baby grows. Progesterone will affect more than just the uterus though, the intestines can also relax and this can result in food moving much more slowly. When this happens, more of the moisture from food will be absorbed by your body, resulting in drier, harder stools that are more difficult to get out. This can cause some discomfort and maybe some pain as the hard stools can take much more effort to expel and can scrape the anal canal.

Pressure
As the uterus expands during pregnancy, it can exert pressure on the rectum and anal canal, constricting the passage of stools. As the rectum can no longer fill up properly, this can also lead to constipation.

How to Avoid Constipation during Pregnancy
There are many things you can do to try and cut down on the likelihood of becoming constipated during pregnancy. You can increase your intake of fluids to avoid dehydration as mentioned above. You can also try to get more fibre into your diet which helps the stools stay large enough and moist enough to be passed easily. This fibre can come from fruit and vegetables, or from a high-fibre breakfast cereal. Fruit is also a great way to increase your intake of folic acid and other nutrients for a healthier baby, so you can’t go wrong with fruit during pregnancy!

Another great way to avoid constipation is to try and get more exercise throughout your pregnancy. Although many women feel exhausted during much of their pregnancy, but even a small amount of daily exercise can help to stimulate the intestines and decrease the chance of constipation.