Constipation in early pregnancy

Constipation in early pregnancy is so common that some women consider it to be an obligatory component of the period of carrying the child. Approximately fifty percent of pregnant women suffer from stool retention. Despite the prevalence of this phenomenon, it is wrong to consider constipation as the norm.

Each person has his own bowel movement. Someone visits the restroom several times a day, and someone else every other day. For pregnant women the norm is one emptying per day. The reasons for constipation can be very different and a woman should know about them. How dangerous is this problem, how to deal with it without using synthetic drugs? Let's talk about this and many other things in this article.

Causes of

Before taking laxatives, you need to understand why this problem has arisen. Moreover, many drugs are contraindicated in 1 trimester - the period when the laying of vital organs and systems. In many cases, you can do without drugs. To correct the situation will help to change the way of life, in particular, the diet.

Constipation during pregnancy in the early stages can be a consequence of such factors:

• hormonal alteration. Progesterone, the hormone responsible for maintaining a pregnancy, causes relaxation of the intestine and a weakening of its functional activity. This leads to the fact that the food lump slowly moves along the digestive tract;
• is a sedentary lifestyle;
• reception of medicines with iron and calcium, as well as diuretic, sedative and antispasmodics;
• exacerbation of hemorrhoids or anal fissures;
• dilated blood vessels;
• congenital abnormalities of the intestine;
• fearful attitude to psychological strain;
• improper nutrition( abuse of sweets), low fluid intake;
• of anxiety and anxiety.

Hormone progesterone slows the motor activity of the intestine

Symptoms of

What are constipation? Specialists distinguish two basic forms of this problem - atonic and spastic. First, let's talk about the first type of stool delay. It is associated with a decreased tonus of the musculature of the intestine. Most often, intestinal atony develops on the background of hormonal changes and errors in nutrition. There is a violation in the form of such symptoms:

• aching and drawing pains in the lower abdomen;
• feeling of fullness of the intestine;
• bloat;
• flatulence;
• sluggish state, depression, apathy;
• nausea;
• dense fecal masses, in which it is possible to detect impurities of mucus and blood veins.

With spastic constipation, the tone is not reduced, but because of the constriction of the intestine, the peristalsis is weakened. Most often, this type of violation is associated with psychological causes. There is a spastic constipation in the form of such symptoms:

• attacks of pain on the left side of the abdomen with irradiation into the inguinal zone;
• appetite impairment;
• enhanced gassing;
• nausea;
• fatigue, nervousness;
• incomplete bowel movement;
• defecation in the form of fragmented dense lumps.

What constitutes constipation?

Do not underestimate the risks associated with intestinal problems in pregnant women. Intestinal health is directly related to the development of the fetus. Let us highlight the main dangers associated with stool retention during fetal gestation:

• constipation is a common cause of dysbacteriosis. Infringement of a microflora is fraught with that pathogens will start to get into the reproductive system, causing inflammatory reactions;
• food lump is a nutrient medium for actively developing microorganisms. Stagnant phenomena can cause inflammation of the sigmoid colon and appendix;
• solid feces is fraught with the development of proctitis and cracks in the anal passage;
• chronic constipation can cause colpitis, and this threatens the occurrence of blood infection after childbirth and endometritis;
• if against a background of stool delay, the mother still developed a dysbacteriosis, while passing through the birth canal, the baby will get a pathogenic microflora from the first days of life, because of what he will be disturbed by colic;
• slowing the motor activity of the intestine leads to the development of putrefactive processes. As a result, toxic substances begin to be absorbed into the circulatory system, poisoning the entire body. Intoxication affects both the woman's body and the development of the fetus;
• discomfort and abdominal pain affect the emotional state of a woman. Experiences in this regard exacerbate the general condition and affect the development of the baby;
• poor emptying of the intestines causes bloating, increased gas production. In the early stages, this can lead to miscarriage, and in later terms - to premature birth. More on the causes and treatment of constipation at a later date read here;
• appearance of hemorrhoids;
• in the early stages can not take many synthetic drugs and even folk medicine. So, if a woman uses senna in the treatment of constipation, this can lead to malformations in the baby.

Diarrhea can cause dysbiosis

What should I do?

The issue of treating constipation during pregnancy requires a competent approach. On the one hand, the disease can not be ignored, on the other - many drugs during this period are prohibited. Even folk medicine should be used with great care!

Let's talk about the effective methods used for stool retardation, and find out whether they can be used by pregnant women:

• enemas. This is a common remedy for constipation, which can not be used during the period of gestation. Explosive defecation can cause contraction of the uterus and miscarriage;
• castor oil and petroleum jelly. Unlike enemas, these laxatives have a mild effect, but because of their high fat content they are not recommended for pregnant women;
• crust bark, rhubarb, senna cause intestinal cramps. Active peristalsis and pain can lead to abortion.

Drug therapy

For complete elimination of problems with bowel movement, complex measures are needed, including dietary nutrition, increased motor activity, control of dysbacteriosis, as well as therapy of concomitant pathologies. But in the case of pregnant women, there are some nuances.

For example, with a weak cervix, motor activity can be harmful. Also, the withdrawal of drugs with iron can cause anemia. That is why, treatment of constipation in the early stages of pregnancy is more symptomatic with a mild elimination of symptoms.

Let's talk about the safe means that can be used for pregnant women:

• preparations based on lactulose, for example, Dufalac. Syrup is allowed as a long-term use. Dufalac's composition includes a prebiotic, a substance that stimulates the growth of beneficial bacteria. The product softens the fecal masses, increases them in volume and promotes a mild laxative effect. Dufalac promotes normalization of intestinal microflora. Syrup is approved for use in pregnant women with chronic constipation;
• glycerin suppositories. The drug is approved for use even in the treatment of infants. The product gently irritates the rectum and softens the act of defecation. The active ingredient is not absorbed into the circulatory system and does not affect the tone of the uterus;
• Microlax is a drug that is used in the form of microclysters. About ten minutes later, there is a urge to defecate.

Dietary food

Proper nutrition is the basis for treating constipation. All efforts can be in vain if you do not follow the advice of specialists regarding the diet. Consider the list of products that will help improve bowel motility:

• bread with bran;
• sour-milk products;
• carrots, beets, squash, cucumber, pumpkin;
• porridge: buckwheat, oatmeal, millet;
• dried fruits;
• apples, apricots;
• light soups;
• fruit juices.

The following products are capable of causing difficulty in digestion:

• mango, peeled rice;
• smoked meat;
• baking;
• sweets;
• were jammed;
• strong tea and coffee.

Sour-milk products will help to quickly cope with constipation during pregnancy

Folk recipes

With great care during pregnancy apply prescription phytotherapy. To begin with, we will outline the list of forbidden medicinal plants:

• aloe;
• leaves of Senna and rhubarb;
• wormwood;
• yarrow;
• nettles;
• buckthorn bark;
• flax seeds;
• castor oil;
• the fruit of the zoster.

All the aforementioned herbs stimulate the motor activity of the intestine and affect the smooth musculature of the uterus. This process can lead to premature contraction of the genital organ. Now let's talk about the allowed plants, which have an antispasmodic, analgesic and laxative effect:

• ginger;
• motherwort;
• plantain;
• leaves of currant and blueberry;
• rosehip berries;
• mint;
• linden color;
• dill.

In the first trimester of pregnancy, even the reception of decoctions of medicinal herbs should be agreed with the doctor. As already mentioned above, constipation is atonic and spastic. The treatment of each form may be slightly different. To begin with, consider useful recipes of folk medicine for intestinal atony:

• mix fruits of anise, caraway and fennel. A tablespoon of dry raw material pour a glass of boiling water and let it brew for one hour. The drug should be filtered, after which it is used for 100 ml for half an hour before meals;
• for this recipe will need berries of mountain ash, fennel fruits, blackberry leaves and nettle grass. Dry ingredients are filled with boiling water. After one and a half hours the product is filtered out. Take three times a day three times a day;
• after awakening drink freshly squeezed carrot juice;
• a tablespoon of wheat bran pour two cups of hot milk. The remedy should stand for forty minutes. The filtered infusion is drunk in the morning.

Spastic constipation can be eliminated with potato juice, diluted in equal proportions with water. You need to drink it three times a day before eating a quarter of a glass. You can also prepare a simple tool based on figs.

Soap should be poured with hot milk and insist until the liquid cools. Take should be a tablespoon three times a day. Also the Narodniks advise to dissolve a small amount of honey in a glass of warm milk. Use liquid before going to bed on a third of the glass.

To cope with intestinal atony will help carrot juice

The process of defecation can be improved by drinking an empty glass of cool water after awakening on an empty stomach and twenty minutes before breakfast. You can add a few drops of lemon juice and a little honey. It is also possible to add dried apples to hot tea, this will also contribute to a laxative effect. Prunes also improve the defecation process. It can be used in combination with other products, as well as separately in a raw, soaked or boiled form.

Another effective way to normalize the bowels is beet broth. To make it, you need to take a hundred grams of beets, prunes and oatmeal. Beets should be peeled and grated on a fine grater. Prunes must be washed under running water.

All ingredients are placed in a container and filled with two liters of water. The liquid is cooked for an hour. The filtered product is stored in the refrigerator. To drink beet broth should be before a dream on one glass. Populists also recommend preparing a honey mix. It will take prunes, dried apricots and raisins.

All dried fruits should be rinsed, dried and put through a meat grinder. Add the bees nectar and mix. Take this drug should be two teaspoons at bedtime, allowed to drink water. Simultaneously, the honey mix normalizes the work of the intestine and saturates the body of the pregnant woman with vitamins. If you are addicted to allergies, you can not use this recipe.

Another pregnant woman can sleep before drinking a glass of fresh low-fat kefir with a tablespoon of olive oil. It is extremely important that the sour-milk product is fresh, since, otherwise it will have a binding effect. It will also be useful to prepare natural candies from figs and prunes with the addition of a pinch of coriander. Dried fruits should be chopped and glued from them balls.

Prevention

Constipation is easier to prevent than cure. Specialists have developed recommendations that in this case will help:

• frequent meals in small portions;
• the use of food containing fiber: bread with bran, raw vegetables, oatmeal, muesli;
• diet should be balanced by the number of vitamins and trace elements;
• in the menu should include sour-milk products, dried fruits, unsweetened fruits, vegetable oils;
• it is important to exclude from the diet products that have gas-forming and binding properties: white bread, fresh pastries, strong coffee and tea, legumes, cabbage, fatty and fried;
• advantage should be given to dishes of liquid and semi-liquid consistency;
• sufficient intake of natural water;
• walks in the fresh air, moderate physical activity.

So, constipation in the early stages of pregnancy is a common phenomenon with which one can and must fight. The healing process largely depends on the cause that caused its appearance. In some cases it is enough simply to change the diet. With great care, you need to treat the use of medicines and folk recipes.

In the first trimester of pregnancy, many of them are prohibited. It is better to consult a doctor about the safety of this or that remedy. Treatment of constipation is a complex measure that involves changing the way of life. Proper nutrition, adequate fluid intake, moderate physical activity - all this will help prevent the development of chronic constipation.