PREGNANT AND CONSTIPATED - WHAT TO EAT ?

PREGNANT AND CONSTIPATED WHAT CAN I TAKE ?

There are many causes of pregnancy constipation. The digestive tract of a pregnant woman slows down so that she can extract all the nutrition from her food, explain Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel in their book "What To Expect When You're Expecting." 

Furthermore, prenatal vitamins often contain high doses of iron, which also slow digestion and lead to constipation. Finally, morning sickness may cause women to avoid vegetables, which have high fiber content. There are several foods to help alleviate constipation.

Fruits and Vegetables

One of the best ways to improve symptoms of constipation, explains Dr. Raymond Poliakin in his book "What You Didn't Think To Ask Your Obstetrician," is to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Produce contains lots of fiber and lots of water, both of which speed digestion and help move foods through the digestive tract more efficiently. Women who eat plenty of produce also benefit from the high vitamin and mineral content of fruits and vegetables, and expose their babies to the flavors of these food in utero.

Whole Grains

For many women, it's hard to get enough fruit and vegetables into the diet to prevent constipation, simply because these foods generally need to be brought to work from home, and often aren't available at popular lunch restaurants or in vending machines. It's possible to get fiber in other ways, however, and whole grains represent one way of increasing daily fiber. Compared to refined flours and grains, including white rice and white flour or baked goods, whole grains have the bran, or fiber-containing portion of the grain -- intact, and help regulate digestion.

Water-Based Foods

Aside from fiber, water also helps relieve constipation. One of the reasons that many women end up constipated during pregnancy is that their guts move so slowly, they pull all the water out of digested food material as it progresses through the intestine. This causes stickiness, and slows the rate of progress. Plenty of water helps speed digestion, and it's possible to get water in food as well as to drink it straight, explain Drs. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz in their book "You: Having A Baby." Broth-based soups and fruit juices contain water, and help relieve symptoms of constipation.

via Kirstin Hendrickson / LiveStrong