Okay, so I'm on my 38th 1/2 week of pregnancy. I'm due to pop any day this week, doctor says. I'm in joyful anticipation and grinning and bearing the discomforts that come with childbearing. I was having a chat with another pregnant friend of mine and we got to talking about the difficulties of bowel movement. Seems like she is learning new consonant combinations as she grunts and heaves just to clear her system. As if it's not hard enough to have this huge belly that makes sitting on the toilet uncomfortable and difficult, but just moving her bowels so she can feel better seems impossible. She asks, "why am I so darn constipated???" Boy can I relate.
Good question.
Let's begin by understanding what constipation is. It is when the colon absorbs too much water or if the colon's muscle contractions are slow and sluggish; this causes the stool to move through the colon much more slowly. There are several causes for it including a fibre-poor diet, lack of physical activity, dehydration, ignoring the urge to move your bowels (I have no idea why anyone would do that when a successful bowel movement or "deposit" feels so liberating) and changes in lifestyle like aging, travel, and pregnancy.
Constipation is a common problem during pregnancy because of the hormone progesterone. If you think it sounds familiar it's because it's what is known as the "pregnancy hormone" (did you know that cows are milked during pregnancy and that is why their milk is high in progesterone? It's different coming from cows and has been seen to be dangerous for humans; this is why I have stopped drinking cow's milk altogether. That, however, deserves another blog entry on its own). But progesterone occurring in humans is a different story; there's something really cool about this hormone because while it prepares the endometrium for the uterus implantation, at the same time it also makes the vaginal tissues and cervical mucus thick and impenetrable to sperm! If pregnancy does not happen, progesterone levels will drop and thus leads to menstruation. Ah yes, that time of the month when men steer clear of a woman scorned by her period.
Anyway, an increase in your progesterone levels due to pregnancy is what causes your smooth colon muscles to relax and chill out way too much for your own bowel movement's good. If you're on Iron supplements (which is usually the case for pregnant women), then bowel movement is going to be a challenge especially as the your uterus grows and adds pressure to your rectum.
How do I prevent constipation?
I don't know if we can ever really altogether avoid it, but we can do something about it.
- It helps to drink lots of water and have a good amount of fibre in our diet. Whole-grain cereals, brown rice, beans and fresh fruit everyday in your diet are going to be such a big help to you.
- Drink lots of water and have a glass of fruit juice (prune juice is a natural laxative)
- Exercise regularly and stay active. Do lots of walking or try and go for a swim or a ride on the stationary bike--anything to keep your body physically active.
- Never EVER put off going to the toilet. After a meal is when your bowel is more likely to be active so try and train your body to go to the bathroom after a meal.
If you want to read on further, you may check out what Wikipedia has to say about progesterone (but let me warn you, if you don't have an inner geek, you'll doze off reading this) or you can go to Baby Center for a mummy-friendly explanation of constipation during pregnancy.
*For those who are curious, here's a quick read on why I no longer drink cow's milk.
I hope this helps you a little bit. Happy bowel moving! Hahaha!
