A lot of women believe constipation is an inevitable part of being pregnant. While this doesn’t have to be the case, there are a couple of physical reasons that slow us down. For one, pregnancy hormones cause your intestinal wall to relax, creating a more sluggish digestive process. Secondly, your baby may be taking up more room than you think, potentially pressing on your intestinal wall and putting a kink in your system.
What can you do? The first thing to look at is your nutrition. Make sure you are eating lots of high fiber foods (leafy greens, whole fruits, brown rice, oats, legumes and beans) and limit low fiber foods (meat, cheese, butter and sugar). Drinking lots of water is a key since it helps to digest fiber. Last but not least, get some movement each day to keep your endorphins and digestion flowing.