Why does constipation afflict pregnant women?
Changes in your hormones due to pregnancy can slow your digestion. Sometimes iron in your prenatal vitamins makes it worse. Pressure on your rectum from the increased growth of the uterus and baby may make this a more common event in late pregnancy. What can you do? • Drink lots of liquids. Drinking eight or more glasses of liquid each day will help keep your digestive tract moving. Fruit juices, particularly prune juice, can also help relieve constipation. Consider carrying a water bottle everywhere you go. You need to drink large amounts of water, about 2 quarts or 8 eight-ounce glasses each day. • Exercise. Walking, cycling, rowing, aerobics or any other exercise that’s part of your regular routine can help keep your digestive tract working better. • Make sure you are eating a lot of fiber. This means consuming raw fruits, vegetables, beans, whole-grain bread and bran cereal. You can add oat bran to cereal, yogurt or a fruit smoothie. • Check with your doctor or midwife about taking
