Bloating
Bloating is something many women experience regardless if they’re pregnant. And unfortunately for pregnant women, the bloated feeling only seems to intensify and worsen as the months press on. Feeling bloated leaves you with an uncomfortable, almost nauseous state felt in your abdominal area. You may feel like you’ve eaten too much or have excess gas building.
During pregnancy your levels of progesterone increase. Progesterone is a hormone that relaxes smooth muscle tissue throughout your body, including your gastrointestinal tract. This relaxation slows down your digestive processes, which can lead to bloating and other gas-related issues, creating miserable sensations in your gut, especially after a big meal. As your pregnancy continues, and your uterus grows, it begins to fight over space with your intestines and stomach, which also makes you feel bloated.
Because your digestive system is fragile, especially early on in pregnancy, you will have the bloated feeling. Luckily there are some things you can do to help relieve or prevent the bloated feeling before it starts. These things include:
Eating foods high in fiber – Whole wheat toast, carrots, apples, oatmeal, whole grain bagels and pears are all good sources of fiber and perfect for snacking. The fiber absorbs the water in your digestive system and helps move the food through your intestines. Other foods you may want as a side dish during meals are rice, leafy greens and yams.
Exercising daily - Doing simple exercises, like taking walks or doing pelvic rocks can help you release the gas that is building up inside of you. Walks are natural stimulants for your digestive system, especially after eating.
Drink more water - Believe it or not, water is actually good for you when you feel bloated. Many women think the opposite, that it increases water retention and bloating, however, it helps flush out your system and prevents bloating and swelling.
Say NO to refined sugars - Many women experience a sweet tooth while pregnant. And, even though refined sugars didn’t bother you one bit while you weren’t pregnant, for some reason, they do affect many pregnant women usually hours after she’s eaten her favorite candy. Fresh fruits such as bananas, peaches and apricots are great when trying to satisfy a craving instead of drinking soda or eating candy.
Smaller portions – Eating smaller portions can be hard to do when you’re pregnant, however it does help reduce feelings of being bloated throughout the day. The goal is not to overload your digestive system, and you can do this by reducing portions, while eating more times per day.
Eat slower – Just like Mom always said “chew your food before swallowing!” Well, she was right, especially when you’re pregnant. In fact, don’t be surprised if you hear her say it again! No, seriously, you want to eat slower to give the bite you had before a chance to settle and make its way into the digestive tract. Again, you don’t want to overload your digestive system. Plus, when you eat quickly you increase the chances of swallowing air, which turns to gas inside of you.
Avoid gassy foods - There are certain foods out there that are known to trigger gas. And even though we crave these foods, it’s best to stay away as much as possible to avoid getting bloated. These foods include onions, beans and cabbage. You may have your own foods that are infamous for giving you gas, so avoid those too.
Avoid stressful situations - Tension is known to cause us to swallow too much air. Try relaxing throughout your day and night, and avoid subjects that get you upset.
Avoid fried foods - Fried and fatty foods aren’t known to give you gas, but they are known to slow down your digestive process, which gives you gas. Adding to the already slowed digestive system can increase your bloating.
