How To Speed Up Digestion During Pregnancy

It's no cloak-and-dagger that pregnancy can be hard on a women's digestive tract. About probable, yous're already uncomfortable, so what's a girl to practice? Here are my tips for combating heartburn, nausea, and constipation…

When I was meaning I could barely get off the burrow my first trimester. It felt similar the but way to go along from throwing upwards was to lie down with my eyes closed and breathe through the nausea. In my third trimester every repast was a negotiation: did I desire to eat and suffer the consequences of heartburn, or skip the meal even though I was starving? Both unpleasant choices!

So what'southward going on? The high levels of progesterone that help go on the uterus relaxed likewise relax the polish muscles that line the digestive tract. This slows downwards motility, which is the motion of the intestines that moves food and waste forrad. Information technology also relaxes the sphincters that go on nutrient from rising in the esophagus and the sphincters that control the release of digestive juices.

Bile leaks into our modest intestine contributing to nausea. Nutrient and acrid moves support the esophagus causing burning and discomfort. Elevated estrogen levels can too subtract stomach acrid production. This can cause slower protein breakdown and further relax the lower esophageal sphincter, making reflux even worse.

This slowed motility is actually important in pregnancy because information technology allows women more time to absorb nutrients from their nutrient so they can feed themselves and grow a baby.

All the same, if you lot are decumbent to constipation, information technology will certainly make it worse. Equally if that wasn't bad enough, the slow passage of food allows for the leaner in the gut to spend more time fermenting nutrient fibers, which means your body creates more gas.

Here are some tips to help yous address mutual digestive complaints in pregnancy:

Heartburn

• Eat minor meals more than oft - having less nutrient in your tummy allows it to move through more apace. This is peculiarly important in the third trimester when your enlarged uterus is pushing against the stomach and taking up the room where food would go.

• Chew carefully and consume slowly - this way your stomach has less work to do to get the food ready to ship downwardly into the small intestine.

• Accept a digestive enzyme with meals - this helps the food move from the tummy into the pocket-size intestine with greater speed. I always carried some papaya enzymes in my pocketbook. They are chewable and sweetness so it was like a little treat with each meal.

• Drink a little water with some lemon juice or apple cider vinegar before meals - this tin can increase the production of stomach acid and digestive enzymes, which helps increment tone in the lower esophageal sphincter thereby helping motility the food.

• Take DGL - deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) is a root excerpt that is anti-inflammatory. This special version of licorice has the compound glycyrrhizin removed. This is important because glycyrrhizin can raise blood pressure, which is not good for a significant woman. DGL however is very safe and will help calm and soothe inflammation in an irritated esophagus.

• Elevate the caput of your bed six inches - put a couple of bricks or books nether the legs at the superlative of the bed. This is especially helpful if your heartburn picks up at night. Raising the head of the bed will help to keep your food at the lesser of your stomach while you slowly digest. A slight tilt to the bed can make a big difference to you and your partner won't even notice.

• If you lot're experiencing a burning awareness, have some calcium chews or drinkable liquid calcium. Calcium tin neutralize the breadbasket acid and provide instant relief. Don't over do information technology with this one, though. Excessive calcium intake tin can crusade milk alkali syndrome and lead to kidney harm.

Nausea

• Swallow some protein every 2 hours – even if yous don't desire to! I used to stare at 12 almonds on the table and convince myself I would experience better if I ate them. Nausea gets worse when your blood sugar drops, which is why you may feel worse in the morning. You oasis't eaten all dark and your blood carbohydrate is low! Regular protein consumption is a must.

• Eat in the middle of the night – practice this if the nausea hits you hard in the morning. Endeavour keeping some almonds by the bed and having a small midnight snack when you inevitably get upwardly to pee. ;-)

• Check your prenatal vitamins – not all prenatal vitamins are created equal. Some brands contain loftier levels of B-vitamins, which tin brand you nauseous and exacerbate the issue. Cull a nutrient-based prenatal vitamin since they tend to be easier on tender tummies. Also avoid one-a-solar day formulas; look for a prenatal vitamin where y'all tin can take one dose in the morn and 1 in the evening then yous're not getting all the nutrients at once. You'll absorb more from the vitamins this style, too!

• Have ginger – there have been plenty of studies showing ginger'south efficacy for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. It works in any class (tea, capsules, processed, tincture, fresh root) and then be sure to take the form that seems the about appetizing for you. Tin can't swallow capsules? Try sipping the tea. Can't stand the smell of the tea? Endeavor the suckers.

• Take Vitamin B6 – as well known as pyridoxine, B6 similarly has a number of studies that support its effectiveness for relieving nausea and airsickness in pregnancy. This nutrient helps your liver breakdown all of those pregnancy hormones that are contributing to your nausea. You can take between 10mg and 100mg upward to 3x per solar day, only check with your OB/GYN on the right dose for you.

• Eat salty or acidic foods – enter classic pregnancy pickle cravings! One cause for nausea is that the progesterone discussed earlier allows bile to pool in your intestines. Salty and acidic foods similar pickles, or my personal favorite nausea buster grapefruit, can help break-up the bile. If that doesn't sit right effort bland foods like toast and oatmeal to soak up the bile instead. Simply lookout man your sugar intake, especially if you're at run a risk for gestational diabetes.

Constipation

• Drink more h2o – your body needs a lot of fluid during pregnancy. Blood volume is increasing and y'all're producing amniotic fluid. If you don't provide enough liquids, your body will suck up every last drop and your stools can get hard and difficult to pass.

• Swallow lots of cobweb – strive to swallow a minimum of 28g per mean solar day. The best style to practise this is to comprise vi-7 cups of veggies into your daily diet. Yet if just the thought of kale makes your stomach turn, try adding basis flax seed to a smoothie, yogurt, or applesauce. If y'all're still not getting plenty, consider a cobweb supplement.

• Motion your body – the benefits of do in pregnancy are endless! I know it's hard to do anything if you're not feeling well or if your abdomen is huge and your feet are bloated. Withal, physical activity helps encourage the movement of the digestive tract and keep things moving. Non to mention all those lovely endorphins will boost your mood, energy levels, and overall sense of well being.

• Try beets – add 1 tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tbsp of olive oil to a serving of beets. This magic formula will stimulate your liver and help get your digestive tract on the move.

• Consider changing iron supplements – many women finish upwards taking iron supplements during their pregnancy to help make all of the actress red blood cells their pregnant body needs. Unfortunately, iron supplements tin brand constipation worse. Utilise an herbal iron supplement or try a supplement that contains iron bisglycinate; they tend to exist the easiest on a pregnant tummy. I also accept seen women significantly improve their atomic number 26 counts with a tablespoon of black strap molasses each solar day.

• Take magnesium – magnesium is an osmotic laxative. This ways if you take a lot of information technology in your digestive tract, it volition help concord h2o in your colon. This will keep stools softer and help move them through. I recommend starting with 200mg and increasing the dose by 100mg every 24-hour interval until you accept comfortable bowel movements. If you lot get loose stools, you're taking too much and you need to lower the dose. It'due south a practiced idea to take it at dark because magnesium will also help calm your nervous system and then you lot tin can sleep.

Alright, Mamas! Let me know which tips you try and which ones helped the nearly! It's of import to keep your digestive tract operation optimally during pregnancy then you lot tin can get nutrients y'all demand, likewise as back up the nutritional needs of your baby.

Notation: if your symptoms exercise not amend be sure to permit your OB/GYN or midwife know y'all are struggling. You besides tin work with an culling care provider such equally a naturopathic dr. who has experience helping meaning patients.

Work With Dr. Hillary Roland, ND

Demand help overcoming your pregnancy discomforts? Schedule an function visit in Evergreen or Bedrock to discuss what'due south going on. Together nosotros'll create a plan to help both y'all and infant thrive! Curious how naturopathic medicine can benefit you? Schedule a gratuitous 15 minute phone consult with me and let'south talk.

Source: https://www.drhillaryroland.com/post/pregnancy-digestion-discomfort

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