… Continued …
| Pregnancy constipation diet | |
|---|---|
| What to eat | What to avoid |
| Fresh fruits and vegetables. They are rich in fiber, essential substance to prevent and relieve constipation. | Green, unripened bananas (bananas are good source for fiber, but make sure to only eat ripe bananas)! |
| Drink adequate water every day! | Alcohol and caffeine! They can lead to dehydration. |
| Whole grain, sweet potatoes, and straight-up corn (real corn) are good carbs. They are not only helpful to keep you full longer and energetic, but also loaded with fiber. | White potatoes, refined carbohydrates, and packaged corn (processed corn). They are simple carbs, very low in fiber and water, and also high in fat. |
| Prioritize using healthy cooking methods such as with steaming. | Fried foods, especially deep-fried foods! Fried, greasy foods can carry a tendency of making the intestinal muscles work slower than usual. |
| Healthy snacks, such as with dried fruits (almonds, prunes, and nuts). | Unhealthy snacks, like potato chips. They can almost always replace your healthy side dish that is higher in fiber. |
| If you want to eat steak, make it comes with plenty of fiber-rich foods such as with a large salad. | Red meat! Eating some servings of red meat a week is enough to cause a backed-up feeling. Furthermore, red meat is high in saturated fats which have a key role to raise your bad cholesterol. |
| Try to keep eating fresh meals for your dinner! | Frozen dinner! It is in a box and practical, but is usually high in fat, low in fiber, and high in sodium. |
| Low-fat, low-sugar dairy products! It’s also much better to go with fruit sherbets. | High-fat, high-sugar dairy products such as ice cream and cheese are constipating foods because they have low-fiber and high-fat content. |
Other helpful remedies for pregnancy constipation
Eating right is only one of ways to help relieve the problem. Other lifestyle measures are also helpful to make constipation go away more quickly.
Another thing you need to remember, try also to get adequate physical activity every day! Even though you’re now being pregnant, this doesn’t mean that you can skip and forget your exercise. Instead, pregnant women with adequate exercise have lower risk of pregnancy complications.
Just make sure to not push yourself too hard for exercise (don’t exhaust yourself), again listen to your body! Here are some tips:
- Do warm-up before exercise, and cool down afterwards.
- Drink adequate water during exercise! Remember, it’s always important to keep hydrated!
- Swimming is good idea since the water can help support your pregnancy and increased weight.
- Start with mild and moderate exercises. For example, 60-90 minutes of walking every day is helpful enough to keep active on a daily basis.
- Avoid high-risk exercises such as any strenuous exercises, high-contact sports (like squash), scuba diving, or exercise at heights greater than 8,202 feet (2,500 m) above sea level!
And don’t ignore the urge of your bowel movement – don’t delay it, too! Ignoring the urge is another common reason of why you can get constipated.
Sometimes, the problem may become serious!
Constipation during pregnancy is common, and the good news it is usually harmless. But if it lasts longer (4 days or more), more painful, or becoming severe – see a doctor promptly if necessary, especially true if it doesn’t respond to lifestyle measures!
Your doctor may prescribe laxative. There are several types of laxative that work in different way but with the same goal. Not all of them are safe for pregnant women. That’s why it’s recommended to take laxative with prescription!
