Gas Pains During Pregnancy
Gas pains during pregnancy can be quite frustrating and irritating for many expectant mothers. While the average person may pass gas up to two dozen times on a daily basis, you may find yourself doing this much more often when you’re pregnant. This is because there is a dramatic rise in the production of progesterone, which helps to relax the muscles in your digestive track. This naturally leads to slower digestion in most pregnant women, of which the side effects are naturally belching and flatulence.
This of course can also lead to the dreaded heartburn and constipation conditions that are so familiar to many pregnant women.
What Causes This Gas?
A buildup of gas can be caused by swallowing too much air, which results in burping to expel the gas. Also, when undigested food is broken down by the bacteria in your large intestines, this can cause flatulence.
How Do I Prevent Painful Gas During Pregnancy?
Every woman’s body works differently in the way that it produces gas, so you may be more prone to being gassy than others or vice versa. Of course your diet has a big say in how bloated and gassy you are, but you cannot completely eliminate everything from your diet that may cause this painful gas. However, there are a number of things that you can do to help prevent being gassy and bloated as much as possible whenever you’re pregnant and these include:
- Try to take a hard look at your diet and discern which foods are making you gassier than others. You will want to pay particular attention to foods like beans, potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, milk, and cheese. These foods are known to make gas worse in some people and they could be the culprits that are making you feel so bloated
- Eat foods that are as close to nature as possible and avoid processed foods and most especially fast food, which can cause severe bloating
- Reduce how much air you are swallowing by avoiding large meals, eating slowly and not drinking with a straw. You also want to avoid carbonated beverages that are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup such as soda and juice and also to avoid chewing gum.
- Try to avoid lying down while you are eating or drinking and always sit up straight
- Try to stay as active as possible as even 10 or 15 minutes of activity can help boost your digestive system
It is important to remember that there are many types of medications that are not safe for you or your baby when you’re pregnant, which is why you will want to avoid taking any types of medications to help with gas relief, unless it is specifically recommended to you by your doctor.
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