Why do I always feel stomach discomfort after pregnancy?

It is actually normal to experience stomach discomfort after pregnancy. After a woman becomes pregnant, her uterus gradually enlarges. In the second trimester, the uterus will press against the stomach, causing stomach discomfort. At this time, you can take a proper walk, eat small meals frequently, try not to eat too full, pay more attention to rest, strengthen nutrition, keep a good mood, be sure to have regular prenatal check-ups, and avoid eating spicy and irritating foods.

Why do I always feel stomach discomfort when I am pregnant?

After pregnancy, hormones change, progesterone and human chorionic gonadotropin increase, and gastrointestinal motility slows down, so pregnant mothers are prone to indigestion and stomach discomfort. If you have stomach problems before pregnancy, the discomfort may be more severe.

In the early stages of pregnancy, gastrointestinal discomfort will be relatively serious, and will ease in the middle stages. In the late stages of pregnancy, because the baby has grown and the uterus has enlarged, it will press on the gastrointestinal tract and cause discomfort.

Pregnant mothers stomach nourishing schedule

After getting up (7:00-8:00), drink a cup of warm water

After getting up, brushing teeth and washing face, expectant mothers can drink a glass of warm water, which can not only moisten the oral cavity, esophagus, and gastric mucosa, flush out the mucus and bile attached to the mucosa, but also promote gastrointestinal motility and prepare for meals. At the same time, it replenishes the water lost by the body. However, don't drink too much water at once, and drink slowly, otherwise you will feel uncomfortable, and it may dilute stomach acid and affect digestion.

Breakfast time (7:30-8:30)

Skipping breakfast will not only affect the supply of energy, but is also bad for the stomach and intestines, especially in the early stages of pregnancy. Expectant mothers will have trouble with morning sickness. Without an appetite, the foods they want to eat during the day will be relatively limited. If even breakfast is not supplied well, the body will lose energy. The breakfast of pregnant mothers should include cereals, milk, meat, soy products, fruits and vegetables, etc. In addition, do not eat too spicy food for breakfast. If time permits, breakfast time can last for 20-30 minutes.

General advice:

Expectant mothers should have two snacks between the three main meals. At this time, they can put down the work in their hands, eat some fruits, nuts, etc., and drink some water to replenish water and vitamins, dilute the blood, promote blood circulation and excretion of metabolic waste.

What to do if you have gastrointestinal discomfort during pregnancy?

1. Adjust your diet

The diet should be warm, soft, light, vegetarian and fresh. Be careful not to eat food that is too cold, too hot, too hard, too spicy or too sticky. Eat more easily digestible food and less cold food such as lettuce salad. It is necessary to eat small meals frequently, at regular times and in regular amounts, so that there is always food in the stomach to neutralize stomach acid and prevent erosion of the gastric mucosa and ulcer surface, which would aggravate the condition. If a pregnant woman has severe gastrointestinal discomfort, she should seek medical attention promptly.

2. Exercise to promote digestion

You should avoid strenuous exercise after a full meal, as strenuous exercise will stop the activity of the stomach and intestines. Although the stomach and intestines get a rest, a large amount of food is not digested in time, which can cause indigestion. In the long run, exercise is good for the stomach and intestines. Those who often suffer from bloating are often those who do not exercise for a long time. The best way is not to rest immediately after a meal. You can stand or walk appropriately, especially after dinner, go out for a walk to relax, which is very beneficial for promoting digestion. This is the origin of the saying "take a walk after a meal and live to be 99".

3. Keep your stomach warm

The stomach has no muscles or fat on the outside and is the organ least surrounded by the outside world, so it is most susceptible to changes in external temperature. When the human body is stimulated by cold air, gastric acid secretion increases significantly, and the gastrointestinal tract undergoes spasmodic contractions, leading to stomach pain, indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. So be sure to keep your stomach warm.

4. Adequate intake of fiber and probiotics

To maintain gastrointestinal health, adults should consume about 30 grams of fiber per day, most of which comes from whole grains in food. However, due to problems such as a relatively monotonous diet, the average daily intake for an adult is only about 10 grams. Another important reason why fiber can regulate the stomach and intestines is that it can also play the role of prebiotics: promoting the growth of probiotics.

The probiotics found in yogurt and other everyday fermented dairy products can improve your digestive system. Pregnant women are advised to drink a cup of yogurt every day, which is effective in regulating the stomach and intestines.

5. Keep a cheerful spirit

The health of the stomach has a lot to do with mental factors. Excessive mental stimulation, such as long-term tension, fear, sadness, depression, etc., can cause dysfunction of the cerebral cortex, promote vagus nerve dysfunction, lead to spasmodic contraction of the gastric wall blood vessels, and then induce gastritis and gastric ulcers. Therefore, you should be in a good mood, have a cheerful personality, be strong-willed, and be good at freeing yourself from difficult situations.