Why do pregnant women suffer from constipation?

The problem of constipation in pregnant women often troubles many women. The reason for constipation in pregnant women is mainly that after pregnancy, many women lack exercise, which leads to slower gastrointestinal motility. In addition, bad eating habits and excessive nutrition can easily cause constipation.

(1) Lack of exercise Pregnant women have less physical activity, which slows down intestinal motility, causing food residues to remain in the intestines for too long, causing water to be absorbed and leading to constipation.

(2) Insufficient defecation motivation: As the fetus matures, the uterus continues to grow and compresses the intestines and the ventral muscles, restricting abdominal muscle movement and causing a lack of defecation motivation.

(3) Bad eating habits: In order to increase nutrition, pregnant women will supplement large amounts of meat, eggs, and dairy products, but ignore the intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and high-fiber foods, resulting in a lack of B vitamins, potassium, or iron in the diet. Some pregnant women like to eat spicy food, which can also lead to constipation.

(4) Causes of the disease: Pregnant women are prone to hemorrhoids during pregnancy. Fear of pain and not being able to defecate in time is also a factor causing constipation. In addition, fever can also cause constipation.

(5) Increased hormone secretion During pregnancy, the secretion of progesterone increases, which relaxes the muscles of the digestive tract, slows intestinal motility, and increases the large intestine's absorption of water, making the stool harder and leading to difficulty in defecation.

(6) Drinking too little water During pregnancy, the body's demand for water increases due to changes in hormone secretion, increased blood flow, and the addition of amniotic fluid. Not drinking enough water can easily cause constipation.