How should pregnant women deal with severe bloating?

Nowadays, many expectant mothers will encounter a problem during pregnancy, bloating! This is a symptom that is very troubling for pregnant women, so why is this happening? How come you have this bloating condition? Next, let us answer this question for pregnant friends from the two aspects of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine respectively. See how the old Chinese and Western doctors answer this question for you.

Point 1 Reasons

Western medicine view: Hormonal changes cause constipation and bloating

During pregnancy, due to hormonal changes in the body, the secretion of progesterone becomes significantly more active. Although this hormone can inhibit the contraction of uterine muscles to prevent miscarriage, it will also slow down the body's intestinal motility; causing not only morning sickness, nausea, vomiting, and gastric acid reflux into the esophagus in the early stages of pregnancy, but also constipation, which in turn causes discomfort in the entire gastrointestinal tract.

After the second half of pregnancy, the gradually enlarging uterus will push the stomach upward and also compress the rectum, causing excessive absorption of intestinal water and making defecation difficult. When constipation is severe, bloating will become more obvious.

TCM perspective: Changes in eating habits

From the perspective of modern Chinese medicine, the main cause of bloating is that bloating during pregnancy may not be directly related to the fetus. It is more likely to be caused by changes in eating habits. For example, eating a lot of tonic food during pregnancy may cause difficulty in digestion, or pregnant women may consume more gas-producing foods due to changes in taste. There are many reasons for causing bloating, and a differential diagnosis by a doctor is the only way to find the root cause.

Say goodbye to regular diet and rest schedule and any discomfort during pregnancy!

In fact, from the perspective of modern Chinese and Western medicine, many dietary and behavioral taboos during pregnancy are unnecessary. Basically, pregnant women can still live a normal life as long as they don't overwork, get enough rest, and eat small meals frequently. If you are very concerned about the taboos during pregnancy, you may as well ask your doctor to make an individual diagnosis based on your personal constitution, so that you can smoothly get through the discomfort during pregnancy.

Point 2 Prevention

Things to avoid when you have bloating

1. Avoid drinking too much tea - the tannic acid in tea can hinder the absorption of iron, and caffeine can also irritate the stomach and intestines. It is recommended to drink tea after meals and between meals, and replace raw tea with fermented cooked tea. The concentration should not be too strong.

2. Avoid foods that easily produce gas, such as beans, fried foods, soda, glutinous rice, and instant noodles.

3. Reduce the intake of sweets or refined foods - sweets are mostly acidic foods, which can easily cause excessive stomach acid; while refined foods lack fiber and can easily aggravate constipation.

4. Avoid taking coix seed - coix seed has a diuretic effect and is not recommended for consumption during pregnancy unless there is a special edema condition.

5. Do not use laxatives on your own. When constipation is severe, ask your doctor to prescribe some lubricating suppositories. Never use laxatives on your own to avoid inducing uterine contractions and causing miscarriage or premature birth.

You can do this when you have bloating!

1. Eat small meals frequently to help the stomach digest food faster.

2. Develop a daily bowel movement habit - eat more vegetables, fruits and high-fiber foods to promote gastrointestinal motility.

3. Appropriate exercise - Intestinal motility can be promoted through whole body or waist muscle activities. Some simple exercises for pregnant women, or increasing and extending the time and frequency of each walk.

4. Take perilla drink - take an appropriate amount of perilla leaves and add water to boil. The amount and proportion are not limited. It can promote qi circulation and strengthen the spleen and stomach. You can also use tangerine peel (fresh tangerine peel) instead of perilla.

5. Eat spicy foods in moderation - spicy foods such as ginger, scallions, and garlic can promote gastrointestinal motility and warm the body, so they can be taken in moderation.

6. Drink enough water - drink boiled water before breakfast, at least 2,000cc per day. of moisture. You can also add a little honey to the water to prevent the stool from drying out, but use a small amount as a rule. 7. Abdominal massage - Start from the lower right abdomen and massage in a clockwise direction with gentle force, 10 to 20 circles each time, 2 to 3 times a day, which can help relieve abdominal bloating.

8. Taking Wei San - When the bloating is severe, you can take some commercially available Wei San (please consult a doctor before taking it). As long as it is not taken for a long time or in large quantities, it will not affect the fetus.

In the diagnosis and treatment of traditional Chinese medicine, there is a special term for abdominal distension during pregnancy called "Zixuan". However, because doctors in different dynasties have held different interpretations of "Zixuan", their application in treatment methods is also divergent.

Well, if you have read this far, I believe you have already understood the problem of bloating in pregnant women. So, pregnant friends, please don’t panic when you encounter similar problems. Just massage repeatedly according to the contents of the article and take more fruits and it will get better.