What to do about bloating during pregnancy

From the first weeks of pregnancy, the mood of most women is clouded by a number of problems associated with the birth of a new life. Most often these are nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, heartburn and bloating. The feeling of heaviness in the stomach and the accumulation of gases bring discomfort, but before you can eliminate them, you need to find out what their causes are.

Causes of bloating during pregnancy

The appearance of flatulence and bloating, as a rule, is provoked by a rapidly growing fetus, because as a result of this, there is active pressure from the uterus on the intestines, especially in the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy.

Other causes of bloating during pregnancy:

• If the expectant mother is even before the onset pregnancy If you have encountered diseases associated with the gastrointestinal tract, then they are guaranteed to make themselves felt already in the 1st trimester.
• A feeling of “fullness,” nausea, diarrhea, and belching may occur due to insufficient production of enzymes, which disrupts the functioning of the pancreas.
• The situation is aggravated if the expectant mother eats incorrectly and abuses so-called fast carbohydrates.
• Chronic stress, tight clothing, insufficient consumption of clean drinking water and unfavorable environmental conditions are also unfavorable factors.

Bloating in the early stages

Your tummy isn’t even noticeable to others yet, but are you already worried about bloating and the constant passing of gas? This may well happen, especially if even before the onset pregnancy The woman was diagnosed with problems related to the gastrointestinal tract. During the period of bearing a baby, all chronic ailments become aggravated, and even those who have never encountered the problem of bloating and flatulence.

Stomach and intestinal disorders, flatulence at the very beginning of the birth of a new life are also due to intense hormonal changes that occur in the body of the expectant mother.  Already in the first weeks of gestation, the level of the hormone progesterone in a woman’s blood sharply increases, which helps to reduce the tone of the smooth muscles of all organs, including the intestines - it simply stops coping with its tasks, digestion becomes difficult, gas accumulates, heartburn and heaviness appear.

What to do if you have bloating

During the period of gestation, a woman’s body is subjected to enormous stress, which is why it is so important to protect yourself from all sorts of problems and failures, including those associated with disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. Flatulence and bloating, it would seem, are not serious problems, however, they can provoke a threat to the health of the mother and child, because as a result of strong intestinal pressure on the uterus, premature birth can occur, and all sorts of digestive problems interfere with the supply of vitamins and microelements so necessary for proper child development.

If bloating and flatulence cause discomfort, first of all consult your doctor, who will conduct the necessary tests, studies, methods for eliminating increased gas formation directly depend on the causes of its occurrence, you should not self-medicate.

First, try basic methods that will help get rid of bloating and gas accumulation in the intestines - following the rules of proper nutrition, walking in the fresh air, gentle exercise for pregnant women, and maintaining a drinking regime. If these methods are not effective, a specialist can prescribe medications; as a rule, such medications cannot cause harm to the health of the mother and baby.

• Espumisan or Bobotik is indicated even for colic in newborns; a correctly selected dosage promotes the “collapse” of gas bubbles in the intestines, without being absorbed into the blood.
• Enterosgel has a wide spectrum of action, effectively removing toxins and rotting products from the body; it is indicated for diarrhea, food poisoning, flatulence, bloating, etc.
• Creon, Pancreatin or Mezim contains enzymes and promotes proper absorption of food.
• Hilak forte and Baktistatin are prebiotics; they normalize intestinal function and have a beneficial effect on improving immunity.
• Iberogast is a herbal drug; doctors often prefer it.

There are also a lot of folk methods that have been tested by many women, however, taking any home remedies to combat bloating and flatulence should be carried out under the strict supervision of a gynecologist.

The most popular herbal remedies:

• First, try the simplest method - chamomile infusion. Pharmaceutical chamomile must be boiled, strained and left for a couple of hours, drink two teaspoons 3-4 times a day before meals.
• An equally common method against colic and flatulence in infants and pregnant women is the so-called dill water. It is made from infused dill seeds, the seeds can also be chewed and added to your favorite dishes and salads.
• For exacerbations, a mixture of ginger powder and lemon juice (about 5 g) is recommended; they are mixed, a pinch of salt is added and taken half an hour before meals.
• As practice shows, a special carminative mixture made from a mixture of anise, fennel, caraway and mint is effective.

Those who have already encountered colic in babies know very well that the simplest way is to lightly massage the abdomen in a clockwise direction and apply a warm diaper. For a while, the effect can actually be positive.

Don't forget that pregnancy- not a disease, if there are no corresponding contraindications and threats of interruption, you can and should take a walk in the fresh air, visit the pool, do special exercises and sign up for yoga for pregnant women.

Proper nutrition - how to prevent bloating

Of course, any health problem is easier to prevent than to treat. The first and most important measure to prevent bloating is proper nutrition:

• The consumption of some foods should be reduced, others should be eliminated. First of all, this applies to foods that provoke the accumulation of large amounts of gas - legumes, cabbage, pickled vegetables, sweets.
• Meals should be regular and small - 5-6 times a day, food should be chewed thoroughly.
• Follow the drinking regime, you should not drink food, but to prevent constipation you need to drink at least two liters of purified water. Drinking weak tea, compote will be harmless, but carbonated drinks and coffee It's better to refuse. Be sure to include kefir, fermented baked milk and other fermented milk drinks in your diet, which help normalize the gastrointestinal tract.