Pregnant women go through a lot of drastic changes in the entire nine months of pregnancy. Apart from the common external changes like back pain, weight gain and skin changes, pregnant women also experience internal system changes.
The digestive system is one of the most impacted of the internal body systems during pregnancy. Aside from vomiting especially during the first few weeks, many women experience production of excess gas and at some extent bloating.
Gas and pregnancy is inevitable and has to occur at one point of your pregnancy. Fortunately, there are some simple and natural ways that you can use to cope with excess gas production during pregnancy.
Some simple ways to deal with gas and pregnancy
Digestion
One of the most overlooked solution to production of gas the issue of proper chewing of food. Digestion of carbohydrates starts at the mouth and if not chewed properly, it provides the stomach extra work trying to break down the food which leads to improper absorption.
This causes bacteria build up in the colon which create gas causing bloating which can be very uncomfortable during pregnancy. When eating, stay as come as possible and avoid stress so as to avoid unnecessary swallowing of gas.
Proper diet, fluids and exercise
Perhaps one of the underlying problems to gas and pregnancy is the lack of a proper diet. There are some foods that are well known to cause gas like cabbage, beans and broccoli. Though some of them are essential during pregnancy, the best solution is to limit their use or reduce intake by a certain amount. The most important factor is to eat regular and well balanced diets that are rich in nutrients.
Instead of eating large meals at one sitting, eat small nutritious meals every few hours. Five to six small meals a day will greatly help your digestive system work comfortably all day.
Drink fluids like water and natural fruit juice whenever possible to avoid constipation which makes the feeling of gas and bloating worse. It is also important to drink fluids as slowly as possible rather than guzzling which makes you swallow a lot of air that can cause uncomfortable pockets of gas in the stomach.
Another way to deal with gas and pregnancy is incorporating some form of exercise into your daily routine to help speed up your digestive system which effectively reduces the amount of gas in the stomach.
Production of gas during pregnancy is very normal and having control over what and how you eat can help you have some control over it. Gas production is mostly caused by digestive discomfort therefore making some small adjustments in your diet can go a long way into ensuring comfort during pregnancy. The digestive system is very sensitive and because women go through a lot of structural, chemical and hormonal changes, it may as well be affected in some way.
While some of these simple ways to stop or reduce gas production for some pregnant women work effectively, some situations may be extent and the best solution is to consult your medical health expert for gas and pregnancy advice.
