Gastrointestinal disorders are very common in pregnancy and unfortunately it adds to the woes of the expecting mother when the symptoms grow worst with passing days. It’s a condition when the lining of stomach wall gets inflamed and that leads to digestive problems. Although, this can happen to anyone but during pregnancy the chances are multiplied due to many reasons like high level of progesterone, stress, lack of physical activity, improper diet regime, low intake of nutritional foods, consuming lots of spices, beverages, alcohol and smoking.
While the uterus grows, it exerts more pressure on the abdomen wall and pushes the stomach thus slowing down digestion. There are many medications to cure gastritis, but when you are pregnant these drugs carry risk factors and if it’s left untreated then it might lead to stomach ulcer and birth complications as well. Here are few natural ways to prevent gastrointestinal disorders during pregnancy –
1. Have Small Meals in Intervals
Often during pregnancy its seen that if you gorge on lot of food at one time; it gets difficult to be digested thereby resulting in gas and flatulence. Instead if you have small meals in intervals of 2 hours, the gastric problem can be checked considerably.
2. High Fiber Diet
The most common cause of gastric problems is constipation, which worsens during the days of pregnancy. Make sure you can keep your system free and smooth so that constipation does not cause a host of troubles like haemorrhoids, gas etc. High fiber diet is recommended during pregnancy; eat at least 2 types of fruits every day. Banana can be included in the breakfast cereal bowl. However, too much of fiber can also lead to gas formation.
3. Avoid these Foods
There are some foods that produce too much gas like carbonated beverages, fried foods, chips, fast foods, cabbage, beans, cauliflower, radish etc. Try to avoid these foods; during pregnancy it’s advisable to consume lightly cooked nutritious foods made at home. Alcohol, spices, and condiments, enhances gastric problems during pregnancy. Eat slowly; don’t hurry while swallowing as it leads you to swallow in air.
4. Drink Herbal Tea
Having cup of tea must be your habit, why not make it healthier with herbal tea? You can easily make it at home with ginger and licorice extracts. This tea helps in reducing gastrointestinal disorders during pregnancy.
5. Cloves and Fennel Seeds
Keep a handful of cloves in an air tight container along with you always; you can chew few of them when you feel the flatulence. However, if you can make it a habit to chew cloves after lunch and dinner, the problem itself will not show up. This can also be substituted with fennel seeds.
6. Carrot Juice and Spinach Juice
Make yourself a veggie shake with few pieces of carrots and spinach; add little sugar and drink this juice every day. This will not only keep the gastric irritation at bay but also ensure the intake of vitamin A and other nutrients significantly.
7. Coconut Water
This is a very good home remedy to treat gastritis and especially good when you are pregnant. It not only helps in digestion, but also flushes out the harmful toxins from the body through urine. The perfect balance of vitamins and minerals in coconut water neutralises the acidic effect produced in the stomach. In fact, this is the fastest and easiest natural method to cure all stomach troubles.
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