Top 10 Fiber-Rich Foods to Relieve Constipation During Pregnancy
The two red lines on the pregnancy test strip bring a wave of joy for women as they mark the commencement of the most critical phase of their lives.
However, little do they know that it is the beginning of a journey that will bring physical, hormonal, and mental change. You need to handle it all and also make sure that you stay happy so that the developing fetus gets the required nutrition and grows well.
Well, now that we have talked about the physical and hormonal changes, constipation is one common problem that most pregnant women face at some point during these few months.
Indeed, this is a challenging situation, but there is a way to manage it if you have access to the correct information and techniques.
Top 10 Fiber-Rich Foods to Relieve Constipation During Pregnancy
Prevention is always better than cure, and hence, you should not wait for the condition to get worse. Instead, you should adopt dietary solutions for pregnancy constipation.
Here are the top 10 fiber-rich foods that work wonders and will keep your bowel movement on track:
1. Whole Grains
You do not need to think outside the box to find the right foods. With the correct information, you will know that there are ample whole grains that provide adequate fiber.
Oatmeal, brown rice, and whole-grain bread are a few easy foods to incorporate into your diet. These are high in fiber, leading to soft and bulky stool that is effortless to pass. You can easily replace regular white rice in your meals since the fiber content is higher.
2. Fruits
Experts have several reasons to recommend fruits in a pregnant woman’s diet, and fiber content is one of them. Pears, organs, and apples are rich in vitamins and fiber that ultimately relieve constipation.
3. Vegetables
During pregnancy, veggies should be a crucial part of your diet. Make sure you consume a specific number of vegetables like Brussels, broccoli, carrots, and more in everyday meals. Fibrous vegetables have high insoluble fiber content and are nutritious.
You can prepare yummy recipes to satisfy your taste buds and get the best nutrition that would also support the fetus's growth and development.
4. Beans and legumes
You should include lentils and legumes in your daily diet routine as they contain a considerable proportion of fiber. Therefore, they play an essential role in evading constipation and related digestive problems.
5. Berries
Blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries will not only let your buds relish the taste but also offer the desired nutrition and fiber content, keeping your digestive system on track.
6. Nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds are a nutrition and energy source with a high fiber content. Flaxseeds, almonds, and chia seeds can be consumed in small quantities every day.
One suggestion that we would like to give here is that during summer, you should be careful and consume soaked nuts to manage the heat they create in the body.
7. Popcorn
We have recommended so many foods for you, so let us share a snacking option as well. Popcorn is a whole grain with a high fiber content so that you can munch on it with your evening tea.
8. Green peas
Green peas are a fantastic vegetable that you should consider including in your diet plan. They are rich in magnesium, starch, fluid, and insoluble fiber, which help manage bowel movements without stress.
9. Avocado
A superfood that helps with weight management, promotes heart health and improves cholesterol levels with high fiber content. Your gut health will be good if you add this nutritious food to your meals.
10. Sweet potatoes
They are a powerhouse of minerals, fiber, and vitamins that regularize bowel movements. To manage things well, you can consume one medium sweet potato every day in different forms.
Also Read: 5 Tips to Sleep Better At Night During Pregnancy
How Constipation can be a Challenge?
Constipation is an uncomfortable condition in which a person experiences problems with bowel movement and dry, hard-to-pass stool.
Although it may not have a direct impact on health if it occurs occasionally, if it happens frequently, it can be painful and may lead to fissures over time, which can further worsen the situation.
Constipation can be a challenge during pregnancy since the body is already experiencing many metabolic changes. Thus, it becomes essential to address the problem as soon as possible.
Experts suggest that women should not consume medicines during pregnancy. Hence, the best approach is to make changes in lifestyle and diet that can help avoid or relieve constipation during pregnancy.
Also Read: How To Boost Haemoglobin During Pregnancy?
Understanding Constipation during Pregnancy
Constipation is common during pregnancy because of the hormonal fluctuations that occur to support the growing fetus.
While for some, the incidents are frequent in the first trimester as the body is still acclimatizing to the changes, some women experience constipation during the third trimester since the fetus becomes heavy and puts pressure on the bowel.
Also, some women share their experiences of facing such challenges throughout their pregnancy. Hence, the experience is different depending on the body type and metabolism. Here are some causes that result in constipation:
⦿ Progesterone levels
During pregnancy, the body makes more progesterone, which relaxes the intestines, and they stop functioning to their utmost capabilities, which is to throw the waste out of the body.
The slowing down of the intestine function, therefore, lets your body absorb water and required nutrients, causing dry stools that are hard to pass out.
⦿ Iron levels
During pregnancy, healthcare experts prescribe iron and vitamin supplements as the body needs blood to circulate oxygen to your body and the fetus.
As the iron levels rise, the bacteria present in the bowel need to work harder to break down the food consumed. Also, less hydration worsens the condition and makes you constipated.
How Constipation is Connected to Your lifestyle?
Constipation can be related to lifestyle, as what you eat and drink and your exercise routine have a crucial role in managing the body functions, especially digestion.
So, pregnant women who do not consume fiber in adequate quantity or consume less fluids tend to face constipation on a regular basis- a condition that no one wants to experience.
Thus, undoubtedly, you need to modify your diet to manage things well, and for this, we recommend you connect with your doctor and discuss your routine in detail to have the best solutions that you can easily practice in daily life.
The Importance of Fiber in Pregnancy Diet for Constipation
Your healthcare expert will discuss your diet and lifestyle deviations that will certainly impact your health and fetus development. If you regularly suffer from constipation, do not hesitate to ask for a pregnancy diet instead of relying on medications.
Dietary fiber is related to several benefits, such as lower diabetes risk, preeclampsia, better heart health, and avoiding gastrointestinal diseases. The intake also helps lower blood and cholesterol levels.
Dietary fiber relieves constipation by increasing the size and weight of the stool and softening it, making it easier to pass. Another benefit of including fiber in your diet is that it solidifies watery and loose stools by absorbing water.
Thus, with fiber rich foods for pregnancy constipation, you do not need to have those grunting mornings struggling to have a smooth bowel movement.
Also Read: Monsoon Pregnancy Tips: A Guide for Expectant Mothers
Tips to Integrate These Fiber Rich Foods into Your Diet
You should consume nutritious and fiber-rich food during pregnancy, but this doesn’t mean that the taste should go for a toss. Well, there are numerous recipes where you can use the foods mentioned in the list with the least effort and prepare quick recipes every day that everyone in the family can consume.
So, there are not any hassles of preparing separate meals since these foods are a healthy option for every individual, including children and older people. Here, we have shared some tips to include these foods seamlessly into your diet:
- Whole grains can be made into flour and consumed as bread for lunch and dinner, while rice is a popular food that needs no introduction.
- Fruits are the best on-the-go foods because they can be eaten raw. If you have a busy schedule, just pick your favorite food and start munching.
- You may be aware of numerous vegetable recipes; hence, you can cook your favorite meal with them. If you wish to experiment with taste and try a different cuisine, use your online search tools, and soon, you will have the details to try out. You can incorporate veggies in soups and salads according to your comfort. So eat them raw, stir-fried, or boiled—the choice is entirely yours.
- Beans and legumes can be made into soup bases or followed by pot recipes if you want to keep it simple. To enhance the nutritional value, you can also sprout the beans. However, we suggest cooking them for a minute or two rather than eating them raw due to the presence of bacteria that proliferate during the sprouting process.
- You should control the proportion of nuts, seeds, and popcorn to ensure that you get the health benefits without any other problems.
- You can use avocado and boiled or baked sweet potato as part of a nutritious salad.
Also Read: How To Cure Back Pain During Pregnancy?
Precautions While Consuming Fiber-Rich Foods
Fiber-rich foods indeed help relieve constipation during pregnancy but remember that too much of anything can be harmful. Hence, you need to strike the right balance in your diet plan to get wholesome nutrition. If you consume too much fiber in a single day, there can be some side effects that may irritate you:
- High fiber consumption throughout the day can cause bloating due to excessive gas production in the body, which can further lead to abdominal pain.
- Sudden and drastic consumption of fiber in the diet can lead to diarrhoea as the body is unable to cope with the change. Hence, you need to be slow and plan your meals well to ensure that the fiber content falls in a healthy range.
- If you are suffering from gas and acidity, high fiber in the diet can further lead to reduced appetite as you start feeling uneasy.
Planning and Monitoring Your Diet While Pregnancy
You may be overwhelmed by the benefits of incorporating fibrous foods into your diet, but wait. Please do not rush and start consuming such foods without proper planning and monitoring, as this would do more harm than good.
We suggest you be slow and steady, consuming smaller amounts initially, and once the body adapts to them, increasing the quantity. You should know where to stop, so make sure you plan your day well in advance and be very wise with this.
No matter how carefully you plan and monitor your diet, your body is significantly changing, and hence, there may be situations when you feel constipated. In such scenarios, you can try the natural remedies for pregnancy constipation, one being hydration.
You should drink plenty of fluids and water during pregnancy and when on a high-fiber diet. Look for healthy beverages like juices, coconut water, and other options if you do not feel like drinking water all the time. Hydration helps ease bowel movement and ensure a healthy fetus, keeping you away from any health concerns.
Key Takeaways
Including fiber-rich foods does make a significant difference in your pregnancy as you are able to manage common problems like constipation easily.
There is a lot of information online about the proper diet and lifestyle that you should consider adopting, but remember, every pregnant woman has a different body and experience, so make the diet plan that suits you well.
You can consult your doctor for a tailor-made diet plan where the expert would include all necessary foods in appropriate quantities, considering your preferences and any issues like allergies, etc.
Hence, maintaining a healthy diet should be your goal, and believe us; it isn’t a tough nut to crack. Be yourself and enjoy this fantastic journey as you prepare to welcome a tiny world of joy into your lives.
