Bloating or flatulence is a condition in which a woman accumulates gas in the gastrointestinal tract.
Flatulence is accompanied by a mass of unpleasant symptoms, so it can not be ignored. Let us consider in more detail why bloating during pregnancy develops, and how to eliminate it.
Symptoms and signs of bloating during pregnancy
Flatulence during the period of bearing a child is usually accompanied by such symptoms:
1. Feeling of fullness in the stomach.
2. Bitterness in the mouth.
3. Metallic taste in the mouth.
4. Heartburn.
5. Increasing heart rate and heart rate.
6. Loss of appetite.
7. Frequent constipation or vice versa, diarrhea.
8. Frequent discharge of gases (not only during bowel movements).
9. Nausea.
10. Stomach pain.
11. Rumbling in the abdomen, especially in the lower intestine.
12. Weakness in the body.
13. Muscle pain.
14. Burning in the area of the heart.
15. Cramping pains.
16. Increase in blood pressure.
The main causes of bloating during pregnancy
Most often, this unpleasant symptom occurs for the following reasons:
1. The insufficient functioning of the pancreas, which does not cope with its "work". In addition to bloating, a woman can feel heartburn and diarrhea.
2. Frequent overeating and the use of difficult to digest food, which triggers the fermentation processes in the intestine. This leads to excessive accumulation of gases.
3. The presence of various gastrointestinal diseases in a pregnant woman (pancreatitis, cholecystitis, cirrhosis, cholestasis, ulcer).
4. Enzyme deficiency. Diseases of the endocrine system, the presence of inflammation in the intestines, dysbiosis or heart failure can contribute to its appearance.
5. An increase in progesterone (hormone) contributes to a decrease in the tone of all internal organs, which leads to severe bloating and abdominal pain.
6. Inadequate fluid intake (at least two liters of water should be drunk per day).
7. Wearing too narrow and tight clothing that crushes the rounded tummy, causing disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract.
8. Non-observance of a balanced menu. This includes the use of all indiscriminately foods. In fact, this is a big mistake, because during pregnancy, a woman must necessarily adjust her menu and refuse to take harmful food.
9. Meals “on the run” and frequent nightly meals.
10. Stress and nerve stress can also cause bloating. In addition, the unstable psycho-emotional state of a pregnant woman will adversely affect the development of the fetus, as well as provoke a woman's abdominal pain, heartburn, headaches, depression, etc.
11. Excessive enlargement of the uterus (usually this happens in the third month of pregnancy).
12. Parasitic infections of the gastrointestinal tract.
Bloating during pregnancy: risks and consequences
During the period of gestation, the woman’s body is subjected to a tremendous load, so it is very important that the fetus is protected as much as possible during pregnancy. Unfortunately, with flatulence, the unborn child suffers for the following reasons:
• a woman, when bloated, tries to eat less so as not to cause gas, but this leads to a lack of nutrients for the fetus;
• strong rumbling in the abdomen causes not only discomfort in the pregnant woman, but also in the unborn baby.
The consequences of untreated flatulence can be:
1. A miscarriage or premature birth that occurs due to a decrease in the tone of the uterus (this will provoke gases, because they will burst the intestines).
2. The birth of a child with psychological disorders or other pathologies can happen if a woman experiences stress during flatulence.
3. The birth of a weak child who has not received the required amount of nutrients during development.
Bloating during pregnancy: what to do
To get rid of bloating during pregnancy, you should adhere to such recommendations:
1. Visit a doctor and get tested. This is necessary in order to be able to exclude more serious diseases that can provoke this symptom. It is also advisable to do an abdominal ultrasound.
2. Perform a special set of exercises for pregnant women. It will improve the overall functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and reduce gas production. Also, pregnant women are allowed to use the pool and do yoga.
3. More often walk in the fresh air.
4. Take herbal teas that are designed to normalize digestion. It is important to know that you can start drinking such decoctions only after the doctor’s permission. This is due to the fact that a lot of herbs have contraindications in the form of a patient’s pregnancy.
5. Adjust your diet. For this, a woman will need to abandon the use of such products:
• fried;
• oily;
• flour products (white bread, rolls, sweet cookies);
• confectionery that contains sucrose;
• bean;
• corn;
• mushrooms;
• liver (it is very difficult to digest);
• salted and smoked fish;
• sausages;
• canned food;
• pasta;
• sour foods, including sour fruits and vegetables;
• coffee;
• garlic;
• fat;
• fatty meats (pork);
• alcoholic drinks;
• semi-finished products;
• fast food.
The basis of the diet should be such products:
• non-fat fermented milk products (cottage cheese, kefir, fermented baked milk, cheese);
• dried fruits;
• nuts;
• boiled fish or steamed;
• cottage cheese casseroles;
• decoctions of fruits and dried fruits;
• green tea;
• boiled eggs;
• biscuit cookies;
• sea kale;
• seafood;
• lean meats (turkey, chicken, rabbit). Cooking them also needs to be steamed, baked or boiled;
• greens (dill, salad, parsley, spinach);
• vegetables, especially carrots, beets, pumpkin, cabbage, broccoli and onions. Salads, casseroles and stews can be made from them;
• soups from cereals or vegetables without the addition of meat (broths are undesirable to eat, as they are excessively fatty);
• fruits and juices from them. It is best to eat non-sour fruits (apples, apricots, peaches, melon);
• cereals, especially oat and buckwheat.
6. Every day before bedtime, it is recommended to drink a glass of kefir or a tablespoon of olive oil. These products will improve digestion and eliminate flatulence.
In addition, it is very useful to drink home-made kefir with live bacteria. To do this, you need to buy special bifido powders and starter cultures in the pharmacy, which must be dissolved in milk. These drinks will not only improve digestion and eliminate problems in the digestive tract, but also enrich the future mother's body with calcium, which the fetus needs so much.
7. For the treatment of bloating, you can take Espumisan, or Smecta, however, before starting such therapy, it is advisable to consult with an observing physician.
8. If a pregnant woman besides flatulence is worried about heaviness in the stomach and digestive disorders, then she can take drugs that improve the production of enzymes (Mezim forte, Festal).
9. You need to eat often, but in small portions. 6 meals a day are enough.
10. It is necessary to switch to fractional nutrition, which provides for the separate use of products with different properties. This means that fish, meat, potatoes or cheeses can not be eaten at one meal. They should be divided into two separate meals.
11. If it is difficult for a woman to make her own menu, then she can turn to an experienced nutritionist who will help to cope with her problem and prescribe a well-balanced diet for women in a special situation.
12. Dishes should be served at the optimum temperature, as excessively cold or hot foods will be difficult to digest.
13. Particular attention should be paid to clothes for pregnant women. In such a period, it is best to wear loose overalls, skirts or trousers that will not squeeze the abdominal cavity and cause inconvenience.
It is important to know that with a strong flatulence it can not be ignored, because this can become a threat to termination of pregnancy. For this reason, if bloating lasts longer than three days in a row and is accompanied by severe abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhea, you should consult a doctor.
Most likely, after the examination, the doctor will offer the patient hospitalization in order to prevent miscarriage (the so-called "preservation"). In the hospital, a woman can stay until delivery.
