Pregnancy Bloating And Indigestion: Causes And How To Prevent

You can blame these not-so-fun pregnancy symptoms largely on the hormones your body is producing (what else is new?), specifically all the estrogen and progesterone. Your body’s making more of both now to relax the muscle tissue. Unfortunately, this causes your gastrointestinal tract to relax a little too much, leading to side effects like bloating, indigestion, constipation, stomachaches and, yes, all that horrific gas you’ve been having lately.

But sadly, you can’t blame it all on the hormones. Believe it or not you could actually be adding to your own discomfort just by what you’re eating or what you wear.

Here’s a list of the most common causes of bloating and indigestion during pregnancy.

• Eating greasy, fatty, or highly seasoned foods
• Eating or drinking too much caffeine—chocolate, soda, coffee, or other drinks
• Eating big meals
• Eating too fast
• Lying down/not moving much after eating
• Wearing restricting clothing

Try these tips to help cut back on the bloating:

• Eat several small meals throughout the day
• Pace yourself while eating and drink less during each meal
• Drink water throughout the day and avoid caffeinated drinks
• Try to avoid lying down following a meal. But if you’re totally pooped, at least prop up your upper body with some pillows when you lie down.
• Wear loose and comfy clothing

If you’re still suffering, talk to your doctor immediately to see if maybe something else is to blame!

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