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Diet for constipation during pregnancy
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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A diet for constipation during pregnancy is a rationally organized regimen aimed at fully providing the woman’s body with vitamins, as well as all the necessary microelements and nutrients.
Unfortunately, many women during pregnancy encounter such a problem as untimely bowel movements.
A diet for constipation during pregnancy involves following the following nutritional rules:
- Eating five to six times a day. Avoiding long breaks (more than 4 hours) between main meals.
- Cooking dishes exclusively by boiling, baking, or steaming.
- Including fresh vegetables (raw), fruits (dried fruits) and berries in your daily diet.
- Avoidance of all kinds of dishes that slow down normal intestinal peristalsis - jellied meats, aspic, kissels, jelly, etc.
- Adequate fluid intake (at least 1.5-2 liters per day), including mineral water such as Essentuki (0.5 glass 3 times per day).
In case of constipation caused by improper nutrition, physical inactivity, as well as various chronic intestinal diseases, expectant mothers should especially carefully adhere to the diet. Such a nutrition system includes products, first of all, rich in dietary fiber, which do not irritate the gastric mucosa and do not cause flatulence.
[ Diet for atonic constipation during pregnancy
When observing atonic constipation in a pregnant woman, it is necessary to build a diet with an increase in dietary fiber (cellulose, fiber, ballast substances), the main function of which is the adsorption of water, as a result of which intestinal peristalsis is normalized. Among the products containing fiber, dietary bran is in first place, vegetables (especially apples, carrots) are in second place, and rye bread is in third place. To provide the body with a sufficient amount of fiber, a pregnant woman needs to adhere to the following daily diet: 200 grams of bread (with bran, coarse grinding), 200 grams of boiled potatoes, 250 grams of fruits and vegetables per day. In total, this will give a daily dose (35 grams) of ballast substances that the body needs.
Expectant mothers are recommended to eat up to 30-40 g of wheat bran every day. To do this, they must first be doused with boiling water. Bran can also be taken as an additive to liquid dishes, as well as mixed with kefir or yogurt. It is recommended to start taking 4 teaspoons of this product per day, gradually increasing the dose by 1 teaspoon until the functional properties of the intestine are completely restored. After achieving the desired effect and complete restoration of peristalsis, the dosage of bran should be gradually reduced to the minimum value, which is determined individually. It is recommended to consume bran for 5-6 weeks, combining this process with sufficient fluid intake.
To activate the work of the intestines, expectant mothers need to include fresh fruits, berries and vegetables (about 200 g) in their daily diet, preferably raw. Dried apricots, honey and crumbly porridges are very helpful. Bread made from finely crushed grain or with added bran is good for the gastrointestinal tract. Drinking mineral or regular filtered water on an empty stomach, as well as a glass of cold milk or vegetable juice, which reflexively improves intestinal peristalsis, also contributes to the favorable work of the intestines.
Diet for spastic constipation during pregnancy
A pregnancy diet aimed at relieving spastic constipation, often manifested as colicky abdominal pain, includes food with a reduced content of coarse dietary fiber. In this case, a woman is recommended to eat boiled vegetables in chopped or pureed form, as well as take vegetable oil (1-2 tablespoons per day - on an empty stomach or at night, adding them to a glass of low-fat kefir). Lean meat and fish dishes must be chopped or steamed. To reduce intestinal spasms, it is necessary to add foods to the diet that contain "tender" fiber, for example, dried fruits.
Pregnant women who suffer from frequent constipation are advised to regularly consume prunes in any form, including dried fruit puree or infusion.