Re: What can I do to get rid of bloating and indigestion?
Trust us, we feel your pain. 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 smooth 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.
See if you’re guilty of a few of them (or all of them!):
• Eating greasy, fatty, or highly seasoned foods
• 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
Sound familiar? 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 doc immediately to see if maybe something else is to blame.
Kerry Dougherty | March 01 , 2010 12:24 PM