Both of Adele Hedrick?s pregnancies were marred by months of cramping, bloating and gassiness thanks to constipation, which affects 11 to 38 percent of pregnant women. ?It added so much more discomfort to pregnancy,? says the Bowmanville, Ont. mom of two. When she developed painful hemorrhoids as a result of straining, Hedrick knew it was time to put some serious effort into softening her stools. ?I focused on drinking lots of water and eating whatever fibre I could get my hands on,? she says. ?All-Bran was my best friend.?
What causes pregnancy constipation

When you become pregnant, rising levels of the hormone progesterone slow your digestive system to a snail?s pace, and for good reason: your body is absorbing the extra nutrients and fluids it needs to grow a healthy baby. The result, though, is harder stools that are more difficult to pass. This happens so early that it?s a first sign of pregnancy for some women, says Suzanne Wong, an OB/GYN at Toronto?s St. Joseph?s Health Centre. In your second and third trimesters, pressure from your growing uterus on your bowels can exacerbate the problem, and that extra iron and calcium in your prenatal vitamins are binding, so they?re not doing your situation any favours, either. And if you suffered from constipation prior to pregnancy, there?s a good chance you?ll suffer in pregnancy. ?The risk of becoming constipated is enhanced if you have a predisposition to it,? says Wong.
While it can make you feel all sorts of awful, it?s ...