What to drink for bloating during pregnancy. Gas and bloating during pregnancy - what to do

Bloating during pregnancy very often becomes one of the most unpleasant “companions” of bearing a baby. It is this symptom that many expectant mothers encounter during pregnancy, which may be due to several factors. In any case, if a pregnant woman is regularly bothered by bloating during pregnancy, which can not only cause a feeling of discomfort, but also be painful, you should seek help from a specialist. The doctor will not only tell you about the most important reasons that cause bloating during pregnancy, but will also determine what measures need to be taken to eliminate it.

And bloating occurs during pregnancy for several reasons. So, it may be associated with major hormonal changes that occur in the body of the expectant mother. It is known that in the early stages the pregnant woman’s body synthesizes a large amount of the hormone responsible for relaxing the smooth muscles of the internal organs - this is necessary to relax the uterus and avoid miscarriage. But at the same time that the uterus relaxes under the influence of progesterone, this hormone simultaneously relaxes the intestinal muscles, preventing its normal emptying from accumulated gases. Starting from the second trimester and until the end of pregnancy, the baby is already growing rapidly in the womb, the uterus accordingly increases significantly in size and puts pressure on the intestines, which causes constipation and bloating. Also, the causes of bloating during pregnancy can be improper nutrition of the pregnant woman, exacerbation of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Abdominal bloating during pregnancy is also associated with constant and nervous tension, if they occur in the life of a pregnant woman; and with congenital enzymatic deficiency. In the latter case, food that is not digested in the stomach and small intestine due to a lack of enzymes necessary for this goes directly into the large intestine. Here its further decomposition occurs with the release of a large amount of gases, which provokes bloating during pregnancy.

The main conditions for eliminating this symptom are a special diet and a well-designed diet, and, if necessary, the use of carminatives prescribed by the doctor. A diet to avoid bloating involves minimal consumption of foods that contribute to the release and accumulation of large amounts of gas. These are foods such as legumes, cabbage, asparagus, black bread, pickled vegetables, as well as large quantities of raw vegetables and fruits, fried and fatty foods. You should eat little and often, it is advisable to switch to fractional meals and eat 5-6 times a day in small quantities. It is recommended to maintain a water regime: during the day you need to drink enough liquid to avoid. But it’s better not to drink food with liquid, but to make up for its deficiency throughout the day. In this case, you should drink from a glass, and not from a bottle or through a straw, to avoid excess air entering the stomach. As for drinks, it is better to give preference to kefir, weak tea, compotes, and not to carbonated water, which contains carbon dioxide; It’s also better to give up coffee. You should eat while sitting, eat slowly and chew thoroughly.

To prevent, and if it has already appeared, then reduce bloating during pregnancy, it is advisable to devote time to physical activity. Even simple long walking in the fresh air will be useful, allowing you to increase the tone of the digestive tract. Yoga, gymnastics for pregnant women, swimming - all these physical exercises will be an excellent way to prevent and eliminate bloating. Clothing, both for training and everyday wear, should be loose-fitting so that it does not squeeze the body in the waist and abdomen.

If you no longer have any strength to fight bloating, you should consult a doctor for advice about carminative medications. In most cases, Espumisan becomes the drug of choice: it is not absorbed into the blood and does not have any effect on the fetus, for which it is recognized as safe. And, nevertheless, even when taking carminatives, you should not neglect fermented milk products, such as kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt: they are a container for the necessary lactobacilli, which reduce gas formation in the intestines.

Especially for - Tatyana Argamakova

Pregnancy is a wonderful and unique time in the life of every woman. Carrying a child is hard work, and it is associated not only with anxiety about his health, but also with troubles in the well-being of the expectant mother. In the later stages, this is discomfort from a greatly enlarged belly and heartburn; in the early stages, women are often tormented by toxicosis, drowsiness, and bloating and increased gas formation can be annoying throughout the entire nine months.

Bloating during pregnancy is especially inconvenient because it interferes with leading a normal lifestyle. And in an interesting position, a woman is disturbed by any unpleasant sensations.

Symptoms of flatulence in pregnant women

Causes of bloating during pregnancy

All of them, one way or another, are related to the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The following reasons are identified:

• Progesterone

In the early stages, the hormone progesterone is produced in large quantities. It is needed to prevent the body from rejecting the fetus. The amount of progesterone determines whether a woman will have a strong uterine tone and whether there is a threat of miscarriage. The more progesterone, the less likely it is that there will be problems maintaining pregnancy. But there is also a second side to the coin - the hormone relaxes not only the uterus, but also all the smooth muscles. Intestinal peristalsis slows down for a while, gases are retained in it, and the pregnant woman suffers from bloating.

• Enzyme deficiency

During pregnancy, a double load falls on the pancreas. Enzyme deficiency may occur. Its symptoms are as follows: in addition to bloating, a woman is bothered by frequent bowel movements, belching, and heartburn. Pregnant women should take care of their pancreas and follow a diet. The risk of developing enzyme deficiency is especially high in women with disorders of the endocrine system.

• Fetal growth

Abdominal bloating plagues pregnant women not only in the early stages, but also in the later stages. This is due to the rapid increase in fetal weight. The growing uterus displaces all nearby organs, taking up all the space in the abdominal cavity. It also compresses the intestines, already relaxed by the effects of progesterone. It is difficult for processed food and gases to move through the compressed intestines, causing colic and bloating.

• Non-compliance with the diet

If a pregnant woman consumes a lot of gas-forming foods, she will invariably suffer from flatulence. Such products traditionally include cabbage, beans and other legumes, and rye bread. They will lead to bloating and a large amount of raw vegetables and fruits. Fatty foods will also cause discomfort. Heavy meals will also put a strain on the pancreas, causing enzyme deficiency. Negative factors include insufficient fluid intake. This is fraught with constipation, which is especially dangerous in the early stages. A pregnant woman should not suffer from thirst, but, naturally, drinking carbonated drinks is prohibited.

• Often, digestive problems and flatulence in pregnant women are caused by iron supplements prescribed to increase hemoglobin in the blood.
• Twisting of the stomach can also be due to nervousness. During pregnancy, a woman is anxious and suspicious, because she is responsible for the life and health of the baby inside her.

Flatulence during pregnancy: treatment

Despite the fact that bloating in pregnant women is a completely natural phenomenon, it can be managed. There are several ways to fix it:

• Taking medications

There are various drugs created to relieve colic and bloating - they are called carminatives. Most often they are prescribed to infants suffering from infant colic. During pregnancy, the use of such drugs is allowed, but, of course, before using them you need to read the instructions or consult a doctor. The basis of carminatives is simethicone. This is a harmless substance that is not absorbed into the blood. It helps gases escape more easily and reduces their amount. If bloating is caused by taking iron supplements, taking them orally (by mouth) can be replaced with injections.

• Proper diet

Pregnancy is an excellent reason to start eating right. Replacing fatty and fried foods with boiled and stewed foods will benefit not only the gastrointestinal tract, but also the entire body.

• Folk remedies

You can resort to another remedy traditionally used for bloating in children - dill water. It's easy to do. It is necessary to brew dill (fennel) seeds and consume them in small quantities throughout the day.

• Activity

A pregnant woman should move enough. Often, while pregnant, a woman does not feel well, but moderate physical activity is something that is worth spending time and effort on. Special morning exercises and yoga classes for pregnant women will help improve the functioning of the digestive system.

Bloating in pregnant women is a common phenomenon, but by correctly identifying the causes of bloating, you can quickly cope with its symptoms.

Flatulence is an excessive accumulation of gases in the gastrointestinal tract (gastrointestinal tract), accompanied by bloating, a feeling of discomfort or heaviness, attacks of cramping pain, hiccups and belching.

A healthy person contains about 900 cubic meters in the intestines and stomach. see gases that are necessary to maintain normal bowel function. The removal of gases from the gastrointestinal tract can normally occur up to 15 times a day. As a rule, flatulence is observed in almost all pregnant women, both in the early and late stages. This unpleasant symptom can cause discomfort to a woman, indicate a gastrointestinal disease and pose a threat to the favorable course of pregnancy, including premature birth.

Causes of bloating during pregnancy

Bloating during pregnancy can be caused by various causes and predisposing factors. Sometimes, a pregnant woman cannot independently determine the cause of increased gas formation and really assess the danger of the situation - consultation with a specialist if signs of flatulence appear is necessary in any case and at any stage of pregnancy.

Predisposing factors that provoke bloating during pregnancy include:

• clothing that restricts movement;
• nervous tension or stress;
• environmental factors;
• insufficient water consumption;
• poor nutrition.

Causes of bloating during pregnancy can be:

Most often, flatulence is caused by poorly digested food - it is not completely broken down by bacteria in the large intestine, which leads to fermentation processes and increased gas formation. As a rule, this most often occurs with certain carbohydrate foods and fats that slow down digestion.

You are most likely to experience excess gas when eating foods that contain raffinose: cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, legumes, or asparagus. For many people, flatulence is triggered by eating carbonated drinks, onions, artichokes, pears and starchy foods. Bloating can be caused by eating fried or fatty foods. The increased fiber content in vegetables and fruits normally causes flatulence, since fiber is broken down in the large intestine.

Symptoms of bloating during pregnancy

When the abdomen is bloated, a pregnant woman may complain of a feeling of fullness and heaviness in the abdominal cavity, noisy passage of gases or their retention, nausea, constipation or diarrhea, loss of appetite, and an unpleasant taste in the mouth. It is typical that aching pain in the abdominal area subsides after the gases are removed. In some cases, there may be complaints of headaches and muscle pain, irritability, general weakness, sleep disturbances, palpitations and a burning sensation in the heart area. A pregnant woman may also experience cramping pain in the abdominal area. Sometimes there are cases of increased blood pressure and increased heart rate.

Consequences and complications of bloating during pregnancy

A disorder in the functioning of internal organs can cause general weakness, insomnia, heart pain and severe migraines - this harms not only the expectant mother, but also the child. Gases that distend the intestines can cause an increase in the tone of the uterine walls and provoke miscarriages and premature birth. Poor health of a pregnant woman leads to the fact that she begins to eat inadequately and, thereby, provokes insufficient intake of microelements and vitamins into the child’s body necessary for its normal development.

First aid for bloating during pregnancy

In the first months of pregnancy, a serious symptom can be the appearance of cramping pain due to excessive accumulation of gases in the abdomen. In such situations, it is recommended to immediately undergo a full examination by your doctor. A special diet and gentle medications will help get rid of the negative manifestations of flatulence and prevent the development of complications.

In some cases, a pregnant woman can help herself by making clockwise stroking movements in the abdominal area for 15 minutes. Regular walks and visits to the pool, in the absence of contraindications, will help get rid of discomfort and perfectly prepare the body for childbirth.

Treatment for bloating during pregnancy

“What to do if you have bloating during pregnancy?” – this is the question every woman suffering from flatulence asks herself. Only a doctor can answer it accurately and accurately.

• If bloating is caused by gastrointestinal diseases, then it is necessary to choose the right one and use medications that correspond to the diagnosis and the fact that the patient is pregnant. Self-medication in such cases can significantly harm the health of the mother and child.
• If progesterone levels are elevated, a specialist will be able to recommend a set of special exercises and increasing physical activity through walks in the fresh air. A woman can attend special classes to prepare for childbirth, belly dancing, a swimming pool or yoga for pregnant women - the main condition is that she is under the supervision of an experienced instructor.
• Flatulence that occurs due to an incorrect diet can be corrected with the help of a properly selected diet. A woman should not eat fatty, spicy, floury and sweet foods that contain sucrose. Fermented milk products, salads with vegetable oils and dried fruits should be included in the diet.
• Bloating can be treated with herbal infusions and medications that are not contraindicated during pregnancy and concomitant chronic diseases. Even the most common pharmacy chamomile can help cope with unpleasant symptoms.

The time of bearing a child becomes one of the most significant periods in a woman’s life, filled with joyful anticipation of the birth of a new life.

But often these wonderful sensations are overshadowed by unpleasant phenomena in the form of periodic deterioration in health.

The most common problems during pregnancy are bloating, heartburn, and toxicosis with morning sickness.

What to do when such manifestations occur? When can you use home remedies, and in what cases should you see a doctor?

Bloating during pregnancy. How to deal with it

Abdominal bloating begins to bother pregnant women, mainly in the second and third trimester, when the enlarged uterus begins to put pressure on the stomach and intestines.

At this time, many women reduce their physical activity; instead of exercising and walking, they prefer to rest, which negatively affects digestion and the natural release of gases.

The widespread belief that during pregnancy you need to eat intensely so that the child can receive the substances necessary for growth also plays a role.

This should not be done; systematic overeating will inevitably lead to digestive problems, causing heartburn, nausea and bloating.

To provide the growing fetus with all the substances important for its development, it is enough to diversify your diet with seasonal vegetables and fruits, and, if necessary, take vitamins under the supervision of a doctor.

Bloating during pregnancy is not dangerous and will go away as soon as the baby is born.

But if a woman has encountered it before, or has a history of diseases of the digestive organs, she should report bloating to the doctor, since chronic diseases may worsen during pregnancy.

In such cases, you will need to undergo a course of therapy; self-medication can harm both mother and baby.

Causes of bloating during pregnancy

Bloating is one of the symptoms of flatulence (excessive gas production).

When, for some reason, gases cannot escape, but wander through the intestines, bloating, rumbling, and cramping pain in different parts of the abdomen occurs, which goes away after they are released.

Although the pain is short-term, it can be very severe when gases pass through the intestines.

In each specific case, consultation with a doctor is necessary, because any treatment carried out without serious indications may pose a threat to the fetus.

If bloating during pregnancy is accompanied by headaches, general weakness, changes in blood pressure, nausea not associated with toxicosis, or dizziness, this is a reason to consult a doctor.

In cases of complete loss of appetite, vomiting, repeated diarrhea, high fever, acute pain in the lower abdomen, you should urgently call an ambulance; these are very dangerous symptoms.

They may indicate an acute intestinal infection, food poisoning, or the threat of miscarriage.

How to eliminate bloating during pregnancy

If after all the examinations no pathologies were identified, then bloating in the second trimester of pregnancy can be considered, although unpleasant, but a natural phenomenon that is not difficult to cope with.

To eliminate flatulence, medications approved for use by pregnant women or natural methods are used.

1. Espumisan, a remedy that is prescribed even to newborn babies, will quickly and effectively relieve bloating. Take 2 capsules at night. When using this drug, you must drink plenty of fluids, otherwise constipation may occur.
2. Simethicone - drops, drink 25-30 drops after meals.
3. Meteospasmil - take 1-2 capsules 2-3 times a day before meals.
4. Activated carbon should be used with caution, as it tends to absorb iron, which can lead to anemia in pregnant women.
5. Iberogast is a natural herbal composition.
6. Hilak Forte, Bifidum-Bakterin, Ecoflor are medicines that normalize microflora.

These drugs are allowed during pregnancy; if used correctly, they will not cause any adverse reactions and will not harm the baby.

In addition to medications, there are many other methods to eliminate or reduce bloating.

A warm bath, abdominal massage, or a special exercise in which the abdominal muscles are tensed and then relaxed will help.

In exceptional cases, when severe bloating causes heaviness and colic, and nothing helps, you can use a gas tube.

If the condition is satisfactory, herbal infusions and food products will come to the rescue:

• green tea with chamomile and thyme;
• mint infusion with chamomile;
• cumin – 3 tsp. pour two cups of boiling water over the crushed seeds, leave to brew for 2 hours, drink a quarter cup several times a day;
• infusion of dill seeds;
• kiwi fruits - it is enough to eat one in the morning and in the evening, you should not overuse it, so as not to cause diarrhea;
• ginger tea;
• if there is no heartburn, you can use ginger powder with freshly squeezed lemon juice, consume a little before meals for 7-10 days; The product improves appetite and normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Some foods can also reduce bloating during pregnancy: whole grain bread, buckwheat and oatmeal, steamed egg white omelet, green tea, fresh herbs, boiled carrots and beets.

In this case, you will have to exclude from the menu everything that contributes to the excessive formation of gases: legumes, all types of cabbage, mushrooms, peanuts, corn, fresh milk, eggplant, kvass, baked goods, confectionery.

During pregnancy, heartburn is often tormented, and many are accustomed to cope with it with the help of a baking soda solution.

This remedy should not be used by patients with heartburn. And pregnant women should especially avoid it, since soda increases the formation of gases in the intestines, which leads to pain in the lower abdomen.

During pregnancy, even women who feel well are extremely important to monitor their diet, since the health of their unborn child depends on it.

In addition to foods that provoke flatulence, you need to reduce the amount of flour, sweet, fatty, spicy foods, fast food, canned and pickled vegetables and fruits.

You should also avoid chemical ingredients in store-bought products, artificial sugar substitutes, and semi-finished products.

You need to monitor your body’s reactions, since hormonal changes during pregnancy lead to the fact that a woman may develop intolerance to foods that she previously consumed without problems.

Having determined which foods make your stomach bloat, you should avoid them in the future.

Daily routine and healthy habits

During pregnancy, it is more important than ever to maintain a daily routine and physical activity.

Although during this period you want to pamper yourself, sleep longer, relax, eat something that you couldn’t afford before pregnancy, good health directly depends on a properly organized routine.

In addition to the diet, it includes sleep for at least 8-9 hours, light physical exercises designed specifically for pregnant women, feasible work, walks at a slow pace, especially after meals, and positive emotions.

Swimming has a positive effect on the health of a pregnant woman; it can be practiced at any time, if your health allows.

Swimming uses all muscles, including the abdomen, improves the functioning of the digestive organs, and helps the body prepare for childbirth.

The only caution that must be taken into account is that you can only swim in a clean pool or pond; the stagnant water of a rural pond is not suitable for this purpose; it is often contaminated with pathogenic bacteria.

Sea and sunbathing will have a beneficial effect, but only in the morning and late afternoon, when the sun is not so active.

For the entire 9 months, you need to put skirts and trousers with tight waistbands, shapewear, corsets, and clothes that are too tight into the closet.

At this time, it is better to wear loose dresses, sundresses, and overalls that do not squeeze the stomach or hamper movement.

It’s not even worth mentioning that during the entire period of bearing a child and breastfeeding, you should not drink alcohol, smoke or take strong medications without compelling medical indications.

There is an opinion that dry red wine and beer do not harm the fetus and are acceptable during pregnancy in small doses, and some women allow themselves to drink these drinks.

This should not be done under any circumstances; beer and wine, like all other alcohol, affects the fetus and leads to defects and anomalies in its development, especially in the early stages.

Although psychological disorders are difficult to associate with digestive processes, during pregnancy, stressful and conflict situations, nervous tension, depression and depression can be the culprits of flatulence, abdominal pain and other disorders.

In this regard, it is important to control your emotional state, avoid quarrels and conflicts, and in case of nervous excitability, take natural sedatives after consultation with a doctor.

To get positive emotions, you can listen to your favorite music, watch films with positive content, engage in hobbies, and set aside time to communicate with loved ones.

In combination with proper nutrition, proper rest, and balanced physical activity, you can overcome all the difficulties associated with poor health, and the pregnancy period will pass in joyful anticipation of the birth of a new life.

Useful video

A special hormonal background during pregnancy provokes flatulence and relaxation of the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall. The intestinal loops swell and protrude freely, so women may mistake abdominal bloating during early pregnancy for an already enlarged uterus with a fetus. But besides the visual illusion, bloating can cause many inconveniences, such as pain, indigestion, and belching. The condition can be managed with safe medications and diet.

Flatulence is increased gas formation, which causes a lot of inconvenience to a person. Normally, gases are regularly formed in the intestines. They are a special foam, shrouded in mucus from bacteria and intestinal juices. The amount of gases depends on the type of nutrition and the smooth functioning of the digestive organs. The same can be said about the smell. It does not always have to be smelly, as this is a sign of the activity of pathogenic bacteria in the intestines.

Bloating during pregnancy: why it occurs

Even an absolutely healthy woman may periodically experience flatulence and bloating. Its intensity depends on the amount of fiber received (coarse fibers), the work of the pancreas and intestinal microflora, and on peristalsis. Normally, flatulence should not be prolonged and cause severe discomfort. Gas formation is necessary for normal peristalsis and maintaining acid-base balance in the intestines. This is influenced by the following processes.

• Swallowing air while eating. This process is called aerophagy. Air enters the stomach especially abundantly when using chewing gum and carbonated drinks.
• Life activity of microbes. In the large and small intestines, lactic acid bacteria process carbohydrates, releasing carbon dioxide and other gases.
• When neutralizing gastric juice. Hydrochloric acid from the stomach partially enters the duodenum, where it is neutralized by bile acids and pancreatic secretions.

Violation of some process leads to flatulence and resulting other unpleasant symptoms.

The main causes of bloating during pregnancy are enhanced by a special hormonal background. High concentrations of progesterone relax the intestines - peristalsis slows down, food accumulates, and is digested more slowly. As the uterus enlarges, the location of the intestinal loops changes. All this provokes constipation, pain in the lower abdomen, and flatulence. Some people perceive a “bloated” stomach as a sign of pregnancy and confuse the “passing of gases” with movements.

Fine

Bloating and flatulence during pregnancy are not always a pathology. The following eating habits can normally cause this.

• Soda while eating. Some of the air bubbles leave the stomach along with belching, while the other goes further into the intestines, causing flatulence and bloating. In addition, soda contains a large amount of sugar, which contributes to weight gain during pregnancy.
• Talking while eating. When communicating with other people while eating, a person swallows portions of air unnoticed. Especially if you are in a hurry or “eating on the go.”
• Chewing gum. Chewing is often accompanied by conversation, for example on a mobile phone. At the same time, the girl will constantly swallow air.
• Large portions. It is recommended to eat in small pieces, chewing thoroughly. Large parts of food, especially meat or any fried or smoked foods, do not have time to be digested by gastric juice and proceed further into the intestines. This leads to increased fermentation, rotting and flatulence with the release of gases with an unpleasant odor.
• Products that cause gas formation. Many women constantly include foods in their diet that inevitably lead to flatulence. For example, cauliflower or white cabbage, all types of apples, peas, lentils, beans, beans, pearl barley.
• Products that provoke fermentation. Fresh baked goods, kvass, and beer drinks contain a large number of bacteria that activate fermentation in the intestines with the formation of large amounts of gases.
• Intolerance to some sugars. As most people age, the amount of lactase, an enzyme that is responsible for processing lactose, which is found in large quantities in dairy products, decreases. Lactose intolerance may be congenital, but any disturbances in the digestion of lactose lead to increased gas formation and bloating when consuming any dairy products.
• Stress. Psycho-emotional stress, to which pregnant women are especially susceptible, leads to intestinal dysfunction and flatulence. Spasms of intestinal smooth muscles impair motility and cause gas retention.

For pathology

Bloating and gases during pregnancy may indicate acute surgical pathology, as well as functional changes in the functioning of the intestines and adjacent organs.

• Diseases of the liver and pancreas. The conditions are accompanied by insufficient production of bile acids and digestive enzymes. As a result, undigested food moves further into the small and large intestines, where it undergoes rotting and fermentation. Symptoms of increased gas formation are characteristic of chronic pancreatitis, cholelithiasis, inflammation of the gallbladder, cirrhosis of the liver and chronic hepatitis.
• Intestinal diseases. Violation of absorption and digestion processes leads to flatulence. For example, with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, enteritis.
• Changes in intestinal microflora. An imbalance of beneficial and pathogenic microflora enhances the processes of fermentation and gas formation. For example, after taking antibacterial drugs, ARVI, influenza, poisoning. Symptoms of flatulence may persist long after recovery from the underlying illness.
• Acute surgical conditions. Bloating and sharp pain in the abdomen are one of the symptoms of intestinal obstruction, which can occur during pregnancy. The condition is most often provoked by adhesive disease and tumors.

What causes the condition?

Flatulence is accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms. Most often, pregnant women note the following:

• bloating - occurs if the resulting gases do not escape in a timely manner;
• abdominal pain - appears due to overstretching of intestinal loops;
• bowel disorder- diarrhea or constipation may occur;
• belching - sour or bitter contents, a burning sensation behind the sternum also appears.

How to identify the cause

Before treating flatulence during pregnancy, you should find out or suggest a possible cause of indigestion. The use of additional diagnostic methods during pregnancy is limited, since many of them (for example, radiography) have negative consequences for the growth and development of the fetus.

If the woman’s general condition does not suffer, but minor pain is noted and other symptoms are not expressed, most likely the disorders are functional in nature. A review of the diet, safe decoctions and simple exercises will help cope with the condition.

Intense pain, the appearance of blood, copious mucus in the stool, or an increase in temperature should be a reason to seek medical help. If necessary, the following diagnostic methods are used:

• general and biochemical blood test;
• coprogram - stool examination;
• culture of intestinal contents for microflora;
• in extreme cases, radiography of the abdominal cavity.

Nutrition rules for increased gas formation

When thinking about how to get rid of bloating during pregnancy, the first thing you should do is review your diet. The main recommendations are as follows:

• eat small meals every three to four hours;
• chew all foods thoroughly;
• exclude chewing gum and soda from the diet;
• eating should be at least 15-20 minutes - without haste or excitement;
• breakfast should be complete;
• Instead of drinks, coffee and tea, it is better to drink compotes or clean water.

Table - What can pregnant women do if they have bloating and foods that are best put aside

There is no specific diet for bloating. Any product can cause flatulence and pain in one woman, but not provoke distress in another. It is important to listen to your body - this way you can easily identify the “provocateur” and limit its use. Reviews from women prove the effectiveness of such a diet for flatulence.

Physical activity

All exercises to improve the passage of gases come down to increasing intestinal motility and tensing the abdominal muscles. During pregnancy, such methods can cause the threat of miscarriage or premature birth, so they should not be performed.

But reasonable physical activity will help prevent gases from accumulating in the intestines, thereby reducing bloating and the intensity of pain arising from swelling and stretching of tissues. It is useful to walk in the evenings, visit the pool, and do yoga.

To improve the passage of gases in the early stages, you can perform a small abdominal massage - you need to use gentle massaging movements in a circle from right to left. In addition, you can place a warm heating pad on your stomach before the massage. This will relieve spasm and help evacuate gases.

Drug treatment

If the diet during pregnancy is ineffective, you should use anti-bloating remedies. When choosing any medicine, you should carefully study the instructions, contraindications and the possibility of use during pregnancy.

For example, the herbal preparation Bebinos, which has an antispasmodic effect, is allowed in the 1st trimester. Drugs based on domperidone (“Motilium”), which enhance intestinal motility and have an antiemetic effect, are not recommended for use without significant indications, even in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, and especially in the early stages.

Table - How to remove gases from the intestines: safe medications during pregnancy

All medications have a local effect (for example, enzymes or preparations of beneficial bacteria) or are not absorbed from the intestines (defoamers, enterosorbents), so it is not at all dangerous to take them for bloating during pregnancy. But the need for drug treatment must be determined by a doctor; only a specialist can recommend the most effective group of drugs in each specific case.

other methods

Traditional medicine is also replete with recipes for infusions, decoctions and tinctures that will help get rid of bloating. In most cases, restrictions on their use exist only in cases of individual intolerance to the components.

• Dill-based products. It is useful to brew dill seeds and drink instead of tea. To increase efficiency, it is recommended to first crush the seeds in a mortar.
• Valerian, chamomile and cumin. You should take one part of chamomile flowers, the same amount of cumin seeds and four parts of crushed valerian root. Pour boiling water over it and let it brew for half an hour, then take half a glass twice a day.
• Chopped ginger root. It is necessary to finely grate the root, then take half a teaspoon two to three times a day with warm water.

While “waiting for a miracle,” symptoms of increased gas formation are more common. It is necessary to treat bloating during pregnancy in the later stages, and especially in the first half, in consultation with a doctor. A review of the diet and safe medications will relieve unpleasant symptoms.

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