When Does Bloating Stop During Pregnancy

Tips To Reduce Bloating In Pregnancy

Treating Pregnancy Symptoms : How to Prevent Bloating During Pregnancy

Drink plenty of water – try and drink at least 8 glasses of water per day to help keep things moving through your digestive system to help avoid constipation which can make bloating feel a lot worse.
Eat little and often – not only will this better nourish you and your baby, opting for six small meals instead of 3 large ones will make it easier for your stomach to digest your food.
Up your fibre intake – having plenty of fibre in your diet can ease constipation and bloating so swap your pasta and bread for whole wheat and try to up the number of fruit and vegetables you eat in a day.
Eat slower – the faster you eat, the more air you take it which can make you feel very bloated. Try slowing things down when you eat and try not to rush meals.
Avoid high-fat foods – these can often make you feel even more bloated and gassy.
Exercise regularly– regular and gentle exercise will help speed up your digestive process – even if its just a brisk walk at lunchtime. Find out more on how to safely exercise in pregnancy.
Eat fewer foods that are likely to make you gassy – foods such as cabbage, baked beans, brussels sprouts and broccoli are all likely to increase the amount of gas you produce so try and go a little easier on your helpings of these foods.

What Causes Bloating During Pregnancy

Progesterone is a necessary hormone throughout all stages of your pregnancy. So much so that its levels will continue to rise through all 40 weeks.

In early pregnancy, progesterone helps increase blood flow to your uterus and stimulates the glands in your uterus to thicken and provide nutrients to the growing baby. It also helps your body develop the placenta.

Soon the placenta will start making progesterone on its own as well. This further helps the baby to grow, as well as helping your pelvic muscles to strengthen and prevents your uterus from contracting until its time to go into labor.

But while progesterone does a lot of good things for you and your baby, it does have a few side effects that are less than desirable. These include breast tenderness, fatigue, and you guessed it bloating.

What Does Early Pregnancy Bloating Feel Like

Although you wont be looking like youre smuggling a beach ball under your shirt just yet, bloating in early pregnancy might have you feeling like a balloon thats been blown up too far.

Vegetables Can Be Culprits Too

Yes, you heard it right. There are certain vegetables that cause gas, and this means that it is good to either avoid them or eat them in moderation. Some of such vegetables include cabbage, radish, cauliflower, beans, broccoli and asparagus. You also need to keep a tab of what vegetables are causing bloating and can avoid them as well.

Small And Slow Is The Way To Go

The larger the meal, the harder it is to digest. Have you noticed you often feel tired after eating a big meal? Thats because of all the energy your body is having to use to digest all that food .

Smaller meals are easier to digest, lessening the tiredness and bloating you can feel after eating. Focusing more on protein, fruits, and veggies and less on carbohydrates will also keep up your energy levels!

Many healthcare providers suggest pregnant women eat six small meals a day. Frequent meals? Sign us up!

Eating slower can help too because it takes 20 minutes on average for a persons brain to realize they are full. By eating slowly, you allow your body to send your brain the signal that you are full before youve actually overeaten. By not overeating, bloating may be prevented.

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What Causes Pregnancy Bloating

It might seem as though your jeans start to feel snug as soon as the pregnancy test comes back positive and you can thank the pregnancy hormone progesterone for that puffy phenomenon.

While progesterone is essential for maintaining a healthy pregnancy , it also triggers that oh-so-delightful trio: bloating, burping and passing gas.

Why? Progesterone causes the smooth muscle tissue in your body to relax. This slows down digestion, giving the nutrients from food you eat more time to enter your bloodstream and reach your baby. That’s the good news.

The bad news is this slower digestion when you’re pregnant can cause you to feel bloated and bring on a cramp or two .

Whats more, your expanding uterus places increasing pressure on your rectum, which can wreak havoc on muscle control and lead to the passing of some serious wind.

What Does Indigestion And Bloating Involve

Its sometimes an embarrassing side effect of pregnancy as you may find yourself being a little more flatulent these days. This extra gas is due to indigestion and bloating, which are both common pregnancy symptoms. Its our bodys way of dealing with the gas building up inside us. This indigestion, bloating and flatulence can also cause some abdominal discomfort.

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It’s Easy To Get The Care You Need

See a Premier Physician Network provider near you.

Your girlfriends might not have prepared you for this: Pregnancy can make you gassy.

Once you find out your baby is on the way, you may start to feel bloated and full around the belly, you may burp more often, and you may to put it subtly pass wind more than youre used to.

All of this can uncomfortable and ahem embarrassing.

Can You Minimize Gas And Bloating During Pregnancy

Home remedies for gas and bloating during pregnancy | Get rid of gas

Fortunately, the answer is yes. Use these tips to help lessen your discomfort and reduce gas and bloating:

Know what foods are your triggers. Some moms find keeping a food diary helpful. If you notice more bloating and gas after eating broccoli and beans, save those for dinner at home rather than lunch at the office. Other foods that commonly cause gas include whole grains, cauliflower, cabbage, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts. Dont cut out these healthy, fiber- and protein-rich foods entirely because theyre full of good nutrients for you and your baby. Just watch when and where you eat them, and how much.

Take your time eating. If you eat quickly, youre likely taking in a lot of air with each bite. That can settle in your stomach to form gas bubbles and cause bloating. Slow down and chew your food thoroughly. Eating smaller portions can help, too. Plan three small meals with two or three snacks in between.

Stay away from sugary, carbonated drinks and fried fatty foods. These are all proven gas producers. Limit them in your diet.

Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated helps with digestion and can prevent constipation. Youll take in less air if you drink slowly. Sip. Dont chug.

Exercise. In addition to being good for your overall health, exercise helps stimulate digestion.

If youre thinking about starting any medication or herbal supplement to help with gas pain and bloating, talk to your doctor first.

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How Is Gas Produced In The Body

Gas is caught in the digestive tract in two ways when you swallow air, and when bacteria break down undigested food in the intestine. You release most of this gas from your stomach by burping. And flatulence occurs as a result of gas that travels down till the colon .

Carbohydrates produce a lot of gas, unlike proteins and fats. Fats can slow down the digestion process as they take time to empty out the stomach, and it could lead to bloating .

Besides the above essential nutrients, there are certain foods that should be avoided to prevent gas and bloating.

How To Stop Smelly Farts Quickly

Smelly farts are rarely something to worry about. This condition can, however, be annoying and embarrassing, especially when in public places. High consumption of food that is rich in sulfur is one of the main causes of smelly farts. So cutting down on such consumption can help prevent and stop smelly farts.

Cassandra Forsythe, a fitness and nutrition scientist, compiled a list of high FODMAP that can help your stop smelly farts.

Increasing the amount of protein you consume can help get rid of smelly farts. According to DR. Brand, protein generates less gas, which means with increased consumption of protein, you are likely to fart less.

To stop the farting, you will need to avoid high-fat meats, you can, however, eat lean white meat such as chicken, fish, and turkey.

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What Are The Causes Of Bloating During Pregnancy

While bloating during your pregnancyis quite common, it may happen due to a number of different reasons. Here are a few for your understanding.

1. Gas

There will be a change in hormones when you are pregnant these changes are necessary to support your developing baby. Relaxin and progesterone are responsible for stretching your pelvic area during labor, but they can also cause constipation. Your digestive system may also slow down during pregnancy, and this gives time to naturally occurring bacteria in the intestines to break down the food and form gas. This gas is usually the reason behind heartburn and bloating.

2. Uterine Swelling

The fertilized egg implants itself in the uterine wall by the 4th week of pregnancy. The blood vessels of the endometrium and the uterine lining offer nourishment for the embryo until the placenta develops. There will also be an increased flow of blood to the uterus, which increases the heart rate and causes uterine walls to swell. The swollen uterus will take up more space in your pelvic region and make you feel bloated.

3. Constipation

The fetus absorbs water content from the food that reaches the intestine. This leaves your stool dry, which may even lead to a buildup of rectal matter. This usually causes gas and bloating with constipation and other issues.

4. Weight Gain

What’s Happening In My Body

You may be struggling to do up your jeans. Your uterus is around the size of a large orange, while your baby is more like the size of an apricot.

You may be feeling a bit bloated, and burping or passing wind â you can blame your hormones for that! . The female hormone progesterone is just doing its job, and relaxing the muscles in your womb so that it can expand along with your growing baby. However, in the process, the muscles in your digestive tract also become looser and this can lead to all kinds of symptoms including heartburn. This is particularly likely to strike if you’re expecting twins.

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Bloating During Pregnancy: Causes & Home Remedies

So, you are suffering from terrible bloating during pregnancy? Youre not alone. Almost all pregnant women suffer from this sometimes during pregnancy.

Like other problems associated with pregnancy like leg cramps, insomnia during pregnancy, thyroid, and gestational diabetes, bloating has troubled many women.

Lets dive into the problem head-on and learn how to solve this nuisance through home remedies.

Cut Off Refined Sugars

Sweet tooth during pregnancy is common. But you need to control the urge to consume refined sugars. Carbonated beverages and sweetened fruit juices also contain high levels of fructose corn syrup, which contributes to bloating. Choose fresh fruit juices of apricots, bananas, and peaches to satisfy your craving for candies and soda drinks. Avoid chewing gum and slimming foods as they contain sorbitol, which can cause gas and bloating during pregnancy .

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How Do I Know If Its Bloating Or A Baby Bump

While its impossible to pin a date on when youll start to show, for most first-time mums, there probably wont be much sign of an actual bump before 13 weeks and for many, not much before 18 weeks. So if youre still in the first trimester but you feel like youre 5 months pregnant, its probably bloating thats to blame.

Iim 6+1 and definietly feeling bloated! Not really eating much either as feeling quite sicky! Melanie09

Painful Gas Causes And Prevention During Pregnancy

Pregnancy gas and bloating

Brian Levine, MD, MS, is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology as well as in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.

Gas After Delivery

Gas and bloating are common discomforts of pregnancy. These digestion-related symptoms, which can range from mildly uncomfortable to downright painful, are caused by a variety of factors, including hormones and diet. The uptick in bloating and gas can come and go but can be an annoyance throughout pregnancy.

Heres what you need to know about the symptoms and causes of painful gas and bloating during pregnancy and after childbirth, as well as some tips on how to find relief and when to call the doctor.

Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin

When Does The Belly Bump Start To Show

Each pregnancy is different. A few things determine when your belly bump will become noticeable and how large it will be:

Number of pregnancies

First-time mothers can expect a noticeable belly expansion between 12 and 16 weeks. Your pregnancy symptoms may include bloating and constipation, causing your waistband to feel tight even before 12 weeks. People who have been pregnant before tend to show earlier, as their abdominal wall has already stretched.

Number of fetuses

If youre pregnant with multiples, your bump will probably be visible earlier.

Body composition

In people with lower body weight, a belly bump may be noticeable earlier than in overweight people. In some cases, it may not be evident until the 20th week of pregnancy.

The bump reflects the growth of the baby above the pelvic bone. In the earlier stages of pregnancy, your uterus is still under your pelvic bone, so the expansion isnt as noticeable.

How Do I Prevent Bloating In Early Pregnancy

Bloating in early pregnancy is extremely common many women retain water or find that they have excessive gas during early pregnancy. There are a few different techniques that can help to prevent or relieve these symptoms. These include watching what you eat, eating smaller meals at a slower pace, getting some exercise, drinking plenty of water, and elevating your feet to prevent swelling in the ankles. The metabolism slows during pregnancy due to the increase of the hormone progesterone in the body, which in turn slows digestion, and leads to bloating and swelling.

The most important way to prevent bloating is to adjust your eating habits. First, consider the types of foods you eat, and begin avoiding the ones that cause bloating and gas. Fried foods and beans are two of the most common examples some people find that onions tend to cause gas as well. In addition, to prevent water retention, avoid foods that contain a lot of salt. Potato chips and fried foods, again, are two of the worst culprits of bloating.

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Abdominal Pain Or Discomfort

Sharp, shooting pains on either side of your stomach may result from the stretching tissue supporting your growing uterus. These pains may also travel down your thigh and into your leg.

Recommendations:

Change your position or activity until you are comfortable avoid sharp turns or movements.
If you have a sudden pain in your abdomen, bend forward to the point of pain to relieve tension and relax the tissue.
Apply a hot water bottle or heating pad to your back, or take a warm bath or shower.
Try a massage.

When To Seek Help With Ovulation Bloating

10 Natural Remedies For Bloating During Pregnancy

While bloating can be a normal luteal phase symptom during the menstrual cycle, if you experience bloating that lasts more than a few days you should probably see your doctor to verify that there is not something more serious behind your bloat. Sometimes, bloating during ovulation can be caused by medical conditions such as endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome , or an ovarian cyst. These should be ruled out by a doctor.

Many women experience bloating during their menstrual cycle. It is usually not a cause for concern. If it becomes uncomfortable, start by trying a few dietary changes, exercising, and taking gas-reducing supplements. Should bloating last more than a few days or become very painful, however, it is best to see your doctor. Just remember you are not alone in facing this common symptom of ovulation.

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But What If Ive Got Pain And Cramps Too

Theres nothing wrong with taking some pain relief, like paracetamol, to ease the discomfort. But if your tummy pain ever feels like cramping or it gets unbearable, contact your GP or midwife.

It could be something innocent, like a stomach bug, but severe abdominal pain in later pregnancy, especially if its one-sided, could be a sign of the serious pregnancy condition pre-eclampsia.

And if your bloating feels like contractions or is accompanied by blood when you use the loo, severe diarrhoea or increased nausea and vomiting, do go and see your doctor.

Kirsty, an MFMer whos been there, done that and got the stretched t-shirt to prove it, told us, I was really bloated and I also had a lot a pains/cramps which was quite scary in the first few weeks until I realised it was stomach pains not baby pains!! The doc gave me something to stop the cramping. The bloating will soon go away!