Are You Aware of the Symptoms and Causes of Pregnancy Gas Pains and Bloating & How to Prevent It?

Pregnancy is a unique experience in which, at times, you might be overjoyed thinking about the baby, and on other occasions, you might feel extremely sick. The credit for pregnancy symptoms like gas, bloating, acidity, and morning sickness goes to ever-fluctuating hormones. During the first trimester, some of you might feel like a balloon that is ever inflated with annoying gas.

Pregnant women face a lot of discomfort due to bodily changes, and some of the most common discomforts are bloating and gas. The body undergoes drastic hormonal changes during the first trimester of pregnancy. The heightened levels of Estrogen and Progesterone (hormones) help thicken the uterine lining, which keeps the growing baby safe in the mother’s womb. The muscles of the entire body relax, including your digestive tract, because of the increase in progesterone hormone level. This hormonal change brings a lot of changes in your digestive system, like slowing down your digestion, discomfort in the abdomen, bloating, and belching, causing gas and flatulence.

If you consume large and heavy meals during your pregnancy, problems like constipation and heartburn will also occur. Improper diet and lack of exercise are the two leading causes that heighten progesterone levels in your body during pregnancy.

Symptoms of gas during pregnancy

• Belching

• Jabbing pains in the tummy, which come and go

• Voluntarily or involuntarily passing of gas
• Swollen tummy
• Tightness in stomach

Foods that can cause gas and bloating during pregnancy

• Beans, whole grains, and vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.

• Some foods like pears, apples, lentils, cheese, ketchup, canned tomatoes, onions, honey, corn, potatoes, wheat, peas, prunes, oat bran, etc.
• If you are lactose intolerant, consuming dairy products during pregnancy will cause gas and a bloated abdomen.
• Fried food, sugary foods, fast foods, processed foods, and carbonated drinks.
• Sorbitol and fructose.

Remedies for gas and bloating during pregnancy

Here are some quick, easy remedies to relieve bloating and gas during pregnancy. These methods will not harm your baby in the womb and also bloating, and gas will pose no threat to the unborn child. To get relief, you must regularly follow these remedies.

• Drink plenty of fluids, including 8-10 glasses of water, fresh fruit juice, buttermilk, and flavoured milk.
• Physical activity includes walking, yoga, and elevating your legs to let your system digest food quickly (2-3 times a day).
• Try to switch food items and test your diet by checking which food causes bloating and gas. Exclude them from your diet.
• Consume a fibrous-rich diet because that increases the water content in your intestines and helps you eliminate constipation and gas.
• Eat smaller meals frequently because most of the space is taken up by your growing baby, which slows down your digestive system. Avoid having large meals, and don’t miss walking after every meal.
• Avoid stress as it leads to a bloated belly.
• Avoid wearing tight clothes and let your system digest the food easily.
• Soak one tablespoon of fenugreek seeds in a glass of water overnight and the next day, strain the water and drink it for relief.
• Do consult your doctor before consuming fibre supplements and stool softeners.
• Try probiotics.
• Practice breathing exercises to keep yourself calm and relaxed.
• Sip on a miraculous warm drink that includes only lemon and warm water.
• Avoid smoking and eating chewing gums.
• Take your prenatal vitamins only after consulting with your doctor.
• You can include peppermint and ginger in your diet after testing them, as they help comfort your digestive system.
• You can also try Mylo tummy roll-on which have ingredients like asafetida to get rid of gas and bloating during pregnancy.

If the remedies mentioned above aren’t doing any good for you, you must seek medical help, and your doctor might recommend you take anti-gas medication that is pregnancy safe.

Also read: Special Home Remedies For Gas During Pregnancy