Hannah Boyd
Naturopath, Herbalist, Nutritionist, BA, Adv Dip Nat, Nut, WHM.
What causes Pregnancy Constipation?
The slowing down of your daily bowel movements can start as early as Trimester One. You might be a little dehydrated, or finding harder to eat all those happy fibrous foods. We call it the ‘Eating Like A Child’ Trimester for a reason – hello Vegemite on toast cravings!
A quick note before you dive in: everybody’s pregnancy is different, and what’s safe and effective for one person may not be right for another. Please check with your GP, midwife, obstetrician or naturopath before starting any new supplement, herb or probiotic, especially during pregnancy, where correct dosing really matters.
Constipation in pregnancy is also triggered by the changing pregnancy hormones, which relax your muscles and slow the transit time of food through your digestive tract. As your progesterone levels rise through your pregnancy the constipation can get worse.
Another reason women people can get constipation during pregnancy is the common issues of iron deficiency and constipation-causing supplements. Many people experience low iron, or iron deficiency anaemia during pregnancy and it is important to address this to help with the baby’s growth and the movement of oxygen around your body.
Low iron contributes to fatigue, anxiety, poor sleep, restless legs, and a general feeling of being a bit meh. Then you take a poor-quality iron supplement which causes constipation! There has to be a better way!
Yes, there is a better way, speak to a Naturopath to find the best form of iron to support absorption with fewer side effects.
So, what helps you poop when you're pregnant?
There are plenty of things you can do … you probably won’t have to do all of them, but try a few that seem easy to fit in with your daily routine. Let’s start with the basics:
- Drink 2L+ fluid daily. Avoid icy cold water and stick with room temperature water or hot beverages. The fluid can be water, herbal teas, broths, fizzy water – any kind of liquid will do.
- Eat 2 x kiwi fruit daily. Fruit is so important to help regulate bowels, people worry about the sugar, but the fibre you get in whole fruit (not juice) helps balance your glucose levels. If you’re not a fan of kiwi, try mango!
- Vaalia or Danone Activia yoghurt has active probiotics to assist with constipation – enjoy 2 x tubs daily. These are therapeutic yogurts that have high levels of specific bacteria for your happy bowels.
- Try 5 -6 prunes daily or 150 ml of prune juice.
- Flaxseed meal 2tbs daily. Also known as Linseeds. Ensure they are ground not the whole seed. Eat with some fruit and yoghurt. Research shows that flaxseed meal is more effective at managing constipation than psyllium husk or Metamucil.
- Dandelion root tea – there are so many delicious ones available, like this Dandy Chai. You can add your milk of choice, and a dash of honey if you wish. Dandelion is an excellent bitter herb that helps all parts of your digestion.
- Movement is so important to help with digestion, but understandably sometimes when you’re pregnant your usual activities are not as easy. Just going for walks, some gentle yoga and of course our favourite pilates can help (we love Room for Movement for the best clinical pilates in Sydney).
- Give yourself time to sit on the loo! Yes, it can be that easy, not rushing, not straining, not worrying. Raise those feet above your knees on a stool or squatty potty and just relax into it.
Putting it all together on a plate
Food as medicine is our go-to here at New Leaf, and an easy snack or breakfast that helps everyone poop is pretty tasty and a bright party for your eyes. We recommend this a lot to all our clients. Just mix everything up in a bowl and enjoy! It tastes delicious.
- 1 cup of Vaalia or Activia yogurt due to its therapeutic properties. They have lactose-free ones if you need them, but if you can’t have dairy just give this a miss and don’t swap with coconut yogurt as the healthy fats in plant-based yogurts can sometimes have the opposite impact on constipation.
- 1-2 kiwi fruit
- 1-2tbs of flaxseed meal
- 100-200g Dragonfruit (frozen or fresh) or 2tbs of freeze-dried red dragonfruit.
When things are a bit more complicated
If these lifestyle and food suggestions don’t do the trick, we’d recommend speaking with your naturopath or nutritionist. Under the guidance of your health professional, there are a few other options:
- Taking a Magnesium citrate can assist, but with long-standing constipation, you want to be mindful of the pH change that magnesium causes in the digestive tract – it’s a potential short-term fix for acute sluggish bowels, not a long-term solution. Basically, magnesium alkalises the colon, which is the opposite of what we want for a healthy bowel-transit time.
- There are some great acupressure points (check the link) for constipation which you can try at home, or speak with an acupuncturist to get some wholistic treatment. Acupuncture is excellent for pregnancy support.
- Lactulose (available from the chemist under the name Actilax), although it is a gentle laxative, it is also an excellent prebiotic and can be used safely during pregnancy. (Most laxatives are not suitable for pregnancy – please chat with the pharmacist before self-prescribing any over-the-counter laxatives). Lactulose is great for acidifying the colon (remember constipation loves alkaline digestive tracts), and is also great for growing lactobacilli bacteria, beneficial for the absorption of calcium (essential for pregnancy), and supports vaginal bacterial balance and candida treatment. Start on a low dose, 2-5ml to check for bowel tolerance, and you can increase as needed to 10-20ml a day.
- PHGG – or partially hydrolysed guar gum – is a natural dietary fibre with prebiotic-like qualities. Please speak with a health professional before prescribing to ensure the correct dose is used. It works well to establish healthy bacteria levels and supports that acidic colon-happy poops love, and improves transit time.
- Probiotics – there are some specific probiotics for improving bowel transit time … and remember, not all probiotics are the same or have the same action. You want to ensure that your probiotic is specific for the condition or symptom you are treating. The specific strains for constipation in pregnancy are:
- Bifidobacterium lactis HN019
- Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938
- Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12
Hopefully, this helps give you some direction on what you can do to support those sluggish bowels during pregnancy. It may be common, but constipation during pregnancy is something you don’t have to put up with.
A note on safety: The information here is general in nature and shared to help you understand your options; it’s not personalised medical advice, and it’s not a substitute for care from your GP, midwife, obstetrician or treating naturopath. Pregnancy changes how your body responds to supplements, herbs and probiotics, and correct dosing, timing and product selection matter more than usual. Please check with your healthcare provider before starting anything new, particularly if you’re taking other medications or have a pre-existing condition. If your symptoms are severe, persistent, or come with pain, bleeding, or anything that doesn’t feel right, contact your GP or midwife directly rather than trying to manage it yourself.
Fertility & Pregnancy Care the New Leaf Way
Some more questions about Pregnancy Constipation
Is it safe to take a stool softener or fibre supplement like Metamucil during pregnancy?
Generally yes. Bulk-forming fibre supplements like Metamucil aren’t absorbed by the body, which is why they’re considered one of the safer, first-line options for pregnancy constipation. One thing worth knowing: psyllium can affect how well you absorb iron, so if you’re taking a prenatal with iron in it, space the two out by a couple of hours. As always, run anything new past your GP, midwife or naturopath first.
What foods should I avoid if I'm constipated during pregnancy?
Nothing needs to be off-limits entirely, but foods that are low in fibre or that tend to bind you up (but everyone is different so think about what helps or hinders you personally); think white bread, processed snacks, and excess dairy for some people, are worth going easy on while things are sluggish. The bigger lever is usually what to add rather than what to cut, which is exactly what the rest of this page is about.
Can prenatal vitamins cause constipation?
Yes, and it’s one of the most common (and most overlooked) culprits, the iron in prenatal vitamins is notorious for slowing things down. If constipation started around the same time you began taking your prenatal, that’s a strong clue. Don’t stop taking it without talking to your doctor first, but do mention it, there are often iron formulations that are gentler on the gut.
It’s worth speaking with one of our Naturopaths to find a suitable pregnancy prescription which is individualised to your own needs and situations – remember, everyone is different, and every pregnancy is too.
How much fibre do I actually need during pregnancy?
More than most people naturally get day to day; aim to build meals around fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and legumes rather than relying on one “fix” like a supplement alone. If you’re increasing fibre quickly after not having much, go gradually and make sure you’re drinking enough water alongside it, or you can end up trading constipation for bloating.
When should I see my doctor about constipation in pregnancy?
Most pregnancy constipation is uncomfortable rather than dangerous, but get in touch with your GP or midwife if it’s severe, doesn’t budge with the things on this page, or comes with pain, bleeding, or swelling that feels out of the ordinary.
You shouldn’t be straining too much, or not pooping for days on end. But don’t dismiss it – if it doesn’t feel right you should speak with a member of your health care team. Discussing the poop of our pregnant folk is one of the most important things we check on at every, single appointment during pregnancy and beyond.
Trust your gut here (pun intended), you know your body better than any article does.
