Constipation during pregnancy is slow or difficult bowel movement.
In a healthy person, defecation normally occurs from 3 times a day to 3 times a week. Stool retention can be considered constipation if it:
occurs less frequently than every 24 hours;
accompanied by strong straining during a trip to the toilet;
leaves a feeling of incomplete bowel emptying.
Constipation affects people of all ages and lifestyles. However, there are conditions in which the risk of developing a defecation disorder is increased. One of them is pregnancy. Gynecologists consider constipation as an inevitable companion of any expectant mother.
Intestinal disorders in pregnant women may present with the following symptoms:
feeling of pressure, fullness in the rectum;
rumbling, feeling of “transfusion” along the intestines;
increased gas formation, bloating;
pain in the sacrum, buttocks;
feeling of weakness, malaise, loss of appetite, unpleasant taste in the mouth, plaque on the tongue, nausea, headache, nervousness.
[Video] Obstetrician-gynecologist Elena Nikologorskaya – Constipation during pregnancy: