If you are in the first few weeks of your pregnancy, you may be wondering why you are having so much intestinal discomfort. The bloating sensation and flatulence are symptoms of pregnancy which are just as likely at the beginning of your pregnancy as at the end.

Slower digestion

What causes intestinal gas problems during pregnancy and constipation is the effect of pregnancy hormones on the intestines. Due to the effect of these hormones, the intestinal tract relaxes and the digestive process slows down. This means that food remains longer in the intestine and therefore is fermented longer before being digested. This fermentation results in gas.

In the same way, since the passing of food through the small and large intestines is slower, feces lose moisture, causing constipation. Both gases and constipation can make you feel bloated and you may experience more flatulence than you usually would.

 How to relieve bloating?

For one thing you must cut out those foods known to cause gas, and now that you have this digestive condition, they may be even more difficult to process now. Among the foods more likely to cause gas are: leeks, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, mackerel and peas. You should also avoid carbonated beverages, since they will only aggravate the problem further.

In general, think about what foods used to cause you gas or that do so now, and eat them in moderation or substitute them for others. During your pregnancy you need to stick to a healthy diet which includes fruits and vegetables, choosing those which you can digest more easily.

Besides avoiding these foods there are other things you can also do to help alleviate the symptoms:

• Exercise: exercise puts your digestive tract to work and that means that food can travel faster through the digestive tract and in doing so, avoid the production of gas or the hardening of feces.

• Drink a lot of water: even if you feel bloated and might think that drinking water will make it worse, try to drink more water than you usually would. When feces remain longer in the intestinal tract, they lose moisture and they harden. Hydration (drinking lots of fluids) will help you to avoid this.

• Eat slowly: Most of the gas that enters our digestive system  does so by way of swallowing. Chew slowly and don’t talk while you eat to avoid more air entering your system. Eat sitting upright and not leaning or lying down.

• Eat small meals: Big meals tend to produce more discomfort. If you eat small, frequent meals throughout the day, this will help food along your intestine. Avoid drinking during meals, and drink between them.

If none of these things bring you relief, talk to your doctor and ask him if you can take medication to eliminate gas. Don’t take over the counter medications without first talking to your doctor.