Amino Acids
Amino acids are another category of supplements that should only be used under the supervision of a trained specialist. Otherwise they should be avoided during pregnancy.
What Should You Do When You Experience Digestive Issues While Pregant?
Making an informed choice about digestive enzymes can be difficult for pregnant women. While the body naturally produces these proteins to help with digestion during pregnancy and break down food into smaller molecules that are easier for the body to absorb, there is evidence to support this claim.
A study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology found that a combination of digestive enzymes and probiotics managed to reduce nausea and vomiting symptoms. Despite this, many healthcare professionals believe it is best for expecting mothers to avoid taking any kind of supplement unless specifically recommended. This is because most supplements have not been adequately studied for their effects on pregnant women.
It’s no secret that pregnancy can be hard on a women’s digestive tract. Most likely, you’re already uncomfortable, so what’s a girl to do? Here are my tips for combating heartburn, nausea, and constipation…
I had a difficult time getting up off the couch during my first trimester of pregnancy. I thought that the only way to prevent throwing up was to lie down, close my eyes, and force myself to breathe through the sickness. Every meal during my third trimester involved a difficult choice: would I rather skip the meal despite being famished or eat and deal with the heartburn that would follow?
The high levels of progesterone that maintain the uterus relaxed also cause the smooth muscles that line the digestive tract to relax, so what’s going on? This slows down motility, which is the movement of food and waste through the intestines. Additionally, it loosens the sphincters that control the release of digestive juices and prevent food from rising in the esophagus.
Bile leaks into our small intestine contributing to nausea. Acid and food move up the esophagus in a painful and burning motion. Elevated estrogen levels can also decrease stomach acid production. This may slow down the breakdown of proteins and loosen the lower esophageal sphincter even more, aggravating reflux.
However, it will undoubtedly worsen it if you are prone to constipation. As if that weren’t bad enough, the prolonged fermentation of food fibers by gut bacteria as a result of the slow food passage causes your body to produce more gas.
Here are some suggestions to help you deal with typical digestive issues during pregnancy: