This week’s Pregnancy Nutrition 101 is the last in our series with Rob Hobson @robhobsonnurtitionist. Rob is a registered Nutritionist and co-author of The Detox Kitchen Bible. Throughout the series Rob has shared his top tips to help keep you well-nourished and healthy during pregnancy. To wrap up our series this week Rob shares his nutritional tips for tackling constipation whilst pregnant, something four in ten women will experience.
How common is constipation during pregnancy?
Constipation is an issue for many women during pregnancy affecting about 4 in every 10. The main culprits are the hormone progesterone which slows the transit of food through your digestive tract, iron supplements (commonly prescribed during pregnancy) and pressure on the rectum in the later stages of pregnancy.
To help ease constipation try eating plenty of foods high in fibre such as wholegrains, vegetables, beans, pulses, nuts and seeds. It’s important if you’re increasing fibre in your diet to drink plenty of fluids as this helps fibre swell in the gut and do its job properly. Some of these high-fibre foods can cause bloating to start with but over time this should subside. If bloating remains an issue then consider limiting foods such as broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, canned beans and other pulses.
I have included a list below of foods that should help ease constipation during pregnancy.
- Fresh fruits such as apples, oranges and apricots
- Prunes
- Wholegrain Bread
- Bran Cereals
- Beans
- Lentils
- Peas
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Sugar Snap Peas
- Yellow Peppers
Easy ways to build these into your diet could be through a muesli and fruit bowl for breakfast, or a vegetable stir fry for dinner. Remember to drink plenty of water, starting the day off with a fresh lemon water. As always, if symptoms persist or cause concern, consult your doctor.
If you’re interested in finding out more about Rob and his work and discovering more of Rob’s inspiring dishes visit http://robhobson.co.uk/