5 tips to help constipation during fertility and pregnancy

This is indeed a blog post about poop; everybody does it and as a dietitian, it's something I actually talk about a lot with my clients! Regular poops are important not only as a sign of healthy gut function, but it also is important for hormone regulation as our bodies excrete excess hormones through poop! Cool but gross, right?

Anyways, pregnancy constipation is a super common complaint. Rising progesterone makes your GI system a little too relaxed, meaning it moves a little too slow! Outside of pregnancy, constipation can be due to IBS, food intolerances, disordered eating, or a variety of other lifestyle factors.

Here’s 4 tips to help you get back to having more regular bowel movements!

1. Make sure you’re hydrated

   First, make sure you're adequately hydrated. That's with around 60-70 fluid oz per day any nonalcoholic/uncaffeinated beverages of your choice outside of pregnancy, and 80-100 fluid oz per day during pregnancy and lactation. Water helps flush the pipes!

2. Regularly eat enough food

   It's also important that you're eating enough food (those GI muscles need energy to function!) at regular meals and snacks throughout the day. Our guts also really like regularity. Ever gotten constipated just because you slept in a different location? Yup, your routine matters! If you are skipping meals and snacks and/or experience binge eating, it can seriously confuse your gut. Working to get 3 meals and 2-4 snacks daily will help your gut get used to a consistent routine.

3. Move your body in ways that feel good

   Consistent physical activity (even just yoga or walking!) can help put your body into a healthy level of “fight or flight” mode (maybe think of this more as “activity/alert mode”) which stimulates the bowels to get moving. Consider the appropriate level of mental and physical energy balance for your body, and find a way to exercise that you enjoy!

4. Get some fiber, but not too much

   Once we’ve looked at hydration, consistently eating enough food, and getting in some enjoyable movement, we can start looking at fiber! You need both soluble and insoluble fiber for healthy bowel movements. These are found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and legumes (beans, peas and lentils). Soluble fiber bulks up your stools, and insoluble fiber helps speed those stools along down the GI tract. However, too much fiber can actually have the opposite effect (think of a clogged drain… ew); especially if it’s introduced all at once, you aren’t adequately hydrated, or you’re not getting enough energy.

5. Try kiwi fruit or prunes

   Did you know kiwis have been studied for constipation relief? While they’re a fiber rich food just like any other fruit, they also contain a compound called actinidin that might be responsible for helping to move things along! So cool. Prunes are one of the oldest tricks in the book, but they’re not just for old folks! Prunes are dried plums, so they actually taste pretty good and are a great source of insoluble fiber and sorbitol; a sugar alcohol that draws water into the gut to help move things along. Prune juice works too, but I find most of my clients prefer the taste of the dried fruit option with a big glass of water.

After we address all the above, I help my clients see if there's any supplements we can try to make sure they can have regular bowel movements, but usually this is helpful enough. This is something I work on with my 1:1 clients, and in my new online course + community Fully Nourished Pregnancy! If you’re looking for support in intuitive nutrition for fertility and pregnancy, I’d love to support you. Apply to work with me for 1:1 coaching and learn more about my online course here!