Pregnancy – It’s a Gas!

If you’ve noticed that pregnancy has made you gassier, you’re not alone. It suddenly seems as though your body as not only turned into a baby-making machine, it’s a gas machine as well. At least the gas is equal opportunity – it is as likely to come out of your mouth as it is to come out anywhere else.

Causes of Gas during Pregnancy
There are two primary causes of gas during pregnancy. The first is the obvious compression of your stomach thanks to your growing baby. Your stomach is not only compressing as your baby grows, but even before your baby is a decent size you get to experience heartburn and plenty of burps thanks to the relaxed muscles and tendons all over your body. Your stomach simply runs out of room to store gas and the weaker flap that usually holds gas and digestive juices inside is weaker. Therefore it’s far easier for that gas to escape at the most random times.

The other form of gas, the type we usually refer to as “passing gas” is common during pregnancy thanks to high iron concentrations in prenatal vitamins, weak digestive muscles and slow digestion which leads to almost inevitable constipation. Being constipated leads to more gas and even if you’re still regular, the gas can be a by product of a slightly slower digestive system as your body works to get every nutrient possible from your food.

Dealing With Gas during Pregnancy
Some women find it easier to deal with consequences of the gas than to deal with the symptoms. After all, if you’re home with a toddler all day, he might be mightily impressed with your belches following a snack of three apple slices. But if you’re trying to survive in polite company, you can work to reduce the gas a bit through simple techniques.

• Eat tiny meals. The less you eat, the less likelihood there will be gas built-up through digestion. Eat small meals frequently throughout the day.

• Avoid high gas foods. Chili and broccoli, as healthy as they may be, should be avoided before any lengthy carpools. You can cross onions and beans off the list as well unless you’re spending the evening alone.

• Use gas relievers. Talk with your doctor and, with her permission, consider using products such as Bean-o to reduce the gassiness of certain foods before you eat them. An antacid can aid in digestion and gas build-up as well.

• Drink plenty of water. Drinking water will not only help you keep your meal sizes small and manageable, it will help keep your system as regular as possible by flushing through a digestive system prone to back-ups.

• Eat plenty of fiber. Fiber rich foods are a great choice during pregnancy for nutritional reasons, but they are also a great consideration for keeping things moving through your system as quickly and cleanly as possible – preventing gas in the process.

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