HealthInfo West Coast-Te Tai Poutini
Constipation in pregnancy
Kōroke ki te hapūtanga
You can become constipated when you are pregnant due to hormonal changes that affect the muscles of your bowel.
Eating plenty of fibre-rich foods and drinking at least 9 cups of fluid a day can help relieve constipation.
Try to have plenty of fibre-rich foods at all meals. Fibre-rich foods include:
- wholegrains, such as wholegrain or wholemeal bread, Weet-Bix, rolled oats or porridge, bran-based cereals, brown rice and wholemeal pasta
- fruit
- vegetables
- seeds and nuts
- legumes, such as baked beans, lentils, kidney beans and chickpeas.
If you are already eating plenty of fibre-rich foods and drinking plenty of fluids, adding more will probably not help. In this case, you could try having one of the following for a few days to see if this helps:
- 2 green or gold kiwifruit a day
- 6 prunes, twice a day
- 1 teaspoon a day of whole or ground linseed. Over a few days, gradually increase the amount to 2 tablespoons a day. You can sprinkle linseeds over breakfast cereal or add them to smoothies or baking. Linseeds should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Being active can also help keep your bowels regular. Try to include some activity every day, such as walking, swimming, playing with your children or housework.
If you are having problems with constipation, talk to your midwife, lead maternity carer (LMC) or general practice team.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed November 2024.
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See also:
Review key: HIHCP-311277
