Women naturally experience many changes during pregnancy: physiological and psychological. Therefore, it would not be an understatement to say that they are often countered with many health-related problems. Stomach upset is also one such problem.
However, there can be many causes of stomach upset that trouble the ladies in the family way.
Here are causes of stomach upset during pregnancy:
i. Slow Functioning of the Digestive System - The entire body undergoes innumerable changes through pregnancy; it's only natural that the functions of the digestive system slow down too. The imbalance in the acid content in the stomach causes dyspepsia often leading to constipation, gastric problems, heart burns and acid reflux.
ii. Constipation - One of the most common complaints with pregnant women is that of constipation. This is due to incomplete digestion and taking an improper diet.
iii. Food Poisoning - Pregnant women may show symptoms of food poisoning such as fever, stomach aches accompanied with diarrhea and dehydration. This is caused by a certain type of bacteria which may result in hospitalization of the patient when things go pretty bad. However, these symptoms are known to disappear within a day or two.
iv. Nausea - It is a very irritating situation for the expecting women and to an upset stomach, nausea must be treated well. The best thing to do is avoid those foods with high saturated fats and pungent smell as they trigger the episodes of nausea a lot.
v. Stomach Virus - These often lead to abdominal cramps and watery diarrhea. Pregnancy often makes women vulnerable to a whole new number of illnesses and infections. These infections feed on the immune system of women depending on their individual strengths and weaknesses. As a result, they may last for a week or ten days.
vi. Diet - Women need to monitor their diet closely when they are expecting. However, one should not rush to make changes in their eating pattern. Instead, the body should be given sometime to adapt to the sudden changes. Switching to the consumption of roughage all of a sudden will cause stomach upset, diarrhea and weakness; which will make the situation even more difficult to handle.
vii. Hormonal Changes - Fluctuations in the hormonal levels (estrogen and progesterone) in pregnant women can often result in diarrhea. These changes in the hormones relax and slow down the gastrointestinal actions. Consequently, diarrhea occurs as the symptom of an upset stomach.
Therefore, in order to protect one from the causes of stomach upset during pregnancy, healthy dietary habits should be practiced, a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle should be followed. Above all, the mothers-to-be should be showered with lots of attention and love. This way they'll be perfectly ready to welcome their little bundle of joy happily and healthily.
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