5 Tips To Fight Postpartum Constipation
After both regular and cesarean, it is common for women to experience constipation after childbirth.
This can occur due to factors such as intestinal lavage during pre-delivery preparation or the passage of feces during delivery itself, which empties the intestine and leaves it devoid of stool for approximately 2-4 days.
Likewise, the anesthesia applied to relieve pain during childbirth can also cause constipation and the woman’s fear of evacuating and breaking the stitches of the surgery or the perineum.
5 Tips To Fight Postpartum Constipation
In this way, to facilitate intestinal transit, you should take the following advice into account:
1. Eat more fiber
Foods rich in fiber and easy to include in the diet are fruits with peel and bagasse, such as plums, oranges, tangerines, papayas, vegetables, and whole grains, such as whole-grain bread and rice, and oatmeal, especially oat bran.
The fibers help increase the volume of feces, favoring its formation and transport throughout the intestine.
2. Eat good fats
Good fats, present in foods such as chia, flaxseed, avocado, coconut, chestnuts, olive oil, and butter, help lubricate the intestine and facilitate the passage of stool.
To use them, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil at lunch and dinner, and add up to 1 teaspoon of seeds in sandwiches, smoothies, juices, and yogurts consumed throughout the day.
3. Drink plenty of water
It is useless to eat a lot of fiber if you do not also drink enough water because, without it, the fibers will cause more constipation. The water makes the fibers form a thick gel that passes quickly through the intestine, favoring the passage of stool and, in turn, preventing problems such as hemorrhoids and intestinal injuries.
The ideal is to drink 2 to 3 liters of water a day, and even more may be necessary depending on the woman’s weight.
4. Take probiotics
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria for the intestine that help regulate its functioning, naturally present in some foods such as natural yogurt, kefir, and kombucha tea, for example, which can be included in the diet 1 to 2 times a day.
Likewise, there are also probiotic supplements in capsules or powder purchased at pharmacies, health food stores, or grocery stores. On-line. The ideal is to take these nutritional supplements according to the instructions of the doctor or nutritionist.
5. Respect the urge to evacuate when they arise
When the intestine signs that it needs to evacuate, you should go to the bathroom as soon as possible because then the stool can be expelled quickly, without exerting much effort. They lose more water in the intestine and dry by holding the seat, making it difficult to evacuate.
