Constipation is very common in pregnancy. It is caused by decreased bowel motility secondary to elevated progesterone (normal in pregnancy), which can lead to greater absorption of water.
I had twice too. The first happened in the first month. It was terrible. The second one caused my first bleeding in the 13th week of gestation. Therefore, I pay great attention not to have constipation again. And so far I remain quite regular.
The below tips are from my personal experience:
1. Eat more vegetables and fruits daily. Vegetables include broccoli, cabbage, spinach and other dark green leafy greens. Fruits include apples, oranges, pears, strawberries and grapefruits. Bananas are also good, but only eat them occasionally.
2. Eat more fluid food such as soup. Soup contains as much as, if not more, nutrition than regular food and is easy to digest. Plus, soup adds more fluid to your system. For instance, instead of eating double baked potatoes, I make roasted red pepper, leek, and potato cream soup or potato soup with mushrooms and marjoram. Instead of eating roasted chicken, I make cream of chicken soup, chicken noodle soup or tortilla soup with shredded...