How to Relieve Constipation During and After Pregnancy
Pregnancy Podcast
Vanessa Merten
4.5 • 970 Ratings
🗓️ 19 April 2026
⏱️ 42 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
About one in three pregnant women experiences constipation, and it becomes even more common after birth. It can be uncomfortable, sometimes painful, and a source of real frustration when you are already dealing with so much else. The good news is that there are many safe, evidence-based ways to find relief. This episode walks through why constipation happens during pregnancy, what research supports for relief, and how to navigate everything from fiber and hydration to probiotics, magnesium, and over-the-counter medications. Learn which foods have the strongest evidence for getting things moving, what doctors recommend as the laxative of choice during pregnancy, and how to manage the particular challenges of constipation after birth.
Full article and resources for this episode: https://pregnancypodcast.com/constipation/
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You are listening to the pregnancy podcast with Vanessa Merton. |
| 0:11.0 | Hello, thank you for tuning into the pregnancy podcast. Today's episode is not the most glamorous topic, |
| 0:19.1 | but something that is so common during pregnancy. About one in |
| 0:23.9 | three pregnant women experiences constipation, and it becomes even more common after you have your baby. |
| 0:31.9 | It can be uncomfortable, sometimes painful, and a source of real frustration when you're already dealing with so much else. |
| 0:41.1 | The good news is that there are many safe evidence-based ways to find relief. |
| 0:46.7 | In today's episode, I will walk through why constipation happens during pregnancy, |
| 0:52.0 | what research actually supports different methods, and how to navigate |
| 0:56.9 | everything from fiber and hydration to probiotics, magnesium, and over-the-counter medications. |
| 1:04.2 | Learn which foods have the strongest evidence for getting things moving, and what doctors |
| 1:09.8 | recommend as the laxative of choice, |
| 1:12.8 | plus how to manage the particular challenges of constipation after you have your baby. |
| 1:18.6 | You can find the full article and all of the resources for this episode at |
| 1:25.2 | Pregnancypodcast.com slash constipation. |
| 1:31.1 | As with so many topics, the internet is full of conflicting advice on what actually |
| 1:37.4 | helps constipation. In today's episode, I sorted through all of the evidence for you so that |
| 1:43.3 | you don't have to. If you want more |
| 1:46.0 | deep dives like this one on every topic you can think of, Pregnancy Podcast Premium members get |
| 1:52.8 | access to hundreds of episodes all ad-free. Check it out at Pregnancypodcast.com slash premium. |
| 2:03.3 | I love V-Tech because they actually build innovative products to help make your parenting journey easier. |
| 2:11.6 | The V-Tech V-Hush stroller rocker gently rocks your baby's stroller or crib for you, helping them sleep more |
| 2:19.3 | peacefully wherever you are. With a rechargeable battery, an amber nightlight, and calming sounds |
... |
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