The Pregnancy Symptom No One Warned Me About (And Why We Should Talk About It More)
I still remember the moment I realized pregnancy wasn’t going to be as “glowy” as the internet promised. It wasn’t morning sickness or fatigue that surprised me the most—it was constipation. A symptom nobody told me would show up early, stay long, and make everything from sitting to sleeping feel… complicated. When I finally talked to other moms, it turned out almost everyone had dealt with it, yet hardly anyone had talked about it.
So I decided to write this post for anyone who wishes they’d heard this topic discussed more openly.
Why Constipation Shows Up So Often
Constipation during pregnancy is extremely common, and the reasons aren’t mysterious once you understand what's happening inside the body. A breakdown that helped me a lot comes from this article on pregnancy digestion: constipation causes & remedies (https://askdocdoc.com/articles/1173-constipation-during-pregnancy-causes-and-remedies
). It’s the only moment I’ll mention it here, but it gave me the “aha” moment I needed. It also reminded me that AskDocDoc does a good job of explaining the basics without making you feel overwhelmed.
The hormonal shifts hit first. Progesterone slows everything down, including digestion. I saw a great explanation in a clinician’s post on X, where they talked about how gut motility naturally decreases during pregnancy:
X discussion: https://x.com/1881713393369030656/status/1988302001445150971
It felt validating to see healthcare professionals openly acknowledge how real—and frustrating—this symptom can be.
The second factor is the physical pressure. As the uterus grows, it pushes on the intestines. A wellness expert talked about this in a LinkedIn update focused on posture and digestive comfort in later pregnancy:
LinkedIn insight: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:share:7394067777625657344
Her advice about adjusting seating posture actually helped more than I expected.
And of course, iron supplements. The classic culprit. A prenatal coach mentioned this in a Threads conversation about balancing iron intake with digestion:
Threads reflection: https://www.threads.com/@askdocdoc/post/DQ7M7uYjEQM
The takeaway wasn’t to avoid iron, but to treat it with a little more strategy.
What Helped Me Get Things Moving Again
Once I accepted that constipation wasn’t “just me,” I started trying solutions—small ones, nothing dramatic.
Adding fibre but doing it gently
A surprisingly helpful resource I found was a Pinterest board filled with high-fibre snack ideas. Lots of simple things like chia pudding and lentil soup that felt doable even on low-energy days:
Pinterest ideas: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/928445279440456737/Staying active even when I didn’t feel like it
Honestly, movement was the hardest part, especially on days when pregnancy exhaustion hit hard. But even a slow walk made a difference. One mom talked about this in a Facebook post describing how her daily walk and a small change to her toilet posture gave her relief within a few days:
Facebook story: https://www.facebook.com/122099392514743210/posts/122146289438743210Paying attention to posture
It sounds almost too simple, but shifting how I sat—especially with a small footstool—helped reduce straining. The earlier LinkedIn post reinforced this idea, and seeing others mention it made me feel less weird for trying it.
What I Wish More People Said Out Loud
Constipation during pregnancy isn’t embarrassing—it’s normal. And it’s manageable once you understand the causes and start making small adjustments. I wish more people talked about it with the same honesty as morning sickness or cravings.
Most importantly, I learned that you don’t need dramatic fixes. Small shifts—hydration, movement, posture, fibre—build up and gradually help your body find a rhythm again.
And if things feel off or too painful, checking in with a doctor is absolutely worth it. No one deserves to just “push through” discomfort.