Constipation Relief for New Moms


Many mothers have heard about constipation during pregnancy, but far less are aware of needing constipation relief after giving birth. But a new study by Russell Research shows that many women do suffer from occasional constipation after giving birth and aren’t prepared for it. What can you do to avoid that fate?


New Moms Survey

The survey polled about 1,000 new Moms and found the following interesting information:


  • Only 18% of new Moms discussed constipation relief with their physician, but nearly half developed constipation – leaving many Moms unprepared.

  • The majority of Moms (86%) were prepared for lack of sleep, but far less (62%) were prepared to have constipation after childbirth.

  • 69% of Moms who had constipation after childbirth tried to treat it. 77% used stool softener, 70% increased water consumption, and 63% increased fiber intake.

    • Did the Moms in the Survey Do the Best Thing for Constipation Relief?

    For the most part, the Moms who tried to treat their constipation did a good job. Stool softeners, increased water consumption, and increased fiber intake are all good ways to find constipation relief. But they overlooked a key ingredient in fighting constipation and supporting their baby’s immune system – probiotics.


    Probiotics are safe to take before and after pregnancy and can have significant effects, not just for constipation relief, but for the baby’s overall health. Probiotics act in the human digestive tract to defend against harmful invaders like bacteria, fungi, viruses, and yeast. When a baby is born, it has no probiotics – it usually gets them through the mother’s vaginal fluid and through breast feeding after birth.


    One problem in this process is that often physicians give mothers antibiotics while in the hospital to avoid the chance of any infection during labor. While this is beneficial in some ways, it kills many of the probiotics in the women’s digestive tract and makes it more difficult to pass them onto the baby. Without probiotics, the bay is susceptible to a range of infections (especially if it spends much time in the hospital environment, whose air is full of pathogens).


    Even without antibiotics in the hospital, many people suffer from low levels of probiotics due to eating meat that has antibiotics in it and from eating high sugar foods that support harmful bacteria. Because of this, probiotic supplementation is a crucial part of constipation relief for both expecting Moms and new Moms. They help to keep both mother and baby regular while helping with immune support as well.