Your guide to IBS in pregnancy

Irritable bowel syndrome – usually known as simply IBS – is a common condition that can affect anyone at any time, and pregnant women are no exception.

It can be difficult and unpleasant to live with IBS and is hard at any point in your life. But it can be doubly difficult if IBS flares up when you may already be feeling uncomfortable and stressed due to pregnancy.

But what exactly is irritable bowel syndrome? What are the symptoms? And what can you do to help yourself if you suffer from the condition while you are pregnant?

Here's your guide to IBS and pregnancy...

What exactly is irritable bowel syndrome?

IBS is a condition that affects the digestive system. Anybody can get it at any time, and it’s often something you have for life – although the symptoms usually come and goes.

Nobody knows exactly what causes irritable bowel syndrome, but possible reasons behind the condition include a family history of IBS, stress, food passing too quickly or slowly through your system, and oversensitive nerves in the gut.

What are the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome?

IBS causes symptoms like stomach cramps, wind, diarrhoea, bloating and constipation. Tiredness, nausea, problems passing urine and difficulty controlling when you poo can all be associated with IBS. These symptoms usually flare up periodically and you can have them for days, weeks and even months at a time.

What effect can pregnancy have on IBS?

There’s no way of telling whether your IBS will get worse or better during pregnancy. While some women report increased symptoms, others report that their IBS symptoms disappeared completely during their pregnancy.

Is there a cure for IBS?

Unfortunately, there is as yet no cure for irritable bowel syndrome, but Lifestyle changes and medication can help manage the symptoms.

How is IBS in pregnancy treated?

These are some things you can do to help manage IBS during pregnancy:

• Make your meals at home using fresh ingredients
• Try to relax as much as possible
  
• Make sure you take moderate exercise each day
• Keep a food diary to see if there is anything that triggers your IBS that you should avoid. Often people with IBS need to avoid fatty and spicey foods and those difficult to digest. However, by keeping a diary you can see what affects your IBS and ensure you keep as varied a diet as possible
• Eating fruits that are low in FODMAPs such as Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, oranges and kiwi and avoiding those high in FODMAPs such as apples, peaches and blackberries
• If your IBS presents as diarrhoea, try cutting down on wholegrain foods and those high in fibre may help
• If your IBS presents as constipation, you should look to increase your soluble fibre such as eating oats and pulses and increase your fluid intake

Most of what you can do to manage IBS doesn’t involve drugs, so is generally safe during pregnancy. However, if you start restricting your diet too much, this can impact your overall health and you should speak to your gp about a referral to a nutritionist or dietician for support. Don’t take any medications during pregnancy that have previously been prescribed for IBS without consulting your GP.

Also make sure your pharmacist knows you are pregnant if you are requesting any over-the-counter medicines.

Can irritable bowel syndrome have an effect on my baby?

Having IBS won’t harm your baby. The only risk could come from a prolonged bout of diarrhoea that leaves you severely dehydrated. So, if you have a bout of diarrhoea that is particularly bad make sure you drink lots of water to replace lost fluids. If you are having trouble keeping fluids down for any reason, then you should contact your doctor.

Do I need to see my doctor if I think I have irritable bowel syndrome?

If you have symptoms of IBS in pregnancy then you should see your doctor, as – although it can’t be cured – they will be able to help. Your GP will ask you some questions about your symptoms, so it might be useful to write down how it has affected you, before you get to your appointment. They may also arrange for some  tests to rule out conditions like coeliac disease and inflammatory bowel disease.

If your doctor thinks you are suffering from IBS, then they will discuss treatment options and advise you on which medications are safe to take in pregnancy, if needed.

You should also see your doctor if you have already been diagnosed with IBS, but dietary and lifestyle changes aren’t making any difference.