It’s been a month since Cate confirmed her pregnancy. Since it’s been smooth so far, she hears stories about morning sickness and other complications from friends.
But,
From when the pregnancy clocked six weeks, her stomach felt unusual. She hears rumbling, gurgling, and other weird sounds. Like Cate, are you wondering if your tummy is normal? Does your stomach make noises in early pregnancy?
Let’s find out about stomach noises, their causes, and remedies.
Why Does Your Stomach Make Noises In Early Pregnancy?
The stomach makes noises during pregnancy for various reasons, such as bloating, constipation, indigestion, hunger, and digestion. The noises are often normal, but sometimes, they may indicate an underlying medical condition like Ileus or intolerance to certain food types.
During early pregnancy, the body increases the secretion of progesterone and estrogen hormones which change the digestion/absorption process. This may make your tummy gassy and noisy.
Most women describe the sounds as weird rumbling, bubbling, and splattering noises that could be embarrassing. The good news is that stomach or bowel sounds don’t affect your unborn baby. Further, such noises are signs that your gastrointestinal tract is working fine.
Reasons Stomach Making Noises In Early Pregnancy
Does your stomach make weird noises during early pregnancy? Relax. I assure you that often it’s your small intestines at work. However, starting to feel fart sounds unexpectedly may throw you into panic and confusion. You are healthy and don’t have to worry.
What exactly causes growling and rumbling tummy sounds in pregnancy? Let’s find out below:
1. Digestion
As enzymes that break down and absorb nutrients are released to the small intestines, they also create gas/liquid, causing rumbling/bubbling sounds.
2. Abdominal bloating
Does your stomach make more noise in early pregnancy? Within the first ten weeks of conception, the body secretes more progesterone and oestrogen hormones, which slow down digestion. This allows the growing baby to absorb vital nutrients easily. The slow digestion causes bloating and gas pile-up.
3. Constipation
This condition is not uncommon during early pregnancy. With more relaxed intestinal muscles, it’s easy to trap air/gas that echoes through your stomach.
4. Hunger
Even without food, the intestines make wave-like contractions known as peristalsis, similar to when food moves along the digestive tract. When there’s nothing to digest, the contractions drive air out of your tube-like intestines, making water sounds.
5. Underlying medical issues
If symptoms like nausea, fever, and vomiting accompany the bowel sounds, it could be a pointer to a severe health issue that needs medical attention. Such conditions include:
- Ileus
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Food intolerances
- Severe intestinal blockage
- Gastrointestinal infections
In this case, your doctor is better placed to offer a proper diagnosis. Surprisingly, having no bowel sounds (hypoactivity) is not healthy, as the absence signifies an underperforming digestive tract.
6. Stress/anxiety
Are you having a stressful home or work environment?
If yes, it may be why your stomach has been noisy lately. Psychological/emotional disorders are known to interfere with the digestion process, leading to indigestion, bloating, and intestinal gases.
According to Harvard University, when a person becomes stressed, digestion slows down or stops as the body diverts its energy to fight the perceived threat.
Remedies For A Noisy Stomach During Pregnancy
After answering the question, “why does my stomach make noises in early pregnancy” it’s time to find appropriate solutions. Here are non-medical remedies to curb the irritating abdominal sounds:
1. Establish the specific foods causing gas and rumbling – Create a daily food log with a list of different food types you eat. The documentation will help you easily track what’s responsible for causing allergies or food intolerance. Once you know the culprit, stop including it in your diet.
2. Drink plenty of clean water and fluids – Sipping water throughout the day aids digestion. Furthermore, healthy fruit juices promote proper bowel movements and curb intestinal gas.
3. Eat small, frequent meals – Since digestion is already slow during pregnancy, small sizes make the work of digestion easier than when you consume large chunks.
4. Take your time when chewing – Chew slowly to ensure food is well-crushed before it passes to the esophagus. Remember, the digestion process starts in your mouth.
So, thorough chewing reduces the chances of indigestion and malabsorption when food reaches your small intestines. Plus, eating rapidly leads to swallowing air that makes noise while escaping the gastrointestinal tract.
5. Avoid all gas-inducing foods and drinks – Foods such as onions, mushrooms, whole grains, and cabbages are naturally gassy.
Additionally, drinks/beverages, including alcohol, soda, and cola, are notorious for aggravating bloating.
Eating fatty and spicy foods isn’t a good idea as they are known for stomach gas or constipation. Minimizing gassy foods from your diet during pregnancy curbs the weird stomach noises, especially growling and rumbling.
6. Tweak your diet – Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables frequently as they are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, essential for proper digestion. Focus on other fiber-rich foods, including nuts, seeds, brown bread, and rice. Foods that soften stool, such as oatmeal, yogurt, and apples, are beneficial for improving bowel movement.
7. Don’t use a straw – Drinking directly from a cup or bottle is best. Straws trap a lot of gas when swallowing, making your stomach noisier.
8. Use relaxation techniques frequently – It’s normal to get anxious and worried during early pregnancy as your mind and body adapt to the new phase.
Such pent-up feelings may lead to stress. Meditation, breathing exercises, and muscle relaxation are helpful stress-relieving activities. Adequate sleep is an excellent way to alleviate anxious thoughts and emotions.
9. Get & stay active – Do not go to sleep or rest after eating. Taking a brisk walk is a simple, proven exercise that fastens the digestion process. A PubMed study found lower blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes patients who took a 20-minutes walk after eating.
You can also do light chores around the house for a few minutes post-eating. That said, be careful as experts warn against taking high-intensity physical activities after meals.
10. Seek medical help – If the noises are too much, talk to your doctor to find out if there’s an underlying issue requiring urgent treatment. Conditions like Irritable bowel syndrome, intestinal blockage, or gastrointestinal infections should be diagnosed and treated early.
11. Limit sugar and caffeine – Artificial additives and sugar make constipation and bloating worse. Reduce or avoid taking unhealthy sugars. Foods high in acidity led to stomach noises.
In most cases, the above measures help reduce bowel sounds during pregnancy. However, remember that the noises are part of a regular gastrointestinal activity and are not harmful to your baby.
Wrapping Up
Does your stomach make noises in early pregnancy? Here’s what you need to know.
Growling, rumbling and gurgling noises are harmless during pregnancy. They are usually a result of digestion, bloating, constipation and stress.
As your body secretes more progesterone and estrogen, the hormones slow down digestion to allow the absorption of nutrients by your baby.
To ease digestion and curb bloating/constipation, eat fiber-rich foods and fruits/vegetables while drinking water and exercising.
If you have further concerns about stomach noises, consult your general practitioner immediately.
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