Gas and bloating are among the most common discomforts of pregnancy, and they tend to get worse as the weeks go on. The good news: a combination of dietary tweaks, gentle movement, and safe over-the-counter options can make a real difference. Here’s what causes the problem and what actually helps.
Why Pregnancy Makes Gas Worse
The main culprit is progesterone, the hormone that rises sharply to support your pregnancy. Progesterone relaxes smooth muscle throughout your body, including the muscles lining your digestive tract. It does this by shifting the chemical signals in your gut wall, boosting compounds that promote relaxation while suppressing those that drive contraction. The result is slower digestion. Food sits in your intestines longer, giving bacteria more time to ferment it and produce gas.
This slowdown begins in the first trimester and intensifies as progesterone levels climb. By the third trimester, your expanding uterus also physically compresses your intestines, leaving even less room for gas to move through comfortably. Constipation, which affects roughly half of all pregnant people at some point, compounds the issue because stool sitting in the colon generates additional gas.
Foods That Trigger (and Tame) Gas
Certain foods are well-known gas producers: beans, lentils, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, onions, and carbonated drinks. Whole wheat, dairy (if you’re even mildly lactose intolerant), and artificial sweeteners like sorbitol and xylitol can also contribute. You don’t need to eliminate all of these at once. Instead, try cutting back on one or two suspected triggers for a few days to see if your symptoms improve, then adjust from there.
You may have heard of the low FODMAP diet, which restricts certain fermentable carbohydrates to reduce gas. Monash University, the research group behind the diet, specifically does not recommend starting it during pregnancy. The diet is quite restrictive and can make it harder to meet the extra nutritional demands of growing a baby. If you were already following it before becoming pregnant, work with a dietitian to reintroduce foods safely.
Fiber is important for preventing the constipation that fuels gas, but adding too much too quickly can backfire. Current guidelines recommend 34 to 36 grams of fiber per day during pregnancy, depending on your age. Ramp up gradually over a week or two, pairing high-fiber foods with plenty of water. Good sources include oats, berries, chia seeds, sweet potatoes, and avocados.
How Much Water You Actually Need
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends 8 to 12 cups (64 to 96 ounces) of water every day during pregnancy. Water aids digestion, helps form amniotic fluid, and keeps waste moving through your intestines so it doesn’t sit and ferment. If plain water feels unappealing, adding a squeeze of lemon or drinking it at room temperature can help. Spread your intake throughout the day rather than chugging large amounts at meals, which can increase bloating.
Eating Habits That Help
How you eat matters almost as much as what you eat. Smaller, more frequent meals (five or six a day instead of three large ones) put less strain on your already sluggish digestive system. Eating slowly and chewing thoroughly reduces the amount of air you swallow with each bite. Avoid drinking through straws and chewing gum, both of which introduce extra air into your stomach. Sitting upright for at least 20 to 30 minutes after eating gives gravity a chance to help things move downward.
Positions and Stretches for Trapped Gas
Gentle movement is one of the fastest ways to get relief when gas feels stuck. Even a 10- to 15-minute walk can stimulate your intestines enough to get things moving. Beyond walking, several specific positions are safe and effective during pregnancy.
- Child’s pose: Start on all fours, then shift your hips back toward your heels while reaching your arms forward. Rest your forehead toward the ground. You can widen your knees to make room for your belly. Hold for 30 seconds to several minutes.
- Standing twist: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping your feet planted, gently rotate your upper body to one side, then the other. Hold a wall for stability if needed.
- Seated forward fold: Sit with your legs stretched out in front of you (or spread apart for comfort). Slowly hinge forward from your hips, letting your belly rest gently on or between your legs.
- Supported squat: Stand with your feet wider than hip-width, toes turned slightly outward. Lower into a squat, keeping your weight in your heels. This opens the pelvis and can encourage gas to pass.
- Knee to chest: Lying on your back, gently pull one or both knees toward your chest. This is effective but should be held only briefly, especially after the first trimester, since lying flat on your back for extended periods can compress a major blood vessel.
Happy baby pose (lying on your back with knees drawn toward the sides of your body) also works, but carries the same caution about prolonged back-lying. Keep it to a minute or less and roll to your left side if you feel dizzy or lightheaded.
Safe Over-the-Counter Relief
Simethicone (sold as Gas-X and similar brands) is considered safe during pregnancy. It works entirely within your gut by breaking up gas bubbles so they’re easier to pass. It is not absorbed into your bloodstream, which is why it poses no known risk to the fetus. One thing to watch for: some combination products mix simethicone with other active ingredients like antacids or laxatives. Stick with products that contain simethicone alone, or check the label carefully before buying a multi-ingredient formula.
Peppermint and Ginger Tea
Peppermint tea is a traditional remedy for upset stomach and gas, and it is generally considered safe during pregnancy in moderate amounts. One to two cups per day is a reasonable limit. There is no documented evidence that peppermint tea has caused a miscarriage, but if you want to be cautious, some sources suggest waiting until the second trimester to start drinking it regularly.
Ginger tea is another popular option for digestive discomfort and nausea. Most guidelines consider up to one gram of ginger per day (roughly one to two cups of tea) safe during pregnancy. Both teas work by relaxing the smooth muscle of the digestive tract, which can help gas pass more easily.
When Gas Pain Is Something Else
Normal pregnancy gas causes bloating, cramping, and discomfort that comes and goes, usually improving after you pass gas or have a bowel movement. Certain warning signs suggest something more serious is going on.
Severe abdominal or pelvic pain paired with vaginal bleeding can signal an ectopic pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. Other red flags for ectopic pregnancy include shoulder pain (caused by internal bleeding irritating the diaphragm), extreme lightheadedness, and fainting. These symptoms require emergency medical attention. Later in pregnancy, intense upper abdominal pain that doesn’t respond to gas remedies, particularly if accompanied by swelling, headaches, or vision changes, could point to a different complication entirely.
Sharp, persistent pain that is localized to one spot, pain accompanied by fever, or pain that worsens steadily over hours rather than coming in waves all warrant a call to your provider. Garden-variety gas pain, by contrast, tends to shift around, responds to movement or position changes, and resolves within minutes to a couple of hours.