Nurse’s Roles in Gestational Constipation Management in Pregnant Women without Medication
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Abstract
Gestational constipation, hormonal changes during pregnancy and changes in pregnancy mechanisms can cause discomfort and might be severe when pregnant women suffer during bowel movements. Pregnant women are at risk for constipation during every stage of pregnancy. In pregnant women with good health, gestational constipation can usually be managed either pharmacologically or non-pharmacologically. At present, however, hospitals at nearly every level in Thailand have practiced guidelines for managing gestational constipation without medication according to the guidelines provided by the Thai Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society, which is only part of the knowledge and advice available on the prevention and treatment of gestational constipation. Furthermore, most pregnant women with the problem of constipation are treated with laxatives. The use of laxatives is aimed at temporary constipation relief and does not offer long-term solutions or management of this problem; because fecal excretion is an important health behavior everyone should practice as an ongoing habit. Nurses are important in providing care for pregnant women in order to achieve positive pregnancy outcomes. Hence, nurses require knowledge and understanding about the management of gestational constipation in pregnant women without medication, using the nursing process in assessing health and offering consultation on the management of gestational constipation in pregnant women without medication for comprehensive coverage in providing nursing care, which will result in changes in the excretory behavior of pregnant women with positive effects on the health of pregnant women and their developing fetuses. Nurses tend to be interested in the problem of patients’ constipation, but lack assessment in practice and planned management of constipation. This article presents factors, effects and nurse’s roles in constipation management without medication in pregnant women.
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