Why Mums Often Feel More Bloated After Birth - And Why It's Not Just About Food

We invited Cecilia Wu, Founder of Cecii Health - to share her story and her incredible knowledge on the topic of gut health.  In this final blog in our 3-part series, Cecilia explores what causes the bloat we're all depressingly familiar with, why it can actually get worse postpartum, and how we can reduce it. 

One thing I hear from so many of my girlfriends and female customers is:

“Why do I suddenly feel so bloated all the time?”

I was one of them.

Waking up already feeling puffy. By evening, my stomach feels swollen, tight, and uncomfortable. Sometimes it comes with constipation, trapped wind, or that heavy, heavy feeling that makes even getting dressed frustrating.

Often, the first instinct is to blame food.

But recently, I’ve been hearing more and more from mums that their bloating seems to worsen after giving birth.

If you’ve recently entered motherhood, your body is going through huge digestive changes - from shifting hormones and slower gut motility to constipation, hydration changes, and the demands of physical recovery.

As someone who has personally struggled with digestive symptoms and later built a gut health brand, I want to share something reassuring: your body is not broken - it is adjusting.

Hormonal changes after birth can slow digestion

After pregnancy, hormones shift dramatically.

Progesterone - which rises steadily throughout pregnancy to support the uterus - drops sharply after the placenta is delivered. Oestrogen also falls quickly. ¹

Progesterone directly relaxes smooth muscle throughout the body, including the muscles lining the digestive tract. During pregnancy, this is one of the reasons digestions slows and constipation becomes more common. After birth, while hormone levels fall, the digestive system often takes time to recalibrate. ¹ ²

Slower gut motility means food and stool take longer to travel through the digestive tract. This can lead to:

• constipation
• trapped gas
• abdominal pressure
• end-of-day bloating

For many mums, this is especially noticeable in the first few weeks and months postpartum.

Constipation is incredibly common after birth

This is one of the biggest reasons many new mums feel bloated.

Studies report that between 25% and 40% of women experience constipation in the postpartum period - linked to hormonal shifts, dehydration, iron supplements, reduced movement, and pelvic floor tension. ³

Even mild constipation can create that heavy, swollen feeling. Sometimes what feels like food bloating is actually slower bowel movement. That distinction matters.

Gentle digestive support that actually helps

The goal here isn't restriction. This is not the time for food guilt.  Instead, focus on supporting digestion gently and consistently. Think:

• warm, easy-to-digest meals
• gradual fibre from oats, cooked vegetables, fruit, and seeds
• plenty of fluids
• short walks when possible
• eating slowly

One small but effective habit is swapping fizzy drinks and sugary soft drinks for something that supports digestion.

Carbonated drinks introduce CO₂ gas directly into the digestive tract and promote aerophagia - the swallowing of excess air - which can worsen bloating and belching. ⁴
Instead, I often suggest mums swap their afternoon fizzy drink for something gentler on the gut, such as:

• warm water with lemon
• peppermint tea - traditionally used to soothe the digestive system, with menthol, shown to have antispasmodic effects on the GI tract ⁵
• a fermented juice shot, such as Cecii Digest Daily

This can become a practical daily digestive ritual, especially in the afternoon when bloating tends to peak.

A fermented juice shot can offer a gentler alternative to fizzy drinks and sugary juices, which may worsen bloating through carbonation and excess fructose fermentation. Cecii Digest Daily combines organic ginger with 3g of inulin prebiotic fibre for gentle daily support. Lactic fermentation reduces free fructose by 40% while producing beneficial organic acids. It also contains Bacillus subtilis HU58, a spore-forming strain studied in human research across digestive, microbiome, and immune-related markers, with high survivability through the GI tract.

A randomised 10-week study from Stanford University found that a diet rich in fermented foods increased microbiome diversity and significantly reduced inflammatory markers, with stronger benefits seen from more consistent daily servings. ⁶

That’s why I always encourage thinking of this as a daily support ritual rather than a quick fix.

The microbiome and postpartum digestion

The postpartum period also brings significant shifts in the gut microbiome.

Research shows that the gut microbiome undergoes substantial modifications during pregnancy and continues to adapt after birth - with significant differences in microbial diversity and community structure between postpartum mothers and non-pregnant controls. ⁷  This may partly explain why digestion can feel different in the months after delivery.

This is one reason why fermented foods, drinks and live cultures may feel supportive during recovery.

Again, the key is consistency rather than perfection. Small daily support tends to work better than occasional extremes.

A note for mums

Please be gentle with yourself.

Postpartum bloating is common. Your body has been through something extraordinary.
Sometimes what it needs most is not less food, but more support:

• rest
• nourishment
• hydration
• time
• gentle digestive rituals

Your gut is part of your recovery too.

Ready to support your gut health daily?

If this resonated with you, start with one small ritual today - whether that's a gentler breakfast, more hydration, a short walk after meals, or adding fermented foods into your routine.

For simple, science-backed daily support, explore Cecii's fermented gut shots, created to support digestion, energy, and the gut–brain connection through everyday rituals.

Written by Cecilia Wu, Founder of Cecii Health — a London-based, science-backed wellness startup focused on the gut–brain connection, fermentation, and personalised nutrition.

Instagram: ceciihealth
Tiktok: @ceciihealth

References
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2.    Sridharan S, et al. Impact of progesterone on the gastrointestinal tract: a comprehensive literature review. ResearchGate/PMC. 2022. 
3.    Turawa EB, Musekiwa A, Rohwer AC. Interventions for preventing postpartum constipation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2020. (PMC8094226) / Shin GH, Toto EL, Schey R. Pregnancy and postpartum bowel changes: constipation and fecal incontinence. Am J Gastroenterol. 2015;110(4):521–529.
4.    Mayo Clinic. Belching, gas and bloating: tips for reducing them. Updated 2024. / Hemmink GJ, et al. Aerophagia: excessive air swallowing demonstrated by esophageal impedance monitoring. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2009;7:1127–1129.
5.    Alammar N, et al. The impact of peppermint oil on irritable bowel syndrome: a meta-analysis of the pooled clinical data. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2019. (PMC6337770)
6.    Wastyk HC, et al. Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status. Cell. 2021;184(16):4137–4153. (PubMed 34256014) 
7.    Amorim T, et al. Maternal gut microbiota in the postpartum period: a systematic review. ScienceDirect. 2023. (PubMed 37116306) Lim MY, et al. Parity influences postpartum adaptations in the maternal gut microbiota. Scientific Reports. 2025.