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Constipated and Frustrated How I Finally Fixed My Digestion After 3 Kids
If you’ve ever looked down at your bloated belly and thought, “What the heck is going on with my digestion?”— I hear you girlfriend.
After I had my three boys, my body felt so different. I expected some changes, sure, but what I didn’t expect was how drastically my digestion and gut health would shift. I was constantly bloated, my clothes hardly fit, and (let’s be real) gassy. Foods I used to eat without a second thought – avocado, broccoli, even apples, suddenly made me feel like I had a balloon stuck in my gut. I was constipated more often than not, my jeans felt tight no matter what I ate, and I just couldn’t figure out why my body wasn’t bouncing back.
It wasn’t until I started diving deep into women’s health that I realised what was actually happening: hormonal changes were impacting my digestion more than I ever knew.
How Digestion Works (and Why It Shifts After 35)
Your digestive system isn’t just a food chute, it’s a finely tuned ecosystem that depends on your hormones to keep things running smoothly. Oestrogen and progesterone influence everything from your gut motility to stomach acid levels to the diversity of your gut microbiome. So when those hormones start to fluctuate (especially during perimenopause and into your 40s), it can wreak havoc on your digestion.
Here’s what typically happens:
- Oestrogen drops: can slow down digestion, leading to constipation and bloating.
- Progesterone fluctuations: can affect muscle contractions in the intestines, making your bowel movements irregular.
- Stress hormone cortisol: often rises in this stage of life, which can inflame the gut lining and reduce digestive enzyme production.
Add to that the stress of juggling family, work, and ageing, and it’s no wonder your gut feels like it’s gone on strike.
My Personal Wake-Up Call
After baby number three, I really hit a wall. My belly was constantly inflamed, and no amount of dieting or working out seemed to shift the weight or the bloat. Worse, I felt defeated and disconnected from my body. It wasn’t until I began learning about the gut-hormone connection that things started to click. Once I began addressing the root of the problem: my digestion and gut health, everything changed. My bloating eased, my energy returned, and yes, the weight finally started to budge.
Simple, Practical Tips to Support Digestion After 35
Here are a few everyday habits that made a massive difference for me and can for you too:
1. Eat Real, Whole Foods
Stick to foods as close to their natural state as possible. Think colourful vegetables, clean protein, and healthy fats. Avoid ultra-processed foods, which disrupt the gut microbiome and inflame your system.
2. Chew Your Food (Seriously!)
Digestion starts in the mouth. Chew each bite 20–30 times to kickstart the digestive process and reduce bloating.
3. Don’t Eat When You’re Stressed
Your body can’t digest properly in a fight-or-flight state. Take a few deep breaths, sit down, and eat mindfully. It matters more than you think.
4. Drink Water—But Not Too Close to Meals
Hydration is essential, but guzzling water right before or during meals can dilute stomach acid. Sip throughout the day instead.
5. Try Gentle Movement After Eating
A short walk post-meal can help stimulate digestion and prevent bloating.
6. Try Fasting With Your Cycle
Dr Mindy Pelz has a fantastic book called Fast Like a Girl and after reading it and applying her strategies, my health and digestion has improved so much. I especially love how easy and how effective her 24 hour fasts are for gut healing and how her intermittent fasting recommendations are so easy and practical to incorporate into everyday life. When we eat every few hours, we don’t give our body the opportunity to go into ‘clean up’ mode or autophagy, and by fasting occassionally (best times are during menstruation and follicular phases of your cycle), we can offer our body some time to heal and reset without food coming in. Highly recommend reading this one!
The Crucial Step I Almost Missed: Probiotics
Of all the things I tried, one of the biggest game changers was incorporating a high-quality probiotic – For Her into my daily routine. Taking it first thing in the morning and again at night helped to repopulate my gut with beneficial bacteria and support my overall digestive function.
Unlike other probiotics, For Her is specifically formulated for women’s bodies. It contains clinically studied strains that:
- Support digestion and reduce bloating
- Balance your gut microbiome (which is deeply connected to hormone health)
- Strengthen your immune system (70% of which lives in your gut!)
I often say it’s like giving your gut a daily love letter – simple, effective, and essential 💕
If you’re in your late 30s or 40s and wondering why your digestion has gone haywire, you’re not alone. Hormonal changes affect our gut in more ways than we’re often told. But with a few simple shifts: real food, mindful habits, and daily support from a women-specific probiotic like For Her, you can start feeling like yourself again (and maybe even better!)🦋
Ready to give your digestion the reset it’s craving? Start with the basics, tune into your body, and don’t forget to take your For Her probiotic—your gut (and hormones) will thank you.
Want to learn more about For Her? Click here to read about how it can help transform your health from the inside out.
