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...and stagnation of the bowel contents. Pregnant women may also lose the urge to defecate because of the pressure of the uterus on the lower bowel and inhibition of a reflex stimulus, known as the gastrocolic reflex, from the stomach to the rectum. The latter mechanism, which depends on normal stomach function, is responsible for the increased activity of the lower bowel that follows increased...
...matter until it can be expelled. Churning movements of the large intestine gradually expose digestive residue to the absorbing walls. A progressive and more vigorous type of movement known as the gastrocolic reflex, which occurs only two or three times daily, propels the material toward the anus.
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