Diarrhea during Pregnancy: How to detect and treat
90Diarrhea treatment
Diarrhea during pregnancy can be a concern. Diarrhea is not a disease, but rather, diarrhea are stools that are loose and watery and that occur more than 3 times in a 24 hour period. Diarrhea has many causes, including viral, bacterial, parasitic infections. The most common causes of diarrhea during pregnancy include stress, food poisoning, stomach flu ( known medically as viral gastroenteritis), food allergy and lactose intolerance. Most cases of diarrhea will go away on their own. However, diarrhea can lead to dehydration which is a serious problem. Pregnant women can become dehydrated in a short period of time. Using oral rehydration solutions like pedialyte can help prevent dehydration.
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Pregnancy: Diarrhea Symptoms
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Call your doctor right away if:
1. Diarrhea persists for 2 days or longer.
2. Pregnant woman has fever and vomitting.
3. Diarrhea stools containing blood.
4. You experience severe abdominal pain when you are pregnant.
5. No urine in more than 5 hours.
Diarrhea symptoms:
Some women experience diarrhea in late pregnancy. Depending on the cause of diarrhea, other symptoms may or may not occur with it. Other symptoms that may accompany diarrhea include:
- Nausea and vomitting
- Dehydration
- Fever
- Chills
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Pregnant women feel tired during diarrhea
- Abdominal cramping or stomach ache
- Abdominal pain or stomach pain
Diarrhea in pregnant women can last from 1 to 10 days depending on the cause. It can range from mild to severe type of diarrhea. Generally, pregnant women are more likely to experience constipation than diarrhea because of their prenatal vitamins, which contains high levels of iron that is often binding. Diarrhea during pregnancy should not last very long. If it lasts for longer than 2 days, call your doctor right away. Sometimes, diarrhea can be a indication of premature labor.
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Diarrhea during pregnancy: Causes and treatment
Possible causes of diarrhea
1. Bacterial infections: Several types of bacteria consumed through contaminated food and water can cause diarrhea during pregnancy
2. Viruses like Rotavirus, Cyptomegalovirus can cause diarrhea.
3. Parasites: Parasites can enter the boby through foods and water and settle in the digestive system. Some of the parasites that cause diarrhea in pregnant women include Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium and Entamoeba histolytica.
4. Medicines like blood pressure medications, Antacids containing magnesium and antibiotics can cause diarrhea during pregnancy.
5. Irritable bowel syndrome and intestinal diseases like Crohn's disease can cause diarrhea.
6. Diarrhea during pregnancy can be caused by an increase in the intake of water. It can be due to foods that are high in water content, such as fruits (watermelon), vegetables and large amount of water intake.
7. Other causes include lactose intolerance, stomach flu and food poisoning.
How to Treat Diarrhea during Pregnancy
The best way to get rid of diarrhea is to drink plenty of water and fluids to prevent dehydration. You can take oral dehydration solution like pedialyte to replace your body fluids that is lost during diarrhea. Follow the following diet plan for diarrhea during pregnancy.
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Diet plan for pregnant women when suffering from diarrhea
1. Strict oral rehydration solution like pedialyte for 4-5 hours.
2. The best type of drink to get rid of diarrhea is a mixture of salt and sugar in water. Avoid unhealthy drinks like sodas and soft drinks.
3. You can take foods such as toast, crackers, apple sauce, rice, mashed potatoes (no additives), pretzels, noodles (no additives), bananas, cooked carrots, cooked squash, rice krispies, cheerios and oatmeal.
4. Yogurt is the one dairy product you can eat to help getting rid of diarrhea. Yogurt is good for you when you have diarrhea, because it contains some of the good digestive bacteria.
5. No milk products, except yogurt with active cultures(no fruit)
6. No oils or butter
7. No spicy foods, dried fruits and sauces until the diarrhea subsides.
Tip: Remember the BRAT diet during diarrhea.
B: Banana
R: Rice
A: Apple sauce
T: Toast.
To avoid dehydration, drink plenty of fluids. You may drink Pedialyte instead of water to give you more strength.
I had diarrhea problems, when I was pregnant. My doctor suggested me to take imodium. After taking Imodium, diarrhea stopped completely. Always ask your health care provider before taking it.
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THANK U SO MUCH...
thank you, hope it work :(
Very helpful........I'm having getorade, bread, banana and water with little salt and sugar........I'll have boiled noodles later....
Hope this works
you have to use pselium(metamucil) or methyl cellulose or loperamide(imodium).. its effective to me..
can you drink imodium on your last month of pregnancy?
Hi wendy,
when i had diarrhea problems, my doctor told me to take imodium. Always ask your doctor first before taking it.
I've found that high fiber foods like bananas are helpful for loose stool in general.
Did somebody say pregnant women easily get sick? Due to somehow the immune system weakening because of the nutrient needed given to the baby. I find myself has been taking MC frequently for the first baby on the first 3 months of pregnancy due to instability of the maternity.
thanx alot
im currently 6 weeks pregnant and i have severe abdominal pain and diarrhea for the past 7 days. i was told at the ER thats symptoms are stomach flu virus and it will go away on its own. no medications was advised to take, not even iron supplement nor immodium. also, when diarrhea occurs during pregnancy , most likely it is a infection virus.
One of the first things many women do when they find out they are expecting is read about pregnancy. and this article provide them with handful information
Very useful and interesting!
Thanks:) news to me about imodium being safe while pregnant!
I hope this works! I've had it for 2 days now and feel horrible and run down and hav no appitite even tho I am starving! I'm currently 28 weeks and have had it off and on during the whole pregancy. All up approx 6 times and its really taking its toll on me and im worried it will affect my lil muffin.
im 16 weeks and ive had diarrhea everyday since ive been pregnant ... 3-4 times a day .. sometimes more. I have lost 18 pounds within in past 10 weeks because of it. I tried to stop my vitamins, didnt make a difference, and ive tried to eat different food even seen a dietician. Nothing seems to work for me. My doctor gave me an antibiotic today and when i went to pick it up and double checked with the pharmacist if it was safe for the baby she told me i shouldnt take it and should find a new doctor. Does anyone know how i can treat this?
im 16 weeks and have diarrhea for 2 days now, today i got up at 6am and by 10:45 i have already been to the washroom 4 times....it really taking a toll on me, i was instructed to use pedialyte i really hope this work
Hello, i hope this helps,, my mom woke up with a real bad somache ache and she has diarreah,, she said she drank water but she vomited it. also, you said tht the intake of water increases the diarrhea but the next paragraph you say that its good to take water? please im very confused and i need an answer as fast as i can
I just found out that I was pregnant on Thursday.but I have been having really bad tummy cramps and pain followed by diarriah and its only after I eat what can this be ?I am worried for the health of my baby.
My period was delayed for up to 2wks bt my period later came at the end of 40days after my last period but on the last day, I was down with diarrhea and severe headache with lower abdominal cramps with stiff neck. I don't know what is happening to me. Can somebody please tell me.
Its crazzzi
thankyou good info
5 hours without urine? i hope that doesn't include nighttime... meanwhile my baby has given me easy nights...
I will stick to the diet I find this site useful.. thanks.
I am 19 weeks pregnant have had diarrhea for about a month now with vomiting I went to the er they did an emergency surgery and removed my appendix it had ruptured went back three weeks they told me I was dehydrated but I am still sick and week what do I do?? Drs appt on Tuesday will inform of any new info I find out
Very Useful, Thanks
useful hub. Thanks
Kinda helpful, but when drinkin water make sure its not cold as it will make the diarrhea worst and youll cramp up badly. Ive been to the hospital with 2bags of IV fluid and im feeling like crap again. The stomach cramps are horrible but all mt blood test and the babys heartbeat are great!!
40 weeks pregnant. Went to labor and delivery lastnight because of severe pains. Too findout I had caught food poisoning. Really bad abdominal pains and cramps. Along with feeling weak. They gave me and iv drip but sent me home after that. The next day still in a lot of pain. Next appt is Monday. Hopefully this goes away by tomorrow. I am exhausted and in so much pain.
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Tetziano 3 years ago
Very useful tips, good info. Very Prof. Thanks