So are you in your early pregnancy and suffering from constipated diarrhea. It is a situation where sometimes you are highly constipated and on other times you just can not avoid going to toilet. Among many symptoms of pregnancy, diarrhea is considered one of the early signs. Women in their third trimester are also get affected by irregular bowels movement leading to watery stools.
Digestive problems is very common during the 37th weeks of pregnancy. So is diarrhea a sign of early pregnancy? or just PMS? many women have reported about suffering from absolute diarrhea in their 1st month of pregnancy. It can be determined as one of the symptoms of conceiving.
Frequent bowel movements can cause dehydration which can be serious in such delicate times. When ever you take a loose stool, drink 1 glass of cold water to compensate the lost fluid and electrolytes in your intestine. Some women report to having mild diarrhea in late pregnancy just before they go into labor, and if you are less than 32 weeks or 37 weeks along, diarrhea can be a sign of preterm labor.
What Causes Diarrhea In Pregnancy
Diarrhea is a stomach disorder in which patients fail to absorb nutrient from food and release watery stools. Diarrhea and pregnancy have been seen together due to the uterus structure. During pregnancy your lower body part goes through various changes. Estrogen level get higher that can cause diarrhea and vomiting.
Rise in hormones, increased stress, and changes in diet leads to frequent constipation and diarrhea. They are very exhaustive in nature causing weakness and fatigue. Constant loose motion will also trigger acid reflux and sourness in mouth.
Prenatal vitamins can also trigger upset stomach and loose motion. Many pregnant women are not able to digest these vitamins properly, hence causing stomach problems.
Food intolerance and allergies can also trigger diarrhea while you are pregnant. Women who are lactose intolerant are at high risk of developing diarrhea in early pregnancy. Generally the nutritional supplements are derived from dairy and plant based product which cause the allergic reaction.
Bacterial infection during pregnancy can also trigger acute diarrhea. Eating contaminated food or drinking dirty or stale beverages can cause acid reflux and trigger loose motion by upsetting the intestine.
Other common causes are stomach flu, intestinal parasites, food poisoning, and medications.
Diarrhea is More Common in The Third Trimester
As you are approaching close to your labor, diarrhea becomes more frequent along with constipation. In third trimester mother’s body is now matured to give birth making it more imbalanced hormone levels. It is not necessary to suffer from digestive issues in your last trimester. Some women never develop diarrhea in late pregnancy. The frequency of this irregular watery stools will be different for every one. It depends upon the personal health of mother and how they have prepared herself for labor.
Simple Ways To Get Rid Of Diarrhea In Pregnancy
1. BRAT Diet
BRAT diet can soothe digestive system by reducing irritation in digestive tract. They are also helpful in preventing food poisoning and acidity. BRAT diet includes four simple food group that are easy to digest and have pleasant effect on your intestine. It includes,
- Bananas
- Rice (white)
- Applesauce
- Toast
Banana is a potassium rich food, that is powerful natural laxative proven to be an excellent remedy for diarrhea and constipation. It help bind the bowel reducing less amount of water in small intestine. Rice is natural anti-inflammatory and calorie rich that help you feed the energy you need to carry the child. Applesauce has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties that protect stomach from acid burns and irritation. The burnt part of toast acts as activated charcoal helpful in treating diarrhea induced from food poisoning.
BRAT Diet is not only soothing to inner linings of abdomen but also reduce symptoms of acid reflux such as heartburn during pregnancy and bloating.
2. Stay Hydrated
Dehydration from diarrhea can be fatal for your unborn child. Drinking plenty of water will flush out toxins from your colon and help you get rid of diarrhea during pregnancy. Maintaining sufficient amount of water inside body is essential for healthy digestion.
Drink 8-10 glass of water everyday to manage the fluid loss caused by loose motion. Alcohol, milk, soda or other carbonated drinks should not be used for hydration, as they may worsen diarrhea symptoms.
3. Probiotics
Probiotics are an amazing source of good bacteria that can eliminate bacterial infection to create healthy gut environment. The live-active cultures in probiotics are able to manage the stability between good bacteria and bad bacteria in your intestine. Thanks to its gut healing properties, probiotics are can be beneficial on the issue of how to get rid of diarrhea during pregnancy.
Gastrointestinal system function is very important for healthy intestine as they protect against infection and reduce stomach ache naturally. Probiotics like yogurt may reduce inflammation in small intestine resulting into treatment of loose motion.
You can choose from wide variety of probiotics such as kefir, yogurt, kimchi, natto and pickles.
4. Ginger Root Tea To Get Rid of Diarrhea While Pregnant
Ginger has soothing effect on gastrointestinal system. Drinking tea made from the roots of ginger herb can be one of the most effective way to get rid of diarrhea and vomiting. Its carminative properties protect pregnant women from vomiting and flatulence. It help improves mood swings and works as an effective home remedy for morning sickness.
Thanks to anti-inflammatory properties of ginger, it reduce inflammation of digestive tract and protect colon. Healthy colon promotes easy absorption of nutrient from food helpful for the babies.
- Pour one cup of water in a saucepan.
- Mix 2 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger roots.
- Bring the water to boil and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Strain it and sweeten with honey.
- Drink such one cup of ginger herbal tea to get rid of loose motion.
5. Drink Broth
Make sure you drink plenty of water and broth to rehydrate yourself after releasing watery stool. Dehydration is the biggest concern for pregnant women as it can be fatal to your child. The broth will help replenish your lost fluids and electrolytes.
6. Peppermint Tea
The anti-inflammatory and carminative properties of peppermint help settle upset stomach. Drinking this herbal tea is useful to get rid of diarrhea during pregnancy. It also provide relief from stomach cramps caused due to contraction of uterus.
Pour one cup of water in a pot and bring water to boil. Add 10-15 peppermint leaves and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. Strain it and sweeten with honey. Drink this herbal tea everyday to get relief from vomiting during pregnancy.
Conventional Treatment for Diarrhea While Pregnant
Most cases of diarrhea are not serious and you should wait for at least 2 days before taking any medications. If the symptoms persist for more than two days then consult with your doctor about the condition and disclose all the medicine you are currently taking to avoid any drug interaction.
Most people go for common over the counter medicine. Some of them include:
- Pepto-Bismol,
- Imodium A-D, and
- Kaopectate, (available as liquids or tablets)
Diarrhea in Pregnancy Management
Women should learn how to manage their stomach related issues while pregnant because what they eat have direct impact on the health of baby.
Understand the symptoms such as watery stools, fever, vomiting, nausea and constipation. Find out about the triggers which makes your stomach upset.
Avoid eating spicy foods, greasy foods, carbonated beverages, and dairy product. Some doctors suggest to drink milk while pregnant to minimize the risk of developing diarrhea. But women suffering from lactose intolerance should not eat milk or any other dairy product as it can trigger loose motion.
Traveler’s Diarrhea And Pregnancy
If you will be traveling during your pregnancy then make sure to mark few things. Never drink or use tap water for cooking food. It can be contaminated or your body may not be immune to virus and bacteria present in water.
Traveler’s diarrhea is one of the common health issue travelers face every year. Eating street foods and change of environment can trigger hormonal stress that can lead to loose motion.
Eating stale food or drinking contaminated water is one of the main cause behind developing diarrhea while traveling. So if you are pregnant and planning to travel make sure to drink only bottled water and only eat at places which you think is healthy.
What To Eat When You Have Diarrhea and Vomiting
First of all, stop drinking caffeinated beverages and increase the intake of water. Drink at least 10 glass of water to replenish lost fluids due to diarrhea in pregnancy. Some people even try self induced vomiting to get relief from the discomforts of upset stomach. Maintaining the healthy level of water is very helpful in cleansing of colon that helps you get rid of diarrhea fast.
Here is the list of foods to eat during pregnancy.
- Clear broth
- Potatoes
- Cereals
- Crackers
- Chicken soup
- Bananas
- Applesauce
- Rice
- Toast
- Oatmeal
- Properly cooked chicken with skin removed
If you do get diarrhea during pregnancy, make sure to drink plenty of fluids to clear intestine and to avoid dehydration.
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