What to do for diarrhea in pregnancy?

Many pregnant women often face such a problem as intestinal disorders, which are caused by constipation, or, conversely, symptoms of diarrhea. How dangerous is diarrhea during this period and what to do with diarrhea during pregnancy? We will try to answer these and some other questions in this article.

No one is immune to such a nuisance as diarrhea: stress, stale or too fatty food, but it especially bothers a woman during the period when she is carrying her baby. Loose stools during pregnancy can have various causes (both banal and quite dangerous for the woman's body and her unborn child), and it is necessary to understand them in more detail before deciding what to do with diarrhea during pregnancy and giving the necessary recommendations.

If a pregnant woman has diarrhea, she should immediately notify her obstetrician-gynecologist who is monitoring the pregnancy. He will professionally help to understand the cause of the disorder and take adequate measures.

So what could be the causes of pathology in the functioning of the intestines:

• This may be a result of nervous stress.
• The woman could have eaten the “wrong” product the day before – food poisoning or, in general, improper organization of the pregnant woman’s diet.
• A common cause of the pathology in question is a viral infection. Such an infection, against the background of a healthy organism, goes away on its own within three to four days. But this does not apply to intestinal infections.
• An exacerbation of diseases of the digestive tract of various origins can also provoke diarrhea.
• During pregnancy, the woman's belly increases in size, starting to press on nearby tissues and organs, displacing them, the ducts can be blocked (the reason for the appearance of gestational jaundice in pregnant women). The stomach and other organs "get it". It is worth carefully examining the feces. With these disorders, the feces will have a light, slightly yellowish shade, and pieces of undigested food may be observed.
• Diarrhea during pregnancy can be a consequence of hormonal changes in the body, which inevitably occur as soon as a woman moves into a new status.
• A side effect of some medications that a woman has to take.
• During conception, the level of protection in the body of the expectant mother decreases - the immune system is weakened and a small negative impact is enough for the body to react with such symptoms.
• A sudden change in diet can also lead to indigestion.
• Diarrhea is often a companion of toxicosis during pregnancy. This can be explained physiologically, because the consequences of toxicosis are intoxication of the body of the expectant mother, which, in turn, provokes the disorder.
• There are known cases when gymnastics for women “in an interesting position”, which stimulates intestinal motility, can cause bouts of diarrhea.
• But expectant mothers should know that diarrhea in the fortieth week of pregnancy is a natural process that prepares a woman for childbirth. In this way, the body cleanses itself. In such a situation, there is no need to worry about the unpleasant situation that has arisen.

But whatever the reason that provoked diarrhea, for a woman who is carrying a child, it can cause a high probability of developing pathological abnormalities, both in her body and in the still developing body of the fetus. There may be a risk of losing the child by terminating the pregnancy.

Doctors classify diarrhea by intensity and duration:

• The acute form is usually caused by food poisoning caused by food poisoning. This type of diarrhea can usually last for several days. A similar picture of pathology is given by viral invasion.
• Diarrhea that lasts for more than one week is referred to as persistent diarrhea.
• Chronic diarrhea is a bowel disorder that lasts for more than one month. Such a clinical picture is already considered a severe pathology.

Mostly, intestinal problems do not "come" alone. They can be accompanied by: dizziness, nausea, flatulence, dehydration, headaches.

Usually, such symptoms do not particularly worry the doctor, as they are part of the norm. But if the signs have changed, and the pregnant woman begins to observe:

• Blood streaks and/or mucus in the stool.
• Significant increase in body temperature.
• Dark circles under the eyes, if these are not individual characteristics of the body.
• She constantly wants to drink and feels dry mouth.
• Increased decrease in moisture of the skin and mucous membranes. That is, symptoms of dehydration of the body appear. The woman rarely begins to go to the toilet "for a little".
• During defecation, it is evident that the feces have acquired an uncharacteristic, suspiciously dark, almost black, shade. This color may indicate internal bleeding.
• Drowsiness.
• The appearance of a constant monotonous noise in the hearing organs of a pregnant woman.
• The release of dark-colored urine if the woman did not eat any foods the day before that could change the color of urine.
• It is also necessary to immediately contact your obstetrician-gynecologist if the pregnant woman’s diarrhea continues for more than seven days.

In order to minimize the risk of disease, a woman should not forget about the basic rules that will reduce the risk of the pathology in question, protecting the pregnant woman from the possibility of poisoning or the possibility of intestinal infectious invasion:

• Food products must be of high quality and only fresh.
• Meals must be freshly prepared. Avoid food that is reheated "for tomorrow".
• Stick to the expiration dates of products and do not use expired ones.
• Carefully observe all rules of personal hygiene.
• It is very good to wash fruits and vegetables. If possible, you can even pour boiling water over them.
• High-quality heat treatment of fish, meat and dairy products, and water is essential.
• Avoid fast food, fast food and catering products.
• Minimize visits to places with a high density of visitors, especially during epidemics.

So what to do with diarrhea during pregnancy? This is the first thing that comes to mind in such a situation. It is necessary to say right away that you should not self-medicate, personally prescribing yourself fixing drugs, especially if diarrhea continues for seven to ten days. In such a situation, the most correct solution would be to immediately contact your attending physician or obstetrician-gynecologist who is monitoring the pregnancy.

After all, even a seemingly harmless drug can be dangerous for a pregnant woman for the still forming and developing fetus. The consequences of such use can lead to serious consequences.

Such a disorder of the body is especially dangerous in the early stages of pregnancy. Diarrhea, especially prolonged, causes intoxication - poisoning - of the mother's body, which cannot but affect her child. This danger is due to the fact that in the first trimester, all organs and systems are laid down in the embryo. Any failure at this stage can provoke a developmental defect in the future baby, expressed in all sorts of deformities, various pathologies, leading to disability of the child, or even to termination of pregnancy.

It is worth clarifying that another reason that speaks of the danger that prolonged diarrhea brings in the first trimester is that it provokes increased contractile activity of the uterus, and this, as is known, is a direct threat of miscarriage.

Therefore, the issue of timely adoption of adequate measures to stop the problem using effective methods, but not affecting the living space of the fetus, is very important.

Treatment of diarrhea with folk methods

If the intestinal imbalance lasts for two or three days, you can first try to adjust your diet, and you can also fight the problem with folk methods, without resorting to pharmacological drugs.

First of all, you should reconsider your diet.

• Complete fasting (starvation) is not allowed for a pregnant woman, and she and the fetus's body must receive a sufficient amount of nutrients, vitamins and microelements every second, which are so necessary for the normal development of the child and for the healthy functioning of the mother's body. Therefore, a diet in the broad sense of the word is prohibited in such a situation. The doctor will only adjust her diet, excluding from it for the duration of therapy foods that can loosen stool. A more stringent restriction may concern, based on the clinical picture, only the first day of therapy.
• During this period, you will have to completely exclude all smoked and fatty foods, spicy and hot foods. Whole milk is also strictly prohibited. Minimize the intake of foods with a strong taste: salty, sour and sweet.
• It is necessary to increase the amount of liquid consumed. This is due to the fact of dehydration of the body, which occurs due to its increased exit from the body together with feces. The introduced liquid will not only replenish the loss, but also "wash" the organs of the gastrointestinal tract.
• In this situation, it is advisable to refrain from eating fresh fruits and vegetables during the period of acute upset. But in order for the baby to still receive vitamins, you can eat this salad in small quantities: peel the apple and carrot and grate them on a fine grater. You get a very tasty and nutritious mixture. If desired, you can add a few drops of vegetable oil.
• In the antidiarrheal diet of a pregnant woman, it is permissible to include small portions of vegetable or weak chicken broth.
• A pregnant woman must necessarily take fermented milk products, especially those that have a short shelf life, and also those that contain "live" lactic acid bacteria. They will help to normalize the adequate functioning of the intestines, and the entire digestive tract.

It will not harm a pregnant woman or her unborn baby if she uses one of these recipes to relieve loose stools.

• You can try eating a portion of rice, it is better if it is not dry porridge, but rice on water, a little runny consistency. Soup on water will also do, but without frying. In addition to rice, you can add carrots and potatoes to it. It is advisable to take the following recipe as a base: take half a liter of water for one teaspoon of rice cereal. Put on the fire and boil for 40 minutes after boiling. You will get a kind of rice jelly. After straining, take the resulting broth. It is advisable to drink half a glass every two to three hours. Salt and sugar are not used in this situation. If desired, it is possible to “make” a soup on this basis.
• There is a similar recipe, only rice is replaced with oatmeal.
• Blueberries are good for strengthening the intestines. They can be easily purchased at any drugstore today.
• Dried fruit compote has proven itself to be excellent in such a situation. Only dried apricots and prunes should be excluded. It is useful to take such a decoction little by little throughout the day. It not only helps to stop the problem, prevent dehydration of the body, but also "delivers" to the body the much-needed vitamins and microelements that are lost during diarrhea.
• You can eat a couple of cubes of chocolate, but you shouldn’t get carried away with the sweet diet.
• Crackers made from white bread also help alleviate the situation.
• An effective remedy for diarrhea are decoctions of such plants as: fireweed, yarrow, shepherd's purse, sage, wormwood, St. John's wort, calendula, oak bark, coltsfoot, St. John's wort, plantain, medicinal chamomile, nettle and many others. They not only strengthen, but also have anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety properties.
• Decoctions of these plants are also suitable. For example, take one part of each plant: oak bark, plantain leaves, Icelandic moss, chamomile flowers, upright cinquefoil root, St. John's wort. Pour two tablespoons of the mixture with a glass of boiling water and keep in a steam bath for about 15 minutes. Then let it brew for 45 minutes. The medicine is ready.
• You can try drinking strong black tea.
• Tea made from viburnum berries is also effective.
• Starch water, easily obtained at home, has also proven itself to be effective. Dilute one teaspoon of potato starch in half a glass of boiled cool water. Take several times a day. Drink the diluted amount in one go.
• If the cause of diarrhea is emotional stress of a pregnant woman, tea brewed from mint leaves or motherwort herb is perfect.
• If you have some, you can try eating quince.
• Tea made from pomegranate peel has proven itself to be good. To do this, one tablespoon of the crushed product should be steamed with a glass of boiling water and infused for 24 hours (in a thermos).

But every expectant mother should remember that the use of medicinal herbs to eliminate this problem should also be taken quite carefully. After all, many harmless, as some think, "herbs" in such a period can significantly harm the unborn child, and in the worst case, directly threaten the pregnancy itself. Therefore, before you begin to relieve the problem yourself with "grandmother's methods", you should definitely consult a qualified specialist.

If a couple of days have passed and the problem has not resolved itself, you should not delay any longer, you need to contact a qualified specialist. It is better if this turns out to be groundless anxiety than to miss a more serious disease or situation and lose precious time, which can cost the life of an unborn child.

Having studied the clinical picture and, if necessary, having prescribed additional examination, the specialist will prescribe the treatment that will be effective for the woman and not dangerous for her baby.

In the later stages of pregnancy (around 33 weeks), intestinal upset is no less dangerous and can be a companion of late toxicosis. The accompanying symptoms are similar to those listed above. In the last weeks, the appearance of diarrhea can act as an irritant on the contractile muscles of the uterus, provoking their activity, which, if prompt and effective measures are not taken to stop the problem, can lead to the loss of the child. There is no time to hesitate. A consultation with an obstetrician-gynecologist is necessary and, if necessary, his urgent intervention.

Diarrhea at 36 weeks of pregnancy can indicate an existing pathology, and can be one of the first symptoms of approaching labor. At this stage of the course of bearing a baby, such a symptom is quite dangerous, because the child is not yet physiologically ready to come into our world. Therefore, in the third trimester, you should not ignore the bottom problem. It is necessary to immediately notify the doctor who is monitoring the pregnancy.

Diarrhea at 37 weeks of pregnancy can have the same causes as the previous week. When this period is reached, you should minimize visiting places where there are many different people. Such a step will reduce the risk of infectious contamination. After all, the woman's body is so vulnerable during this period. At this stage, the expectant mother moves less, it is already more difficult for her to do this, and diarrhea can lead to rapid dehydration of the body, which is dangerous for both the pregnant woman and her child.

Diarrhea at 38 weeks can also be pathological. But if the woman still listened to the recommendations of her doctor, then with a high probability this "diagnosis" can be excluded. Then diarrhea, often accompanied by contractions, indicates that the woman's body is preparing for childbirth. If she is in a hospital, you should call a health worker, informing him of the changed prenatal situation. And if the woman in labor is at home, you should immediately go to the maternity hospital. At this stage, diarrhea is no longer dangerous.

Intestinal upset at 39 weeks indicates an approaching long-awaited event - the birth of a baby. Diarrhea is a natural self-cleansing of the mother's body before obstetrics and there is no pathology here. Moreover, you should not take any measures trying to stop this process.

The arresting therapy is further complicated by the fact that most pharmacological drugs are contraindicated for use in this period for such a patient, especially in the early stages of fetal development. This fact significantly narrows the specialist's capabilities in combating this pathology.

Medicinal treatment of diarrhea during pregnancy

But there are cases when the patient's condition is alarming, and the doctor has to make a choice. If medications are unavoidable, even under the threat of negative impact on the body of the future child, the obstetrician-gynecologist has to prescribe a treatment protocol, which may include antibiotics and drugs with fixing properties. But you should not "prescribe" treatment for yourself - this step is fraught with negative and dangerous consequences.

Initially, the doctor may prescribe a pregnant woman a treatment that includes one of the drugs belonging to the sorbent group of drugs. This may be carbopect, activated carbon, polysorb, carbosorb, purified "White coal", enterodesis, sorbex, carbactin, polyphepan, enterosgel, ultra-adsorb and others.

The sorbent enterosgel is taken orally. To increase the effectiveness of therapy, it is better to drink the drug one to two hours before the expected time of the meal, with a sufficient amount of liquid. Before taking the medicine, open the packet and dissolve its contents in water, occupying a quarter of the glass. The recommended dosage for adult patients, which includes pregnant women, is one packet, which corresponds to 22.5 grams or one and a half tablespoons of the drug. The number of doses is discussed by the attending physician, usually no more than three such procedures are allowed, carried out during the day.

In case of acute diarrhea attacks, a double dosage may be prescribed for the first dose: two sachets, which corresponds to 45 grams or three tablespoons of the drug. Then the regimen involves the introduction of one sachet of enterosgel. In case of very severe intoxication of the body caused by intense diarrhea, the recommended dosage may be doubled and taken during the first three days.

After the pathological symptoms have disappeared, it is advisable to continue taking the medicine for another three to five days. This is done to consolidate the result obtained.

Contraindications for the administration of enterosgel include individual intolerance to the components of the drug, as well as intestinal atony, which is observed in the history of the expectant mother.

With profuse diarrhea, a woman's body loses not only water, but also the salts necessary for proper functioning. To replenish them, the victim is prescribed one of the saline solutions: rehydron, sorbilact, gudrona, quintasol, trisol, disol, reosorbilact and others.

Preventing dehydration and balancing the electrolyte balance in the body of the expectant mother, rehydron is taken orally in the form of a solution. The time of administration does not depend on the timing of the meal.

Before taking, the package is opened and its contents are diluted in a liter of clean boiled water at room temperature. The dosage of the drug taken is 50 - 100 ml at intervals of three - drink minutes.

After the problem has been resolved, the woman will have to take a maintenance daily dose for some time, in an amount calculated at 80–100 mg per kilogram of the patient’s weight.

Contraindications to the use of this drug are hypersensitivity of the pregnant woman's body to one or more of its components, as well as if the woman has a history of kidney problems and diabetes.

If necessary, but only as prescribed by a doctor, antispasmodics may be prescribed to relieve painful spasms caused by increased intestinal peristalsis: papaverine suppositories, drotaverine, no-shpa, spazoverine or spazmol.

No-shpa is administered orally to the patient. The recommended daily dosage of the drug is 120-240 mg, divided into two or three doses. The amount of the drug should not exceed 240 mg per day, and a single dose should not exceed 80 mg.

It is not recommended to prescribe the drug in question if the pregnant woman suffers from severe renal and/or hepatic, cardiac dysfunction, as well as in case of hypersensitivity to the active substance or any of the auxiliary chemical compounds of the drug.

If the pregnancy has "passed" 30 weeks, the obstetrician-gynecologist will more easily decide to introduce antidiarrheal drugs into the treatment protocol, which are produced on the basis of loperamide. Pharmacologists include enterobene, diarol, loperacap, lopedium, diara, imodium, superilop, loperamide and others among these.

Entrobene is taken in capsule form, without chewing, or in tablet form, which is placed on the tongue (a few seconds are enough for the medicine to dissolve and enter the body together with saliva - it should not be washed down).

In case of acute diarrhea, the starting dosage is 4 mg. After the acute attack has subsided, half the dosage is taken - 2 mg. The drug is taken after each bowel movement with liquid feces. You should not exceed the maximum daily dose of 16 mg.

The schedule for taking the medicine in the form of drops (0.002% solution) is similar: the starting amount of the medicine is 60 drops, after which the amount is halved (up to 30 drops at a time). The maximum daily dose of 180 drops, divided into six doses, should not be exceeded.

If diarrhea has become a chronic disease, a specialist may prescribe maintenance therapy corresponding to 16 mg taken by a pregnant woman throughout the day, divided into four doses.

Contraindications to the use of Entroben include increased intolerance by the woman's body to the components of the drug, as well as a history of diverticulosis, shigellosis, intestinal obstruction, salmonellosis, dysentery, gastrointestinal tract infection, ulcerative colitis, and liver failure.

If it is diagnosed that the cause of diarrhea is pathogenic microflora, in exceptional cases it is allowed to take an antimicrobial drug that effectively stops the reproduction and very existence of the vast majority of microorganisms, pathogens that provoke intestinal disorders. Such a drug can be enterofuril, nifuroxazide, lekor, ecofuril, stopdiar, ersefuril and others.

Nifuroxazide is taken in tablet form whole, without crushing, or as a suspension, together with a sufficient amount of water. The time of administration does not depend on the time of food intake. The main thing when taking the drug in question is the requirement to maintain equal time intervals between the doses.

The recommended dosage is two tablets every six hours, or four times a day.

Nifuroxazide suspension is prescribed in the amount of 5 ml, which corresponds to one measuring spoon, four times a day, at equal intervals.

The duration of the treatment course is usually five to seven days.

Nifuroxazide is contraindicated for use if the patient has an increased individual sensitivity to the components of the drug.

If medically necessary, the attending physician may decide to introduce certain antibiotics into the treatment protocol.

But bouts of diarrhea should not only be stopped, but also the balance of flora in the intestines should be restored. For this purpose, probiotics are prescribed - drugs that contain live microorganisms, which, when used in adequate quantities, cause an improvement in the health of the host organism. To achieve the expected effect, it is necessary to undergo a course of one of such drugs as baktisubtil, acipol, bifi-form, bificol, bifidumbacterin, biosporin, linex, florin forte and others.

Bactisubtil is taken one hour before the expected introduction of food. The dose of the drug is four to eight capsules per day for seven to ten days. Contraindication to the use of the drug in question is its individual intolerance.

If a woman suffered from this disease before conception or was not particularly picky about what she ate, then the occurrence of diarrhea is a very real prospect. But if we consider that the expectant mother is now responsible not only for her health, but for the life and health of her baby, then the problem of diarrhea, in this light of its manifestation, arises in a more dangerous form. So what to do with diarrhea during pregnancy? You can find the answer to this question in the article above. It is only worth warning once again that when this pathology appears, you should not self-medicate and try to cope with the problem on your own. Only a qualified specialist can deal with it more professionally and effectively. Under his supervision, you can be calmer and for the fate of the unborn child. Self-medication with "grandmother's methods" is justified only in the case of minor diarrhea lasting one or two days.

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