Diarrhea and Pregnancy

Diarrhea is medically termed as loose watery motion of stool. Diarrhea induced patient feels frequent urge to bowel movements, bout of nausea, and drowsiness.

In normal state of health diarrhea is a common disease and does not require serious medical concern, which is not applicable in case of pregnant condition.

There are different causes behind diarrhea infection in pregnant ladies. In some instances the new routine of vitamin and protein consumption initiates problem in digestion and induces diarrhea due to indigestion.

However due to recurring constipation in most of the pregnancies, diarrhea becomes a common problem of this phase and thus prevention from constipation is the best natural remedy for the problem of diarrhea. Other than this issue, some serious problems also cause diarrhea like food poisoning, stomach flu, or intestinal parasite problem etc. but in these cases immediate consultation with the concerned doctor is an emergency requirement of treatment.

Diarrhea often occurs after a short period of constipation, but this type of diarrhea does not last long. However, diarrhea causes acute loss of fluid and causes dehydration in body, and it is worth to call your doctor for relevant treatment because dehydration plays a major role in initiating premature labor.

Prevention from constipation in pregnancy can be imposed by inclusion of natural fiber in diet; however, consumption of adequate water and balanced diet will be helpful to treat the problem of constipation for pregnant lady.

If the natural care treatment of diarrhea is concerned, some dietary prevention will be adequate steps in treatment of diarrhea. The foods which may cause loose watery motion, for example, dry fruits, spicy, and fried foods, and milk products should be strictly avoided. Those who are lactose intolerant should avoid milk and all dairy products for better and over all prevention from the induction of diarrhea.

BRAT diet includes banana, toast, rice, and applesauce and this diet was universally recommended as safe diet during pregnancy as preventive diet for diarrhea. But the constraint of BRAT is it lacks essential minerals and vitamins. It is nowadays recommended to try the food items like potatoes, crackers, unsweetened cereals, cooked carrots, lean meats, and fresh vegetables to include in BRAT diet for overall benefit and sound health of pregnant mother and the developing fetus in the mother’s womb.

Carbonated drinks and energy drinks should be avoided as much as possible because these diets may aggravate the problem of diarrhea. However, if the problem of loose motion persists for more than 24 hours, the attending doctor should be called at emergency basis.