Diarrhea in pregnancy: causes, symptoms, how to stop it
Introduction
Diarrhea during pregnancy is an occurrence that, in most cases, does not represent a cause for concern.
Since the months of sweet waiting are a unique period of life, it is useful to learn about aspects such as the causes, symptoms and advice for stopping diarrhea during pregnancy.
In the following lines, we will delve deeper into these topics.
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What can be the causes of diarrhea during pregnancy?
The causes of diarrhea during pregnancy can vary depending on the stage of gestation.
Let's see, in the next paragraphs, how the situation changes.
Causes of Diarrhea in Pregnancy in the First Trimester
In most cases, during the first trimester of pregnancy, women have to deal with constipation .
Despite this, it may happen that, due to aspects such as the new hormonal balance , stress and changes in diet, episodes of diarrhea appear during pregnancy.
The latter can also affect women who take iron supplements, supplements that intensely, often excessively, stimulate the intestinal walls.
I remind you that supplementation during pregnancy should never be approached in a DIY way and that, in general, the only supplement necessary for all women from the beginning of pregnancy is folic acid.
Diarrhea in pregnancy in the second and third trimester: what are the causes?
In the second and third trimesters, diarrhea during pregnancy is the result of factors that have nothing to do with the state of sweet expectation.
The main cause is gastroenteritis , which is in turn caused by Norovirus or Rotavirus .
Bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Campylobacter can also cause gastroenteritis.
In very rare cases, diarrhea during pregnancy in the second or third trimester is caused by a peak in the hormone oxytocin, an event included in a clinical picture of threatened premature birth.
Here are other possible causative factors of diarrhea during pregnancy:
- Parasites such as giardia, which attack the human body following the ingestion of contaminated water.
- Food intolerance, a frequent cause when diarrhea during pregnancy is acute.
- Irritable bowel syndrome: its significant numbers in the general population have led science to hypothesize, as can be read in this study , its possible role among the causal factors of diarrhea in pregnancy.
- Listeria: This bacterium, which infects the body by ingesting contaminated food, can cause, in addition to diarrhea, also symptoms similar to those of the flu. The consequences on the fetus are potentially fatal.
- Salmonella: food poisoning with diarrhea as a symptom, it causes serious complications during pregnancy, including meningitis.
In cases where diarrhea during pregnancy is not related to infections or pathological conditions, it can appear shortly before the onset of labor.
In these situations, we can talk about an effect of the increased synthesis of oxytocin and progesterone, fundamental hormones in physiological labor.