Diarrhoea during Pregnancy: Causes and Home Remedies

Is Diarrhoea During Pregnancy Normal? That’s a common query amongst pregnant women. During pregnancy, digestive issues like diarrhoea and constipation are usually normal due to hormonal changes, dietary modifications, and increased stress. Take a look the article to know what can cause diarrhoea during pregnancy and tips that can help you ease the symptoms.

Is Diarrhoea in Pregnancy Normal?

Pregnancy-related diarrhoea is normal. You may have it if you have three or more loose bowel motions daily. However, diarrhoea alone does not always indicate that something is wrong as it can also be caused because of other reasons such as food poisoning, side effects of medicines, intestinal parasites, bacterial infections (like Salmonella and E. coli), viral infections (such as rotavirus, norovirus, or viral gastroenteritis), and food intolerance.

Causes

Dietary modifications may be one of the pregnancy-related causes of an upset stomach and diarrhoea. Some other notable causes are —

• Sensitivity to food

Among various changes that you may encounter during pregnancy, sensitivity to specific food items is also one of the changes that can result it diarrhoea. The foods that you were once able to digest well can result into an upset stomach when pregnant.

• Vitamins for pregnancy

Taking prenatal vitamins is beneficial to you and your baby’s health. However, it can cause gastrointestinal distress leading to diarrhoea.

• Hormonal changes

Fluctuation in hormone levels may either slow down the process of digestion resulting in constipation or it can accelerate digestion process causing diarrhoea.

Home Remedies

When pregnant, you should avoid taking additional medications as diarrhoea can be one of their side-effects. Also, most of the time, diarrhoea subsides and goes away on its own.

However, you can try some of these tips to manage it:

• Consume a lot of water to stay hydrated

• Continue consuming properly prepared food

• Avoid street food

• Take fruit juices, soups and broths

When to Call a Healthcare Provider

Every mom-to-be is concerned about whether diarrhoea is normal in early pregnancy. Although it is normal, you must visit your doctor if it worsens.

If diarrhoea persists for over two days, consult your healthcare provider immediately. You must also visit the doctor if you experience significant abdominal or rectal pain, pass bloody or black stools, or have a fever of 101 degrees.