Diagnosis

The diagnosis of a diarrhea is in most cases made by the treating family doctor, but of course the gynaecologist is also a possible contact person during pregnancy. In order to clarify the cause, it is important to ask about the accompanying symptoms, the frequency and duration of the diarrhea and any factors that may trigger it. These can be, for example, a change in diet, contact with people with a stomach flu or the consumption of spoiled food.

In this way, causes can be narrowed down. Only rarely is it necessary to carry out special pathogen diagnostics in the stool or blood. In the case of chronic diarrhoea, however, further examinations are also necessary during pregnancy.

Associated symptoms

Diarrhea can be accompanied by other symptoms depending on the underlying cause. An infection of the gastrointestinal tract is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting or general symptoms such as fever and fatigue. With such symptoms, an infection is also very likely to occur during pregnancy (see: gastrointestinal infection).

Caution is advised if listeriosis is suspected. This infectious disease is also associated with vomiting and diarrhoea, but also leads to muscle pain and fever. Pregnant women have a 10 times higher risk of infection with Listeria than non-pregnant women.

The disease can lead to premature birth or miscarriage and must therefore be treated. In general, mild diarrhea during pregnancy is often accompanied by constipation. This is due to the growing uterus pressing on the intestine.

Other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, such as chronic inflammatory bowel disease, manifest themselves in very specific symptoms. These can sometimes even include joint problems or fever. Such accompanying symptoms, however, are highly dependent on the underlying disease and are not specific to pregnancy.

If diarrhea lasts for several days, the loss of fluid can cause circulatory problems for the pregnant woman. In particular, a doctor should be consulted immediately in case of exhaustion, weakness or even blood in the stool. Abdominal cramps can also occur in the context of diarrhea during pregnancy.

A change in diet is often the reason for the abdominal cramps and diarrhoea. Due to the fact that many pregnant women consume more fiber-rich healthy food, slight discomfort results at first during the acclimatization phase.These complaints are best treated with a little patience. The body needs some rest and time to adapt to the new conditions.

However, abdominal cramps can also occur as part of an infectious gastrointestinal disease or other intestinal disorders. It is a very unspecific symptom that cannot be attributed to a specific cause. A doctor should be consulted urgently, especially in cases of persistent abdominal cramps and diarrhea or blood in the stool.

An overview of other causes of abdominal pain during pregnancy can be found here: Abdominal pain during pregnancyStomach cramps are similar to abdominal cramps. They are usually the result of a change in diet during pregnancy. However, they can also occur as part of an infectious disease, food poisoning or other gastrointestinal disease.

Pregnant women should therefore consult a doctor, especially in the case of prolonged stomach cramps and diarrhoea. Especially in early pregnancy, vomiting is often not associated with mild diarrhoea or constipation. Unlike diarrhoea, vomiting and the accompanying nausea are among the more typical pregnancy complaints and are also known as hyperemesis gravidarum (see: Pregnancy vomiting). This morning sickness usually subsides by the 16th week of pregnancy. However, if the vomiting is accompanied by severe diarrhea or even fever, it is most likely an infection or food poisoning.