Diarrhea during pregnancy

Definition

In order to be able to speak of diarrhea in pregnancy, certain criteria must be met. Diarrhoea is diarrhoea if either stool is defecated more than three times a day or an increased amount of stool is excreted in total of more than 200-250 g per day. Another criterion for diarrhoea is reduced stool consistency. One speaks of chronic diarrhoea in pregnancy if it lasts for two to three weeks.

Causes

Diarrhea as such is not a typical pregnancy complaint. In general, the pregnancy hormones tend to cause mild constipation. Nevertheless, there are many pregnant women who occasionally complain of diarrhoea.

Especially at the beginning of pregnancy diarrhoea can be caused by a change in diet. Since a healthy diet is very important, especially during pregnancy, many women change their diet and also eat foods richer in fiber. The intestine may initially react to the unfamiliar situation with diarrhoea.

Therefore, a little patience is necessary, especially at the beginning of the pregnancy. It usually simply takes a little time for the body to get used to the new situation, if the cause of the diarrhea can be found in a change of diet. In the course of the pregnancy, complaints such as diarrhea and constipation can be explained by the fact that the growing uterus presses on the intestine.

This can lead to changing stool habits. Psychological factors such as stress and nervousness also play a role. Immediately before the birth date, diarrhoea can even be a harbinger of the beginning birth.

Apart from the pregnancy-related causes, all causes that lead to diarrhoea outside of a pregnancy can of course also be considered. These are, for example, infectious diseases, food intolerances or food poisoning, but also chronic inflammatory bowel diseases or an irritable bowel. Infections with gastrointestinal viruses are also not uncommon during pregnancy. However, a doctor should be consulted, especially if salmonella infection is suspected, as it can become dangerous during pregnancy.