12 foods to avoid if pregnant mothers have diarrhea

Diarrhea during pregnancy can make pregnant women dehydrated, seriously affecting the health of both mother and fetus. If you have abdominal pain, diarrhea during pregnancy, pregnant women should avoid eating some foods to prevent this situation from getting worse.

With aFamilyToday Health, learn the causes of pregnancy diarrhea, how to fix it and what to avoid to ensure the health of both you and your baby.

The cause of diarrhea during pregnancy

If you have to have more than 3 bowel movements a day or have loose stools, you may have diarrhea. Pregnancy diarrhea is not an uncommon condition. There are many reasons that cause you to fall into this bad situation, typically:

Viral infections, bacteria causing intestinal diseases

Parasitic infection causes gastrointestinal disease

Food poisoning

Side effects of some drugs

Acute viral gastroenteritis: This condition often causes digestive upset, diarrhea, nausea, headache, cramps, general pain, low-grade fever, and fatigue.

Irritable bowel syndrome

Crohn's disease

Celiac disease

Ulcerative colitis

In addition, pregnant mothers can get diarrhea if they fall into the following cases:

Changing too much in the diet: Many women have a surprising change in taste and eating habits when they first become pregnant. This sudden change can cause digestive problems, putting pregnant women at higher risk of diarrhea.

Becoming more sensitive to certain foods: During pregnancy, some pregnant women experience sudden sensitivity to certain foods that they used to use without having problems. . This can cause bloating, abdominal pain leading to diarrhea.

Pregnancy supplements: Taking the supplement during pregnancy can cause problems in the stomach and cause diarrhea.

Hormone changes: The mother bulb was constipation during pregnancy is due to changes in hormone levels in the body makes the working speed of the gastrointestinal system is delayed. However, you can also get diarrhea if changes in hormone levels cause an acceleration in this system.

In some pregnant women, diarrhea that occurs late in pregnancy tends to be common. The reason may be that at this stage, your body is preparing for labor, leading to the above condition. However, you should not see this as a sign of early labor because as mentioned above there are many causes of diarrhea during pregnancy. Therefore, if you have diarrhea, you should immediately see a doctor to prevent dehydration, fatigue ...

If you have a need to learn about the process of labor, please refer to the article Learn about the stages of labor 

12 foods to avoid if you have diarrhea during pregnancy

There are a few foods you should avoid consuming during pregnancy, including:

1. Curry

The reason you should avoid curry in this case is because it is a spicy, hot, and greasy dish that is not good for people who are having digestive problems.

The fats and oils found in many dishes will overload your digestive system. The body needs more water to be able to digest these ingredients. Because diarrhea dehydrates you, eating this dish is an unhealthy choice.

2. French fries

Like curries, french fries are high in fat, making it an indigestible snack that isn't suitable for people with diarrhea.

3. Red meat

The nature of red meats such as beef, buffalo meat, veal, lamb ... is rich in protein, making it difficult to digest. However, this is not the only reason why you should not eat this meat if you are suffering from diarrhea during pregnancy. Eating undercooked red meat in dishes such as rare pho, buffalo meat dipped in vinegar, veal ... can make your health worse. The reason is that if these meats are not properly preserved or processed, the risk of these meats becoming contaminated is very high, which can endanger health.

4. Seafood

Seafood contains small amounts of inorganic mercury. This is a substance that cannot be digested by a pregnant woman's body. Therefore, the fact that pregnant women eat seafood when they have diarrhea can make this situation worse.

In addition, inorganic mercury can adversely affect the unborn baby. During this time, if you want to eat fish, you should eat freshwater fish.

5. Whole fresh milk

If you have a habit of drinking raw milk, you should cut down on the amount of milk you use during diarrhea. Because raw milk has a high risk of infection with harmful bacteria if not stored properly.

In addition, it is also recommended that pregnant mothers drink fresh boiled milk when suffering from diarrhea. The simple reason is that milk contains many complex compounds that are difficult to digest, so it can overload the digestive system of pregnant women.

6. Soft cheese

Many pregnant women tend to have cheese as a snack. However, if you experience diarrhea during pregnancy, you should avoid eating these foods. Like raw milk, soft cheese can also be contaminated with bacteria, making it bad for anyone with diarrhea. What's more, soft cheeses have a fairly high fat content that makes them difficult to digest.

7. Pizza

Like chips, pizza contains unhealthy fats. That is why pregnant women need to avoid eating this fast food while having diarrhea.

8. Coffee, carbonated drinks

When you have diarrhea, drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. However, you should avoid drinks such as coffee and carbonated soft drinks. Coffee and carbonated soft drinks are diuretic drinks, so it can worsen the dehydration of pregnant mothers. In addition, the high caffeine content of these drinks can cause digestive problems.

9. Bread

When you have diarrhea, limit your intake of bread. This is because these commercially available foods have a high risk of contamination because they are often not stored properly. Furthermore, foods high in starch are difficult to digest, making them not suitable for people with diarrhea.

10. Papaya

Papaya contains compounds that cause uterine contractions. This fruit also works to help relax muscles and accelerate digestion. This is something that pregnant mothers should limit if they have diarrhea.

11. Pineapple (pineapple, pineapple)

Pineapple contains romelain - an enzyme that increases the risk of miscarriage and diarrhea. Therefore, pregnant mothers with diarrhea should avoid eating this fruit.

You can refer to the article What pregnant mothers should consider when eating pineapple (pineapple) for more useful information.

12. Chocolate

Sweets like chocolate are difficult to digest. In fact, in order to digest any sweet food, our body needs a large amount of fluids. Pregnancy diarrhea has caused the mother's body to lose a significant amount of water. This is the reason why you should not eat chocolate or any sweets when having this health problem.

Remedy for diarrhea during pregnancy

In some cases of pregnancy diarrhea may not require drug treatment if the cause is unknown. If you have diarrhea, you should follow the instructions below:

Wait within a few days: If you have diarrhea due to food poisoning, viral or bacterial infections, you should go away within a few days. Therefore, an effective measure now is to drink enough water to prevent dehydration.

Consider your medication: If the diarrhea is caused by a side effect of a medicine you are taking, your body tends to correct itself so the diarrhea may stop after a few days. If not, get medical attention immediately.

Avoid any of the above foods to prevent further deterioration.

Seek medical attention: Seek medical attention right away if the diarrhea does not go away after 2-3 days. Your doctor will conduct a physical exam, order you to do tests to determine the cause of your diarrhea.

Do not take it on your own: You should not take any diarrhea medicine without a prescription because it can harm you and your baby.

Drink enough fluids: It is important if you have diarrhea during pregnancy to make sure you are not dehydrated. Dehydration from diarrhea can happen very quickly and seriously, especially in pregnant women. You can drink filtered water, fruit juice, water mixed with dry sea salt ... to compensate for the amount of water, some electrolytes, vitamins and minerals were lost in the diarrhea process.

See a doctor right away if you notice a dark yellow urine, a cold, nausea, headache, always thirsty, dry mouth, sticky, stomach pain, bloody stools ... These are warning symptoms you are in. dangerous condition and need medical assistance.