Diarrhea is not just an unpleasant symptom, in some cases it can be dangerous. People cope with it with the help of folk methods, and thanks to medications. Mom’s diarrhea is especially dangerous when breastfeeding. Do not self-medicate, because you can harm the baby. What should a nursing woman do if she has diarrhea?
What is diarrhea?
Diarrhea is loose stools. Diarrhea can be either single or multiple times. A woman should understand that diarrhea is just a symptom, not an independent disease. She urgently needs to see a doctor, since diarrhea in her mother when breastfeeding is dangerous for her baby.
If a woman has diarrhea, then this means that the absorption of electrolytes and water is impaired in her intestines. A person should be allocated a maximum of 300 grams of feces per day. If they are 60-70 percent more, then we can already talk about diarrhea. Due to a violation in the functioning of the intestine, feces are liquefied, bowel movements occur more often.
Diarrhea can be both acute and chronic. But it must be distinguished from the inferiority of the absorption of nutrients in the intestine, in this case, traces of undigested food are found in the feces. Acute diarrhea lasts no more than 3 weeks. If the diarrhea of a nursing mother is observed for a month or more, then he went into a chronic form.
Symptoms of diarrhea in a nursing mother
Constant or periodic diarrhea significantly complicates the life of a woman caring for a child. In addition to loose stool, diarrhea can cause other unpleasant symptoms. Diarrhea in mothers during breastfeeding is often accompanied by dehydration. If diarrhea lasts more than 3-5 days, then you should immediately visit a doctor. With diarrhea, the doctor can prescribe droppers that will restore the water balance in the body of the nursing mother and give her strength.
With diarrhea, a woman has liquid feces with blood streaks. Diarrhea may be accompanied by nausea or vomiting. High fever with diarrhea is a formidable symptom. With diarrhea, chills, headache, bloating, and severe pain may occur.
If diarrhea resolves in a day, then there is usually no reason for concern. But in some cases, you need to urgently run to the doctor. For example, if diarrhea occurs in a nursing mother after traveling to Africa or Asia. Some dangerous exotic diseases begin with diarrhea. If vomiting with diarrhea does not stop for more than 2-3 hours, then you need to call a doctor. Dark diarrhea with foam, which is accompanied by severe abdominal pain, is very dangerous.
Causes of Diarrhea
A sudden onset of diarrhea brings additional trouble to a nursing mother. Be sure to find out the causes of diarrhea, and, if necessary, sign up to the doctor. For example, an indigestion may be a symptom of an intestinal infection. Treatment in adults and children is prescribed only by a doctor, independent selection of drugs in this case often aggravates the condition.
Diarrhea can be a reaction to an exotic meal. Often this is observed in nursing mothers who first went to Asia. Doctors recommend that initially do not lean on unusual food, unfamiliar foods should be included in the diet gradually. On trips, a nursing mother should refuse to buy food on the street, giving preference to clean cafes in which sanitary conditions are respected.
Women are much more likely than men to have irritable bowel syndrome. This is due to the fact that ladies are more emotional, and this disease always occurs against a background of stress. Due to psychological stress in a woman, intestinal motility is impaired, and food does not have time to be absorbed.
Intestinal infections
Many associate diarrhea that has begun with malnutrition, but this is not always true. In some cases, the cause of diarrhea is an intestinal infection. In adults, symptoms and treatment should be discussed with your healthcare provider. Diarrhea can develop with cholera or enterovirus.
The causative agents of intestinal infections are small. They are resistant to part of disinfectants and to freezing. In feces, pathogens of intestinal infections remain viable for six months.
The virus enters the body of a nursing mother with contaminated water or poorly washed vegetables and fruits. The causative agents of intestinal infection can be transmitted in public places through dirty hands, seeded objects. A lactating woman after infection can infect her own baby. Most of the population is extremely susceptible to intestinal infections, regardless of the state of immunity.
Allergy
Diarrhea in the mother during breastfeeding can occur for many reasons. Allergic diarrhea usually begins with acute abdominal pain. After some time, the stool becomes loose. Until the allergen is completely eliminated from the body, diarrhea will not end. Such diarrhea is also accompanied by other symptoms: skin rash, sneezing, lacrimation.
If a nursing mother is confident that diarrhea is allergic in nature, then it cannot be stopped. Pills for diarrhea in this case will only harm the body. An allergen should completely leave the body of a nursing mother, drugs that stop diarrhea can prevent this.
To improve overall well-being, a woman can drink more water, take sorbents. Consultation of a doctor for prescribing a treatment regimen is desirable. In some cases, rinsing of the nose and eyes is required. The doctor may prescribe gentle antihistamines to a nursing woman.
Poisoning
Diarrhea with HB in a mother can begin for several reasons. Very often, diarrhea occurs due to poisoning by products or substances. If a woman feels very bad, then it is worth calling an ambulance. For example, with poisoning by mushrooms, a person may even die.
A serious condition occurs if the nursing mother has breathed on paint or mercury vapor. Ladies leading an asocial lifestyle have poisoning with low-quality alcoholic beverages. Such an ailment not only causes a serious condition in the mother, there is a danger to the life of the child.
You can get poisoned not only with chemicals or medicines, diarrhea occurs after eating expired products. The greatest danger is yesterday's salads, dressed with mayonnaise. You can’t eat soups that were not stored in the refrigerator, expired food. If the products have changed their appearance or have a strange smell, then they can not be consumed.
Foods That May Cause Diarrhea while Breastfeeding
The appearance of diarrhea is not always associated with the use of spoiled food or infection. Some foods naturally accelerate bowel function. In this case, diarrhea does not last long, and the woman does not have additional frightening symptoms.
Products that cause diarrhea during breastfeeding should be consumed in a limited or completely eliminated manner. Diarrhea is often associated with a large amount of fresh fruit in the diet. They contain a large number of fibers that are not completely digested. Prunes contribute to the faster passage of food through the intestines, it is recommended to give babies instead of a laxative. If a nursing mother will eat it in large quantities, then she will begin diarrhea.
Whole grains can also act as a laxative. This is due to the fact that they contain a large amount of fiber, which passes through the intestines in transit. Sour-milk products are very useful for the body of a nursing mother, but in some cases they can cause diarrhea. A large amount of vegetables in the diet can also lead to diarrhea.
The danger of diarrhea for mom and baby
With diarrhea, a woman experiences dehydration. This leads to the fact that part of the organs begins to work incorrectly. During diarrhea, vitamins, minerals, and various useful substances are washed out. The body of a nursing mother is depleted. The woman gradually weakens, becomes lethargic. If she is not helped, then complications may develop.
The medicine for diarrhea during breastfeeding can only be selected by a doctor. If a woman has a fever during diarrhea, then the child is transferred to an artificial mixture. If the doctor suspects that the lactating woman has an intestinal infection, then she is taken to the hospital. With diarrhea caused by the virus, the communication of the mother with the child is undesirable, as she can infect her baby.
Can I breastfeed during diarrhea?
The opinions of doctors on this issue were divided. If diarrhea was less than 3 times a day, passes without other symptoms of illness, then most often doctors do not prohibit breastfeeding. If the woman has a temperature or there are sharp abdominal pains, then contact with the child is better to temporarily stop. Also, a lot depends on which pills for diarrhea during breastfeeding a mother takes.
Some doctors believe that diarrhea does not require excommunication. During the fight against the virus, the mother's body produces antibodies that are transmitted to the baby with breast milk. That is why some doctors even recommend close communication between women and children. Together with breast milk, the baby will receive antibodies and will not get sick.
First aid to a nursing mother with diarrhea
After the onset of diarrhea, a woman needs to pay attention to her diet. You can not eat foods that give a laxative effect. Remedies for diarrhea during breastfeeding can be taken only after consulting a doctor.
With diarrhea, you need to drink more fluid to prevent dehydration. You can use the drug "Regidron", it will help restore acid-base balance. The product is released in the form of a powder, which is diluted in water. Also, a woman can be invited to drink "Smecta." With diarrhea during breastfeeding, it quickly alleviates the condition of the mother.
With mild diarrhea, doctors recommend eating fermented milk products. Kefir or ryazhenka will restore the intestinal microflora. With mild poisoning, a nursing mother may take activated charcoal.
Treatment
What can you do for diarrhea while breastfeeding? The doctor should prescribe treatment, since many medicines are contraindicated for mothers. For example, Doxycycline and Levomycetin should not be used by lactating women or pregnant women. “Loperamide” copes well with diarrhea, but it can be taken only after consulting a doctor, since the drug can increase intoxication.
Doctors recommend nursing mothers to use Smecta for diarrhea. This drug removes harmful substances from the body, thereby reducing intoxication. A good effect is the use of probiotics, which can be bought at a pharmacy. They normalize the digestive process and restore the microflora in the gastrointestinal tract.
Folk remedies
How to treat diarrhea without fever? Some mothers use folk remedies that will not harm the baby. You can prepare a decoction of oak bark - a time-tested remedy. It is often given even to children. The broth has a fixing effect. For one teaspoon of oak bark take 1.5 cups of water. The broth is brought to a boil and turned off. After filtering, a folk remedy can be drunk.
Rice broth is also effective in indigestion. It envelops the walls of the gastrointestinal tract and fights inflammation. To prepare the broth, mix 1 tablespoon of rice and raisins. The mixture is thrown into water and boiled for an hour. The broth is drunk in 50 g every 60 minutes, after cooling it. Usually after the first serving, the patient becomes lighter.
Prevention
A nursing mother must carefully monitor her health. It is very important to store food properly No need to cook mayonnaise salads the day before serving, even in the refrigerator they can go bad. If a nursing mother needs to eat out, then you need to choose a place where hygiene in the kitchen is respected.
Fruits must always be washed, even if they have just been picked from a tree. When cooking meat and eggs, you need to keep track of time. If you cook or stew the dish less than necessary, then you can catch the infection. It is necessary to avoid foods that the nursing mother is allergic to, they can cause diarrhea. With an epidemic of infectious diseases in the city, you should not visit crowded places.