The closer the time of birth, the more the woman listens to her own body. And rightly so. After all, all the mechanisms that occur during pregnancy, as the birth approaches, prepare favorable conditions for the birth of a child. The first signs of the delivery process are pulling severe pains, false contractions, discharge. Together with them, women have diarrhea at the 39th week of pregnancy, is there any need to worry about this or is this the norm?
Characteristics of the 39th week
During this period, the baby is already fully developed and ready for the birth, which means that the mother’s body begins to prepare for the birth process. The woman’s uterus comes in tone, and this is accompanied by contractions, even if they are short-lived and rare, but these are still the forerunners of childbirth. You don’t need to run to the hospital yet, but it's time to mentally prepare and talk with the baby. In addition to more frequent contractions, a bubble near the child may burst, this leads to a large number of secretions, similar to water.
The appetite may increase, but the weight on the contrary - will gradually decrease. Lowering the abdomen is also seen. This means that the child falls lower and is at the level of the pelvis. It will become easier to breathe, the fetus no longer presses on the diaphragm. Edema often appears, so you can not stay in one position for a long time, eat salty and drink a lot.
Diarrhea at the 39th week of pregnancy is also completely normal, or is it a deviation? Let's deal with this issue.
Is diarrhea the norm or pathology?
If a woman gives birth for the first time, then diarrhea occurs during pregnancy at the 38-39th week, in the second and subsequent times the phenomenon can occur immediately before childbirth. In parallel, frequent urination may appear. All this is completely normal, just the body is preparing for the birth process and in order to avoid unpleasant situations in the process "prepares" the expectant mother in advance. It is difficult to fall asleep at night. Of course, these are uncomfortable sensations, but you should not be afraid of them.
It is worth noting that nausea also appears. Diarrhea and nausea at the 39th week of pregnancy are a kind of natural cleansing of the body. During this period, appetite may disappear, but may, conversely, increase. Taste preferences are changing.
Positive aspects of the phenomenon
Before childbirth, a woman’s stool gradually softens, in some cases (in the presence of pathologies, of course) there may be constipation, but this is the exception rather than the rule. The appearance of diarrhea at the 39th week of pregnancy is a positive factor for mom and baby. An empty intestine will not interfere with the child, and his full patency will be ensured.
The appearance of diarrhea before childbirth does not directly cause dehydration, there is no large loss of fluid. Mass feces soften to a state of gruel. The regularity of the stool is up to 5 times a day. The duration of diarrhea in the last weeks of pregnancy is approximately 2-3 days. During this period, the intestines are completely cleansed. In this case, there is no significant discomfort for the future mother.
Causes of Diarrhea
As already mentioned, the normal course of diarrhea does not harm the woman and the child. The reasons for the development are as follows:
- Cleansing the body before childbirth. The intestines should be free. Upon admission to the maternity ward, a woman is given an enema with the goal of purification, if this process occurs naturally, then enema help is not needed. This is a more favorable outcome, because it is laid by nature.
- The pressure of the baby on the intestines. About 10 days before birth, the baby lowers and stops pressing on the diaphragm - it becomes easier for a woman to breathe, but at the same time, the fetus presses on the intestines. It also provokes diarrhea at the 39th week of pregnancy.
- Change of hormonal background. The peak of hormonal changes comes when constant metamorphoses occur in a woman's body.
Symptoms of Diarrhea
Diarrhea and vomiting at the 39th week of pregnancy are normal, but they can also indicate abnormalities during pregnancy. Define the symptoms of diarrhea, which occurs immediately before childbirth. They differ in that in parallel with them, other symptoms are noted that indicate an approaching birth:
- Drawing pains in the abdomen (the lower abdomen is particularly affected)
- Long-term discomfort in the lower back, which becomes even stronger after lowering the baby.
- Intensified gas formation, to which, by the way, the uterus is very sensitive. She can react to this phenomenon and provoke false contractions.
- Diarrhea and vomiting begin to appear in the 39th week of pregnancy. These symptoms usually appear in the morning. A woman recalls the sensation of toxicosis that manifested itself at the beginning of pregnancy.
- Mild chills and general malaise, which worries a woman, she becomes even more tired, frequent dizziness and weakness appear throughout the body.
- An elevated temperature may be noticed (it should not be higher than 37.5 degrees). If this bothers you, it is better to consult a gynecologist who is pregnant.
- Headaches also indicate an upcoming birth, pressure may increase or decrease - in a word, the body is preparing for childbirth.
Many women experience coughing and nausea at the 39th week of pregnancy. What to do in this case? Doctors say that you do not need to do anything, rest even more, try not to be nervous, walk more and enjoy the last days of pregnancy. These are normal symptoms that need not be treated.
What is the danger?
Poisoning, infection with some kind of infections of the child or a pregnancy failure in the last weeks is no longer threatened. However, diarrhea at 39–40 weeks of gestation can lead to dehydration, which is the only and dangerous consequence of diarrhea. Symptoms of dehydration include:
- Dry mouth and other mucous membranes.
- Constant thirst and need for a large amount of fluid.
- Fever. This is not one that ranges up to 37.3-37.5. An alarm is caused by temperature above these indicators.
- A constant headache that does not subside is difficult to relieve, it is "sticking".
- Weakness and desire to sleep, increased fatigue.
All these symptoms apply to the natural preparation of the body for childbirth. A distinctive feature is that with dehydration, all the signs are more acute and pronounced. If a woman begins to seriously bother something, it is better to go to the hospital for expert help in order to avoid negative consequences.
Recommendations
In order for diarrhea not to lead to dehydration, you need to adhere to some recommendations that are developed by doctors:
- If there are signs of poisoning, it is better to drink "Activated Carbon" or "Smecta", they will eliminate all symptoms and minimize the consequences of an unpleasant phenomenon.
- In the last weeks of pregnancy, it is better to follow a diet, which is as follows. It is advisable to exclude carbonated drinks, flour, fatty foods, spicy, salty or fried foods from the diet. It is also desirable to remove kefir, all types of juices, milk from the diet. In parallel with this, it is necessary to increase the amount of consumed porridge from rice, tea without sugar, crackers (from white bread), as well as broths.
- If a woman understands that diarrhea is a sign of an early birth - it is better to generally refrain from eating. It is recommended to drink more herbal teas or water.
What to do with vomiting?
As noted earlier, vomiting may occur along with diarrhea. This is also a sign of large-scale changes in the body of the expectant mother. Recommendations for nausea and vomiting:
- Replenishment of lost fluid and beneficial elements. If possible, then you need to eat fruits with potassium: bananas, dried apricots, figs or persimmons. In addition, you must try to drink as much fluid as possible in order to restore water balance.
- Eat small meals, and not enough. You should not eat everything from those products that are allowed before delivery. The amount of food consumed should be moderate, and the food itself should be warm, but not hot.
- Bed rest and a state of rest are also extremely important for a future mother, because there is such an important moment ahead that will take a lot of strength.