Diarrhea in a nursing mother - what to do? Look for the answer here!

For a nursing mother, diarrhea is a rather serious problem, because the state of her body also affects the health of the child. And in order to avoid such a problem, you need to pay special attention to proper nutrition. It should be remembered that the baby may be disturbed by colic, since his stomach does not accept all the food.

Some women suffer first from constipation and then from diarrhea. If the cause of the symptom is a nervous breakdown, then the diarrhea goes away painlessly and quickly. Mom at this time constantly wants to go to the toilet (due to irritation of the colon), but there is no nausea. Another thing is diarrhea in case of poisoning or an infectious disease. In this case, the immune system weakens, the woman does not feel well, a large amount of toxins accumulates in her blood... So, today we will talk about diarrhea in a nursing mother - what to do, how to get rid of the symptom and avoid its recurrence appearance.

Why does diarrhea appear during lactation?

There are several reasons why diarrhea may appear during this period. Let's get acquainted with them in more detail.

Table. Causes of diarrhea during breastfeeding.

Name, photo	Short description
Irritable bowel syndrome	It is characterized by the absence of high fever and vomiting. At night, diarrhea does not bother, but it can start to bother after waking up. To treat the disease, relaxants are used, sedatives that are safe for the child. In this case, the most important thing is not to stop lactation.
Intestinal infections	If a woman neglects personal hygiene, this can lead to the development of infectious bowel diseases. In this case, the bacteria will begin to release many toxic substances that violate the microflora and poison the body. In this case, there can be no question of any self-medication, an urgent need to contact a qualified doctor.
Food poisoning	Poisoning during lactation is extremely dangerous, as it can harm the baby. After consuming a stale product, a lot of bacteria settle in the mother's body, which leads to problems with intestines and, as a result, to dysbiosis, the symptoms of which are nausea, vomiting, high fever and diarrhea. In this case, complex treatment is required (including antibiotic drugs) and a special diet.
Allergy	Another common reason. Food allergies tend to cause diarrhea. Therapy in this case consists in removing the allergen product from the diet.

How to help a nursing mother with diarrhea?

If you have a similar problem, we recommend that you proceed as follows.

1. To start remove toxins from the body, which can be done with the help of a sorbent (for example, you can drink activated carbon, Enterosgel).
2. To get rid of frequent bowel movements drink a decoction of rice (or from rose hips with St. John's wort), eat a hard-boiled chicken egg.

On a note! During the first few days of diarrhea, the nursing mother will not have appetite, however, she should eat well. In addition, it is necessary to drink as much water as possible (the body spends a lot of fluid during this period), and dehydration should be feared - it can adversely affect the health of the baby.

To improve the intestinal microflora, it is recommended to eat yogurt, kefir. Any food with chemical additives must be discarded, as well as fast food. The diet must be enriched with egg / wheat / buckwheat / oatmeal porridge.

Should you stop breastfeeding if you have diarrhea?

Note that breastfeeding should not be stopped during diarrhea. On the contrary, if the baby consumes breast milk, he will receive antibodies to infection with it. In addition, the milk transfers the enzymes produced by the mother's immune system, which are necessary to strengthen the child's immunity.

How to treat diarrhea while breastfeeding

As a rule, the cause of diarrhea during lactation is a nervous breakdown, as already noted earlier. The new mother suffers from postpartum depression, which often results in diarrhea. To avoid this condition:

• keep yourself in control;
• do not forget about personal hygiene, wash your hands thoroughly and often;
• do not eat fatty / spicy / fried foods, in addition, do not combine milk with fruits;
• observe separate meals, do not eat carbohydrates, proteins;
• drink plenty of water to prevent constipation;
• seek medical help in time.

For the most effective treatment, the cause of the diarrhea should be investigated. As a rule, the body copes with all pathogens on its own, but dangerous diseases (to for example, cholera, dysentery, which are treated exclusively with antibiotics) special Attention. The doctor will select the course of treatment, he will also decide whether to continue breastfeeding.

Note! With diarrhea, you need to stop eating vegetables and fruits that are heavy on the stomach and dairy products. It is better to give preference to yoghurts with bifidobacteria.

In addition, you can additionally take "Sorbex", "Regidron", "Atoxil" and the like. Products containing apple pectin can stop diarrhea.

As for traditional medicine, a decoction of bird cherry or oak bark is effective for diarrhea during lactation. Peppermint infusion is also quite effective.

Why is diarrhea dangerous during breastfeeding?

If diarrhea is caused by an infection, then the baby may well become infected from a nursing mother, but in this case, the disease is more dangerous for the female body. For example, if her condition deteriorates sharply, then it may be necessary to give up breastfeeding for a while. Anyway, the baby does not need to rush to transfer to artificial nutrition. When mom is fully recovered, breastfeeding can continue.

Note! Dehydration is extremely dangerous for a woman's body. The fact is that he will lose a lot of useful trace elements, vitamins and fluids. If the diarrhea did not last very long, then you should not worry at all. But if the problem bothers you for too long, see your doctor as soon as possible.

Do not forget that when dehydrated, the mother feels weak, becomes lethargic. Sometimes - very rarely - diarrhea can even be fatal! Therefore, it is necessary to get rid of the symptom in a timely manner; you need to recover quickly - to continue breastfeeding. In the future, so that the situation does not repeat itself, be sure to follow the rules of hygiene.

Video - About breastfeeding in case of poisoning