Diarrhea at 37 weeks gestation

When a woman is in an interesting position, she undergoes a lot of changes in her body.

And along with the joys come the corresponding symptoms that can accompany the expectant mother throughout the pregnancy.

Dizziness, drowsiness, irritability and nausea - this is not the whole list of body manifestations that pregnant women have to deal with.

But what to do when the deadline is no longer short, but an unexpected nuisance has occurred? What diarrhea can say at 37 weeks of pregnancy, what are its causes, and what to do, it is worth understanding in more detail.

Diarrhea causes

Since diarrhea during pregnancy is much less common than constipation, it is important to know the reasons why it may appear.

These include:

• Food poisoning. It can happen for several reasons: the use of expired food and food of poor quality. This also includes taking and poisoning with medicines and poisoning with poor-quality and untreated water.
• Poisoning of an infectious nature. In this case, pathogenic bacteria enter the body and affect the entire gastrointestinal tract. This type of poisoning is extremely dangerous and requires urgent medical attention.
• The presence of parasites. Worms not only cause discomfort to their owner, but also provoke a lot of unpleasant symptoms, one of which is diarrhea.
• Loose stools at 37 weeks of gestation can be a reaction of the expectant mother's body to certain foods. It can arise from any fruit, vegetable or dish containing a certain type of product.
• Physical overstrain, even the smallest and insignificant, can cause diarrhea, especially when it comes to the 37th week of pregnancy.
• The readiness of a pregnant woman for childbirth. Many doctors have long considered 37 weeks of pregnancy to be an excuse to prepare for childbirth. At this time, the baby is already fully formed and, if he is born, is not considered a pathology or prematurity.

Since each of these reasons can occur at 37 weeks of gestation in any pregnant woman, it is worth considering each of them separately.

Food poisoning

This condition is characterized by indigestion due to eating poor quality foods or eating food that has expired.

Unprocessed food, water, and drug poisoning also fall into this category. At this time, the following symptoms may be observed:

• The presence of nausea, gagging, and vomiting
• Upset stomach, diarrhea
• High body temperature, chills
• Bloating, flatulence, pain in the abdominal cavity
• Weak condition, fatigue, feeling unwell

Throughout pregnancy, a woman is often tormented by unpleasant symptoms, therefore, in the case of a mild degree of poisoning, it can be confused with toxicosis.

For example, a woman is also nauseous, vomiting and dizzy. But in a more severe case, diarrhea appears and body temperature rises.

The 37th week of pregnancy can manifest itself with severe late toxicosis. This is the most severe form of it, which is very easy to confuse with food poisoning.

Therefore, at the first signs and symptoms, it is very important to appear in the doctor's office so that he can examine a pregnant woman and provide her with medical assistance, or prescribe appropriate treatment.

Infectious poisoning

Poisoning caused by intestinal infections is considered the most dangerous at 37 weeks of gestation. It is provoked by infectious diseases that affect the entire gastrointestinal tract.

These include salmonella, rotavirus, dysentery, cholera and other dangerous diseases. Infectious poisoning is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Having nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Increased body temperature
• Decreased appetite or none at all

Diarrhea at 37 weeks of gestation is not dangerous for the fetus, because all pathogenic bacteria live and multiply only in the intestines of the expectant mother.

But the consequences can be dehydration of the body, and this is already dangerous not only for a pregnant woman, but also for the fetus. This is fraught with fetal hypoxia.

At this time, antibiotics are prescribed, but the doctor selects them individually, because they are able to have their effect on the fetus.

Parasites

The presence of parasites in the body of a pregnant woman can also provoke diarrhea. But what to do in such a situation? After all, this is not only harmful for the woman herself, but also dangerous for the baby.

Some doctors are of this opinion, so they strongly recommend getting rid of the parasites before the onset of labor.

This is due to the fact that during childbirth, the larvae of the worms can get into the lungs of the child and then the consequences will be dire.

The baby will be sick with viral respiratory diseases all the time, and his lungs and bronchi will be constantly exposed to the inflammatory process.

But the other half of the doctors believe that the removal of worms should be postponed until the baby is born.

Treatment of parasites is carried out with special medications, and they are very toxic and harmful to the developing fetus.

Therefore, traditional medicine is considered a safe and effective method of combating parasites at any week of pregnancy. Namely:

• It is recommended to eat pumpkin seeds on an empty stomach before breakfast.
• Eating watermelon and pumpkin is not only good for health, but also perfectly removes worms
• If there are no contraindications, onions and garlic will become faithful helpers in the fight against parasites.
• Worms often cause diarrhea. Therefore, mountain ash and walnuts can get rid of it and parasites.
• Radish and carrots are also considered a very effective method of dealing with worms.

If worms are found in a pregnant woman at any week of pregnancy, all dairy products are completely excluded from her diet. They have a beneficial effect on their growth and reproduction.

Reaction to certain foods

At 37 weeks of gestation, diarrhea may occur due to the body's reaction to a certain food product. Such a phenomenon can be provoked by absolutely any food, since each organism is individual.

In this case, it is important to identify it and completely exclude it from the diet. To bring the digestive system back to normal, they completely revise the diet, excluding all vegetables and fruits from it for the duration of diarrhea.

But food should be complete and rational. Therefore, the menu should contain cereals, broths, liquid low-fat soups and meat.

Very carefully follow the introduction of each dish, as you can overdo it and cause the opposite effect in the form of constipation.

Physical overstrain

Any, even the smallest physical strain or activity, can cause diarrhea. 37 weeks of pregnancy is not a reason to refuse exercise in the morning or yoga for pregnant women.

But it is important to remember that during exercise, intestinal motility increases, and this leads to the appearance of diarrhea.

Sign of preparation for childbirth

Diarrhea at 37 weeks of gestation may occur due to the preparation of the female body for childbirth. As already noted, pregnancy at 37 weeks is no longer considered premature.

At this time, manifestations of loose stools may occur. This process is not pathological, but physiological.

Diarrhea occurs as a result of natural cleansing. This is due to the prolapse of the fundus of the uterus, which puts pressure on the neighboring organs - the bladder and intestines.

For each woman, this process takes place individually. Some complain of vomiting and diarrhea, others only of the presence of loose stools without concomitant manifestations.

This manifestation can also occur at 36-39 weeks of pregnancy. That is, not only at 37 weeks, but also a few weeks earlier or later. And if this is the first pregnancy, diarrhea may not appear at all.

The advantages of this phenomenon

There are significant advantages of this manifestation. 37 weeks of gestation during pregnancy may be accompanied by diarrhea and this is considered the norm.

Nature is so arranged that before the onset of labor, the body of the expectant mother cleans itself. The intestines are released from the feces along with all the excess.

This is useful not only for the mother herself, but also facilitates the passage of all birth canals for the future baby. There is no need to worry about this. Aside from the discomfort, loose stools will not cause any other problems.

Dehydration is excluded, since the feces are softened to a mushy state.

Loose stools at 37 weeks of gestation may be accompanied by other manifestations. Spasms, increased gas formation and flatulence appear.

For this reason, false contractions may occur, but this manifestation is not long-term, because lasts only a few days.

By this time, the intestines are completely released and all symptoms stop with the onset of labor.

When is diarrhea dangerous?

But there are cases that at 37 weeks of gestation, loose stools can signal danger.

If diarrhea appears in the form of very loose stools this week of pregnancy, with green blotches and the presence of vomiting, immediately seek help from a doctor.

The same should be done if the liquid feces have acquired a yellow color, frothy and exude an unpleasant odor.

If all of the above symptoms appear along with a high temperature, then it is strictly forbidden to attribute this to preparation for childbirth.

Such manifestations are characteristic of intestinal infection, which can occur at any time during gestation. This week of pregnancy does not always mean prenatal preparation.

If such symptoms are accompanied by weakness and constant thirst, they urgently consult a doctor.

If loose stools at 37 weeks of gestation are not accompanied by any additional symptoms, and labor is already beginning, it is important to inform the doctor about this.

There is not only an independent bowel cleansing, but there is no need for additional use of a cleansing enema.

Treatment

The manifestation of diarrhea at 37 weeks of gestation is not always harmless. Serious intestinal infections can sometimes be the cause. This is the only case when medications are used for treatment.

But they are prescribed only by the doctor, and the patient takes them strictly under his supervision. In other cases, they are limited to special diets, reducing physical stress and providing a drinking regimen.

Throughout the pregnancy, the expectant mother monitors her health and week 37 is no exception. It is important to understand that at this time she is responsible not only for herself, but also for the full development of the baby.

At the first unpleasant symptoms, it is important to inform the doctor about it. After all, self-medication in this position is not only inappropriate, but also dangerous.

Useful video