Diarrhea at 39 weeks pregnant: causes and recommendations

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The closer the time of childbirth, the more a woman listens to her own body. And he does it right. 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, and discharge. Together with them, women have diarrhea at the 39th week of pregnancy, should I be worried about this or is this the norm?

Characteristics of the 39th week

During this period, the baby is already fully developed and ready to be born, which means that the mother's body begins to prepare for the birth process. The woman's uterus comes into tone, and this is accompanied by contractions, even if they are short-lived and rare, but these are still harbingers of childbirth. You still don’t need to run to the hospital, but mentally prepare and talk with the babyit's time. In addition to more frequent contractions, a bubble near the baby may burst, which leads to a large amount of discharge that looks like water.

Appetite may increase, but the weight, on the contrary, will gradually decrease. There is also a drop in the abdomen. This means that the child falls below and is at the level of the pelvis. Breathing will become easier, the fetus no longer presses on the diaphragm. Edema often appears, so you can’t stay in one position for a long time, eat s alty 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 normal or abnormal?

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 may occur immediately before childbirth. In parallel, frequent urination may occur. All this is completely normal, it's just that the body is preparing for the process of childbirth and, in order to avoid unpleasant situations in the process, "prepares" the expectant mother in advance. It is difficult to sleep at night. These, of course, 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, or, on the contrary, increase. Taste preferences change.

Positive aspects of the phenomenon

Before childbirth, a woman's stool graduallysoftens, 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 mother and baby. An empty bowel will not interfere with the baby, and it will be fully patency.

The appearance of diarrhea before childbirth does not directly cause dehydration, there is no large loss of fluid. Masses of feces soften to the state of slurry. The regularity of the chair - up to 5 times a day. The duration of diarrhea in the last weeks of pregnancy is about 2-3 days. During this period, the intestines are completely cleared. At the same time, there is no significant discomfort for the expectant mother.

Causes of diarrhea

As mentioned earlier, the normal course of diarrhea does not bring any harm to the woman and the child. The reasons for the development are as follows:

1. Cleansing the body before childbirth. The intestines must be free. Upon admission to the maternity hospital, a woman is given an enema for the purpose of cleansing, if this process occurs naturally, then the help of an enema is not needed. This is a more favorable outcome, because it is laid down by nature.
2. Child's pressure on the intestines. Approximately 10 days before the birth, the baby descends and stops pressing on the diaphragm - it becomes easier for the woman to breathe, but at the same time, the fetus presses on the intestines. It also provokes diarrhea at the 39th week of pregnancy.
3. Change of hormonal levels. There comes a peak of hormonal changes, when constant metamorphoses occur in the body of a woman.

Diarrhea symptoms

Diarrhea and vomiting during the 39th week of pregnancy are normal, but they can also indicate abnormalities during pregnancy. Let's define the symptoms of diarrhea that occurs immediately before childbirth. They differ in that, in parallel with them, other symptoms are noted that indicate an approaching birth:

1. Drawing pains in the abdomen (especially the lower abdomen suffers)
2. Prolonged discomfort in the lumbar region, which becomes even worse after lowering the baby.
3. Increased flatulence, to which, by the way, the uterus is very sensitive. She may react to this phenomenon and provoke false contractions.
4. Starting diarrhea and vomiting at 39 weeks pregnant. These symptoms usually appear in the morning. A woman recalls the feeling of toxicosis that manifested itself at the beginning of pregnancy.
5. Slight chills and general malaise that worries a woman, she gets even more tired, frequent dizziness and weakness appear throughout the body.
6. You may notice an increased temperature (it should not be higher than 37.5 degrees). If this worries, it is better to contact the gynecologist who manages the pregnancy.
7. Headaches also indicate the upcoming birth, the pressure may rise or fall - in a word, the body is preparing for childbirth.

Many women experience diarrhea and nausea at 39 weeks pregnant. What to do in suchcase? Doctors say that nothing needs to be done, rest even more, try not to be nervous, walk more and enjoy the last days of pregnancy. These are normal symptoms and should not be treated.

Where is the danger?

Poisoning, infection of a child with some kind of infection or miscarriage in the last weeks is no longer a threat. However, diarrhea in the 39-40th week of pregnancy can lead to dehydration, which is the only and dangerous consequence of diarrhea. Symptoms of dehydration include:

1. Dry mouth and other mucous membranes.
2. Constant thirst and need for plenty of fluids.
3. Fever. This is not the one that fluctuates to 37.3-37.5. Temperatures above these indicators are alarming.
4. Persistent headache that does not subside, is hard to relieve, it is "poking".
5. 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 signs are more acute and pronounced. If a woman begins to be seriously worried about something, it is better to go to the hospital for qualified help in order to avoid negative consequences.

Recommendations

In order for diarrhea not to lead to dehydration, you need to follow some recommendations that have been developed by doctors:

1. If there are signs of poisoning, it is better to drink "Activatedcoal" or "Smecta", it is they who will eliminate all the symptoms and minimize the consequences of an unpleasant phenomenon.
2. In the last weeks of pregnancy, it is better to stick to a diet, which is as follows. It is advisable to exclude carbonated drinks, flour, fatty foods, spicy, s alty 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 rice porridge consumed, tea without sugar, crackers (from white bread), as well as broths.
3. If a woman understands that diarrhea is a sign of imminent delivery, it is better to refrain from eating altogether. It is recommended to drink more herbal teas or water.

What to do about vomit?

As noted earlier, along with diarrhea, vomiting may occur. This is also a sign of large-scale changes in the body of the expectant mother. Recommendations for nausea and vomiting:

1. Replenishment of lost fluids and useful elements. If possible, you need to eat fruits with potassium: bananas, dried apricots, figs or persimmons. In addition, try to drink as much liquid as possible to restore water balance.
2. Eat small meals, and little. You should not eat everything in a row from those foods that are allowed before childbirth. The amount of food consumed should be moderate, and the food itself should be warm, but not hot.
3. Bed rest and rest are also extremely important for the expectant mother, because there is such an important moment ahead that will take a lot of strength.