Ask Our Expert - Diarrhea during Pregnancy

May 16, 2008

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Specializing in pregnancy and birth.


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Ask Dr. Greenfield Diarrhea during Pregnancy

QUESTION


Dear Dr. Greenfield, I would like to know if loose stools are common. Most everything I read says that I will be constipated in my first trimester. — Alexandra in Phoenix, AZ

ANSWER	January 29, 2001


Dear Alexandra, While constipation is thought to be caused by the hormones of pregnancy (and may be compounded by the iron in prenatal vitamins), diarrhea also is common during pregnancy, and is due to other factors. In some women, the diarrhea may be caused by lactose intolerance, a consequence of increasing their milk consumption as part of a healthy pregnancy diet. In other women, other dietary changes may play a role, and some find that they get diarrhea if they take a particular prenatal vitamin. You might try skipping your vitamin for a few days, and see if that makes any difference. Then try eliminating milk from your diet for a few days (be sure to get the calcium you need from other sources). If neither of these tactics solves the problem, or if you have seen any blood or mucus in your stool, be sure to tell your healthcare practitioner. — by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D.

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