What causes pregnancy diarrhea?

Constipation is known as a common pregnancy complaint. But what if the opposite is happening to you, and instead of constipation, you are suffering from diarrhea during pregnancy? Pregnancy diarrhea, though less common than its counterpart constipation, is definitely a possible "side effect" of expecting a baby. Diarrhea, if it strikes while you are pregnant, tends not to last very long. Perhaps you don't even want to know what causes pregnancy diarrhea. But just in case you do, here are the reasons.

The body is more sensitive to everything in pregnancy, and that includes foods. If you are suffering from pregnancy diarrhea, it is not very likely that hormones are to blame. Right, hormones are responsible for most other pregnancy complaints, but we will let them off the hook for this particular one. In fact, healthy eating, proper hydration, and even prenatal vitamins could be to blame. Or diarrhea might be your body's way of making sure that substances that could potentially be harmful to your unborn baby leave your system as quickly as possible.

If you are experiencing diarrhea while you are pregnant, it is best to start avoiding foods that are known triggers of loose stools. Dried fruits, some fruit juices, and spicy vegetables are some of these, but it is possible that your body has some individual triggers as well. Caffeine can also contribute to diarrhea. Pregnancy diarrhea is actually linked to premature birth, so don't ignore it if it goes on for a long time. Losing too much fluid is also a risk in pregnancy, so make sure that you keep drinking water, especially if you have loose stools. Give your doctor or midwife a call if your diarrhea goes on for more than a day. If you are already past 38 weeks, diarrhea is a possible sign that you are about to go into labor. The human body is a complex and clever machine, especially when it comes to birth! And diarrhea before labor not only cleans out your body for birth, but it actually helps you dilate faster too.