Diarrhea is a serious problem for all women who are breastfeeding.
The state of health of the mother will affect the health of the baby.
In order to eliminate all the symptoms of the disease as soon as possible, it is necessary, first of all, to identify the cause of its occurrence.
Diarrhea in a nursing mother: reasons
In many women, constipation first occurs, and after a while, the first symptoms of diarrhea appear. If a nervous disorder has become the cause of this condition, then getting rid of it will not be difficult, and a woman will not experience anything other than diarrhea. But this will irritate the colon, and urge to the toilet will become frequent.
The causes of diarrhea in a nursing mother are as follows:
1. Irritable bowel syndrome. Its main difference is that there is neither vomiting nor temperature. Diarrhea does not occur at night. But after the woman wakes up, she may again be faced with the fact that diarrhea will occur.
2. Food poisoning. Poisoning during breastfeeding is dangerous, because the harm will be done not only to the mother, but also to the baby. If a woman eats expired or poor-quality foods, dangerous bacteria and toxins begin to colonize her body. Because of this, the intestines work is disturbed, dysbiosis appears. It is accompanied by fever, nausea, and diarrhea.
3. Allergy. A food allergic reaction in the body most often results in the occurrence of diarrhea. In order to get rid of it, you need to exclude the source of allergies from your diet.
4. Bowel infection. If the mother does not follow the rules of hygiene, an infectious disease can occur. Bacteria living in the intestine begin to secrete toxic substances, poisoning the body and intestinal microflora. Self-medication in this situation can be dangerous.
Diarrhea in a nursing mother: first aid
After the occurrence of diarrhea, you need to provide first aid as soon as possible so that you do not have to interrupt the feeding:
• remove toxic substances from the body;
• You can get rid of diarrhea with the help of folk remedies, take a rice broth or hard-boiled egg.
In the first days after the onset of diarrhea, your appetite will most likely disappear. But even despite this, you need to eat fully and correctly. Drink more water to avoid dehydration. In the diet include porridge - oatmeal and barley.
In no case should you stop feeding. On the contrary, if the baby eats breast milk, he begins to receive antibodies to various infectious diseases.
Diarrhea in a nursing mother: treatment
If you know what triggered the appearance of diarrhea, then you can start treatment, even before you are examined by a specialist. But starting taking medications right away is not worth it. Almost all drugs are rapidly absorbed and enter the milk, which means the baby’s body. But what to do in order to get rid of diarrhea and at the same time not harm your child? Traditional medicine will come to the rescue.
Try to drink as much fluid as possible. The ideal option in this case is Regidron (water-salt solution). Under its influence, the body will restore water and salt balance, because with diarrhea there is a loss of salt in the body.
Plantain can prevent dehydration. Take a few leaves of the plant, brew them with boiling water. Allow to cool slightly, and then drink in small sips, but often.
Many should know that with diarrhea, pregnant women are well helped by rice and a decoction of rice water. That is why try to eat more rice, exclude fatty foods, especially meat. Ideal for food in this case is diet meat, such as chicken.
As a fixing effect, walnuts are suitable. But during lactation, you can’t eat them in large quantities, just a few nuts a day are enough.
As a drink, black tea is suitable, without the addition of sugar. For best results, brew new tea every time.
Diarrhea in a nursing mother: prevention
Most often, diarrhea in nursing mothers occurs due to an uneven breakdown. Indeed, behind the birth, the memories of the torment suffered, the woman is experiencing. In order to prevent the occurrence of diarrhea, as well as to combat it, you must adhere to the following rules:
1. Avoid stress, depression.
2. Follow personal hygiene rules and wash your hands as often as possible.
3. Do not introduce too spicy and fatty foods into the diet. In no case should you combine such products as milk and fruits.
4. Pay attention to separate drinking. Give up carbohydrates and proteins for a while.
5. If you cannot cope with diarrhea on your own, be sure to consult a doctor.
But, of course, for effective treatment it is important to know the cause of diarrhea. In most cases, the body can cope with pathogens itself. Special attention should be paid to such dangerous infectious diseases as cholera, dysentery, they can be cured only with antibiotics. And this means that, unfortunately, you have to stop feeding. Only a doctor can choose individual therapy for such treatment.
As an additional treatment, mom needs to take enzymes - Sorbex, Lactofiltrum, Atoxil. Drugs containing apple pectin can stop diarrhea. Medications can be taken during feeding, as there will not be any negative effect on the baby.
Diarrhea in a nursing mother: dangers
If the occurrence of diarrhea is directly related to infections, then the baby can become infected, but in fact the infection is more dangerous for a woman. In the event that the general condition of the mother begins to deteriorate greatly, it is better to stop breastfeeding for a while. But of course, it is also not necessary to sharply translate it into mixtures, since after recovery, the mother can again restore feeding.
The most dangerous for diarrhea is dehydration. The body loses a lot of fluid, vitamins and nutrients. If diarrhea lasts one to two days, then do not sound the alarm. But if it has been observed for more than two days, and nothing helps, it is recommended that you contact a specialist as soon as possible.
A severely weakened body can lead to sad consequences. That is why it is important to start treatment in a timely manner.
Mom needs to recover as soon as possible in order to start feeding her baby. And of course, in the future, it is necessary to select food products more carefully and monitor hygiene so that the disease does not arise again.
