Diarrhea before childbirth: how many days before does diarrhea begin in first- and multiparous women?

Normally, labor begins 38 weeks after conception, but a full-term baby can be born at 36 or 42 weeks. The date of planned birth is counted in different ways: from the date of possible conception or from the first day of the last menstruation, so the gestation period may vary.

The first signs of labor may appear 2-3 weeks before the onset of labor. But it is better to go to the maternity hospital directly during regular true contractions with an interval of 5-7 minutes in order to avoid medical stimulation and give birth naturally.

What does a woman most often experience before giving birth?

• irritability, fear and anxiety, which is caused by hormonal changes in a woman’s body;
• nausea, loss of appetite or, conversely, increased appetite, vomiting, upset stomach, as well as weight loss of 1-2 kg, which can occur several weeks or days before birth and is associated with the functioning of the hormonal system;
• a slight increase in body temperature and chills very often accompany the onset of labor;
• pain in the lower abdomen, lower back or sacrum, which are pulling or spasmodic in nature and are provoked by displacement of the vertebrae in the sacrum and increased excitability of the nervous system;
• excitability of the uterus, which is manifested by increased sensitivity and tension of this organ, this happens periodically, first 1-2 times a week, then several times a day;
• false contractions are training contractions of the uterus that begin to bother a woman several weeks before giving birth and differ from true contractions in that they do not have a strict frequency and can be eliminated with the help of relaxing procedures, walking, and a warm bath;
• true contractions are regular, cramping pain that occurs before childbirth and is accompanied by dilatation of the cervix.

Signs of the onset of labor are also brown discharge from the genital tract and prolapse of the abdomen before childbirth.

At what time can the warning signs of labor appear?

Most women listen carefully to all the changes that occur to her. Someone notices them and happily remembers the gestational age at which they appeared. Some people haven’t noticed anything and are anxiously asking the doctor questions. Some people notice them very early and show concern. In fact, the harbingers of labor are only indirect signs that indicate that the body is preparing for childbirth. The absence of precursors of labor is not a pathology. This is also the norm. Everything is completely individual. However, their early appearance should alert you and be a reason to visit a doctor.

How does the plug come out before childbirth?

A few days before the onset of labor, a woman begins to experience discharge from the genital tract, reminiscent of the onset of menstrual bleeding. This is the release of mucus, which protected the uterus and the fetus in it from infection from the vagina.

The discharge of the mucus plug before childbirth can occur quickly, as if the plug had actually popped out (this is typical if the fetus is heavy), or it can flow out slowly over several days. This process signals the dilation of the cervix and the onset of labor.

Precursors of labor in multiparous women

A multiparous woman is already experienced. She remembers and knows at what stage of pregnancy certain changes should occur. However, we must understand that every pregnancy is unique not only in the birth of a new person, but also in its course. It’s not worth relying on the fact that the mucus plug will go away within the same period of time, your weight will decrease, and your shortness of breath will go away. Each pregnancy is individual in this regard. And if you don’t notice what happened with the first baby or a new harbinger of labor appears that was not there in the previous pregnancy, this is the norm. It is also a norm that the timing of the appearance of precursors of labor in multiparous women may not coincide with the time of appearance in previous pregnancies. However, there is a tendency to reduce the time between the appearance of precursors of labor and the development of regular labor.

When does your stomach drop?

3-4 weeks before the planned date of birth, the pregnant woman’s belly seems to slide down, this happens gradually and slowly. At the same time, the stomach changes somewhat in shape and decreases in size.

As the abdomen lowers, it becomes easier for a woman to breathe and eat as the diaphragm is released.

When symptoms of impending labor appear, a woman should rest more and save her strength for the main period of pregnancy - the birth of the baby.

Precursors of labor in first-time mothers

Primiparas are much more sensitive to pregnancy. They try to remember every change that happens to them, they read a lot, visit mothers’ schools, receive information from all possible sources, since everything that happens is a new, unknown mystery for them. In the population, there is a tendency for primiparous women to increase their time to prepare for childbirth. And accordingly, the harbingers of labor appear earlier in primiparous women than in multiparous women. This is due to the fact that the body of a woman who will become a mother for the first time has not yet encountered the changes that occur during the period of preparation for childbirth. For him this is new, unknown. Changes come slowly, the body seems to “learn and remember” them.

Specialists

Makatsaria Alexander Davidovich

Obstetrician-gynecologist, famous scientist, founder of clinical hemostasiology.
It will help you plan and maintain your pregnancy if you have had cases of fetal loss, thrombosis, obstetric complications or blood coagulation disorders. You can also contact your doctor for a transcript of hemostasis tests.

Egorova Elena Borisovna

Obstetrician-gynecologist of the highest qualification category.
Specializes in peritoneal factor of infertility in women and management of problematic pregnancies.

It will provide effective help if, before conception, you were diagnosed with adhesions, endometriosis, erosion or other pathologies of the cervix.

Akinshina Svetlana Vladimirovna

Obstetrician-gynecologist, hemostasiologist with an academic degree.
Pregnancy management S.V. Akinshina will help avoid severe complications: gestosis, placental insufficiency, fetal loss syndrome.

The doctor's expertise includes hemostasis disorders and immunological infertility.

Bitsadze Victoria Omarovna

Gynecologist-hemostasiologist, professor, doctor of medical sciences.
The doctor's profile is management of high-risk pregnancies, including in women with genetic thrombophilia and a tendency to spontaneous bleeding. Develops effective treatment regimens for infertility associated with autoimmune pathologies and hemostasis disorders.

What can cause diarrhea during pregnancy?

Diarrhea in late pregnancy can cause premature labor

Statistics give the following figures: each person experiences diarrhea on average 4-5 times a year. Common causes are viral infections and poor diet. In pregnant women, diarrhea can also be caused by hormonal changes. Moreover, “hormones play” in almost every expectant mother.

Diarrhea comes in different forms and varying severity:

• acute diarrhea lasts a maximum of several days and occurs as a result of viruses or pathogens entering the body (food poisoning);
• diarrhea that does not go away, lasts more than two weeks and does not respond to standard treatment;
• Chronic diarrhea is associated with some serious illness and can last more than a month.

There can be several causes of diarrhea during pregnancy: viruses or other microorganisms in foods, side effects of drugs, parasites and diseases of the digestive tract, consumption of foods that are poorly absorbed by the body.

During pregnancy, the body of the expectant mother is exposed to even minor influences from the external environment, because the immune system is weakened and lowered, and all the body’s forces are aimed at preserving and proper development of the fetus.

Therefore, even the simplest factors can cause diarrhea. For example, regular exercises for pregnant women can cause increased gastric motility, resulting in diarrhea.

Prescribed vitamins and vitamin complexes can also cause stomach irritation. Vitamins, by the way, can cause diarrhea in the later stages, even if they were absorbed completely without problems in the first trimesters. Even a proper and balanced diet can cause diarrhea in pregnant women, if before the “interesting situation” the woman ate completely differently. And hormonal levels can complement the overall picture and also become the cause of the disorder.

It would not be superfluous to remind you about the nervous tension of pregnant women: worries, constant stress caused by fear of future birth and the unknown can also cause diarrhea. This condition can also be caused by toxicosis, which is observed in almost every second expectant mother. This can be explained quite simply: toxicosis, in essence, is intoxication of the body. And, as you know, it is often accompanied by diarrhea.

It is worth remembering that diarrhea can have a different character and be observed at different stages of pregnancy. For example, sometimes before childbirth there is a natural cleansing of the body. In this case, you shouldn’t be nervous, you just need to prepare for the trip to the maternity hospital.

What are the dangers of diarrhea at 30 weeks of pregnancy?

Diarrhea at this stage often signals the development of late toxicosis. But this period is a turning point, so diarrhea must be taken seriously: with the urge to defecate, the uterus may begin to contract intensively.

This can lead to premature birth, but the babies are not yet ready to be born.

In no case should you allow dehydration of the body - this can lead to thrombosis, which is extremely dangerous. It is good that at this time it is allowed to take medications that were contraindicated in the early stages - the doctor can prescribe treatment that will quickly eliminate both diarrhea and the symptoms that accompany it.

Has it really started?

The long wait is about to end and the mother will be able to put her baby to her breast. She feels happy and excited as she approaches the long-awaited end of her pregnancy. But how do you understand that labor has begun and is it possible to relieve the pain?

Of course, each organism is individual. Some pregnant women experience slight anxiety the day before contractions begin, and mild tachycardia, headache or fever may occur. Diarrhea or increased blood pressure may also develop. The expectant mother can ask her doctor all her questions, and he will help relieve her anxiety.

Taking medications

Is it possible to independently use drugs to normalize the microflora of the intestines and stomach? If a mother does not want to inadvertently harm herself and the baby she is feeding, she should trust the advice of a specialist. The doctor will select the right medicine, taking into account the fact that the mother is in the lactation period.

If diarrhea after childbirth was provoked by the gentle diet of the mother, who is afraid of spoiling the milk, then it is better to simply adjust your diet. The pediatrician, who will definitely visit a new patient, will be happy to give recommendations on healthy and harmless nutrition for a nursing woman.

How a doula is useful

We have already talked about how a doula can help you cope with emotions during childbirth. This is the name of an assistant who prepares a woman for the birth of a child (sometimes even before conception), accompanies her during childbirth and helps to establish contact with the baby immediately after his birth. Being a doula is a job that requires first of all a calling, and then special training and preparation. Doula schools in different countries are united into a community: they share knowledge, hold meetings and conferences, celebrate International Doula Day and train “newbies.”

And although this profession has existed as long as humanity itself, the current doula movement arose in response to the needs of modern urban women. After all, unfortunately, the process of childbirth in urban conditions is depersonalized.

A doula may not have a medical education (having her own children is also not necessary), since she does not interfere in the birth process itself and does not bring her own experience into the woman’s personal process.

How a doula can help you

• Provide information support. A woman knows at any moment what is happening to her, what stage of the process she is at, what is next, how to prepare for it.
• Support emotionally. During childbirth, it’s easy to get scared and wilt, but the assistant “pours” strength and enthusiasm into the woman giving birth, shares her emotions with her and shares her confidence.
• Ensure that the woman's wishes are respected. If a woman was preparing for a specific birth plan and wanted, for example, to do without stimulation and pain relief, these intentions can be easily forgotten under the pressure of specialists in the clinic. At this moment, the doula can “share” her persistence with the expectant mother and act as her representative in negotiations with doctors, so that they treat the wishes of the woman in labor with greater respect. If a mother wants the baby to be placed on her stomach, to wait until the umbilical cord pulsates, to allow her to put the baby to her breast and stay with him as long as necessary, a doula will come to the rescue. At this moment, the mother may not have enough of her own strength to insist on her own, and the doula reminds her and the doctors that there is no need to rush.
• Take care of the woman. Each doula has her own repertoire of ways to relieve labor pain and cope with contractions and pushing. Some use massage, some use aromatherapy, some “sing” the contractions along with the woman. In addition, there are many movement and breathing techniques that make childbirth somewhat easier. Doulas help women manage labor pain naturally, infusing the process with joy, anticipation, curiosity, and confidence.

Doulas are not doctors, and they do not assist in childbirth themselves. But any of them has the appropriate equipment and is ready to step in if for some reason the doctors don’t have time.

Active phase of onset of labor

Contractions become stronger, longer and more frequent, making it difficult for you to talk when they occur. The cervix is ​​actively dilating. If contractions become painful and occur every 5 minutes for an hour, you need to go to the hospital without delay. This phase of labor lasts on average 5 – 8 hours. If you are giving birth for the first time or the baby is large, it will take longer, but if you have taken oxytocin or have had a vaginal birth before, the process will be faster and is unlikely to take more than an hour.

What to do at this moment

It's okay to walk during this time, but you'll likely want to lean on something during contractions. If you are tired, you can rest by lying on your left side. You can take a shower, a warm bath, or ask for a light massage.

• When the cervix has dilated to 8–10 cm, the most active part of labor begins. The contractions are getting stronger, coming every 2 - 3 minutes and lasting a minute or longer.
• You may feel shivering and chills between contractions, and feel hot during contractions.
• The baby moves to the pelvic area, if he has not done so before, and there is a feeling of pressure on the rectum and the desire to push.
• Most often, bleeding appears at this moment - don’t worry, this is normal.
• There is often a feeling of nausea.

Before labor begins, many (but not all) doctors ask the woman to give her an enema. This is a voluntary procedure, but expectant mothers often agree because then they won't have to worry about having a bowel movement during labor, although this is completely normal. This means they will be able to feel more comfortable while pushing. It is better to consult your doctor in advance and choose a plan of action that is more suitable for you.

Many women in this phase of labor turn to pain relief, such as an epidural.

However, there are many ways to relax and relieve pain, since much of the pain is caused by fear, and not by a real physical process.

Here are a few tricks:

• Ask for a light massage;
• Look for a more comfortable body position;
• Apply a cool or warm compress to your forehead;
• You may want silence and no need to communicate, since contractions take all your attention; but maybe you will want to get support from a doula - your assistant during childbirth, about whom we will talk in more detail below - as well as from the child’s father or another loved one;
• Focus on the fact that with each contraction you are helping the baby to be born.

How dangerous is diarrhea in early pregnancy?

Diarrhea in the early stages poses a danger to the health and even the life of the unborn child! Firstly, if diarrhea is caused by pathogenic microorganisms, they can penetrate directly to the fetus and affect its development, and secondly, in this condition the fetus does not receive the necessary microelements, which can also affect its vital activity and development.

Diet is a must in the treatment of diarrhea

Diarrhea can lead to severe intoxication and dehydration, which also entails negative consequences. In addition, with diarrhea, spontaneous contractions of the uterus are observed, which can lead to miscarriage. An ambulance should be called immediately if the following symptoms occur:

• dizziness and general severe weakness, double vision;
• constant desire to drink;
• dry mouth, dry mucous membranes;
• heat;
• dark colored urine or stool.

How dangerous diarrhea is in a particular case can only be determined by specialists who can correctly prescribe a treatment regimen for diarrhea. If it arose as a result of toxicosis, then we can only hope that it will pass along with its other, not entirely pleasant, symptoms.

What to take with you to the maternity hospital?

Every woman should make sure that by the second half of the second trimester she has a bag ready for a trip to the maternity hospital. It should contain documents (passport, exchange card, insurance, birth contract, if any) and essential things that will be useful during childbirth and while staying with the baby in the hospital.

The mother in labor must take with her:

• a nightgown and robe, in which she will be in the maternity hospital after the birth of the child (it is better to give preference to natural fabrics);
• several pairs of socks and slippers;
• postpartum pads and disposable diapers;
• hygiene items: soap, towel, toothbrush and toothpaste, comb;
• a couple of bottles of water and cookies for a snack.

It is worth making sure in advance that all things are collected for a comfortable stay for the baby in the maternity hospital with his mother. Place in your bag a couple of warm rompers, overalls and vests, bonnets, several flannel and cotton diapers, a warm blanket with a duvet cover and socks.

Is this normal?

It is not uncommon to experience discomfort while sleeping or just lying down. Then it is very difficult to choose a sleeping position that will be truly comfortable. Also, judging by statistics, mothers who give birth for the first time experience diarrhea at 38-39 weeks. For those who are not having their first birth, this unpleasant moment will be delayed almost until the last day before giving birth.

During such peculiarities of the body, appetite practically disappears. Many women experience a feeling of nausea and further gastrointestinal problems. Such changes occur due to the fact that the female body instinctively cleanses itself before imminent childbirth. At such moments, taste preferences can completely change.