What to drink for diarrhea for a nursing mother. We treat diarrhea during lactation safely and effectively. Bacterial infections

When diarrhea occurs in a nursing mother, whether it is possible to feed the baby at this time becomes the main question, because everything must be done to avoid harm to the baby.

Breastfeeding is the happiest moment in a woman’s life, when she and her baby have a very strong emotional connection. The entire period of breastfeeding requires strict adherence to a balanced diet (especially in the first months of the baby’s life). It is necessary to completely eliminate alcohol, smoking, and reduce the use of medications to a minimum. Moreover, taking medications must be accompanied by medical supervision.

However, unfortunately, no one can be insured against illness or pathology. So a nursing mother can catch a cold, get poisoned, or simply feel unwell. What is the cool season worth: viral infections and colds are its main companions. In the summer, you can easily get gastrointestinal upset and even poisoning.

In view of everything, diarrhea in a nursing mother can be caused by numerous factors. This disease should not only be treated quickly, but also prevented in advance. In addition, it is important not only to put the mother on her feet, but also to eliminate the risk for the baby.

Causes

Diarrhea is frequent bowel movements that can lead to severe dehydration. Therefore, drinking plenty and frequently is the key to a quick recovery for mommy.

Diarrhea may be accompanied by weakness and general malaise. In this case, you don’t have to worry too much. However, the nature and frequency of stool should be controlled. If diarrhea during lactation is accompanied by an increase in body temperature, chills, inclusions of mucus and blood in the stool, it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance. Such symptoms may indicate the presence of an infectious disease. Moreover, the disease can be transmitted to the baby through mother's breast milk.

Some causes of diarrhea:

Irritable bowel syndrome. Diarrhea itself as an ailment can manifest itself due to irritable bowel syndrome. That is, there is no vomiting or nausea. The urge to loose stools does not bother you at night. When mom rests, the intestinal muscles are relaxed and diarrhea does not occur. After awakening, the pathology may begin again. Treatment of the syndrome is based on taking sedatives and relaxants. Moreover, these medications will not cause the baby the slightest harm. Thus, lactation will be normal and there will be no need to wean the baby from the breast.

Food poisoning. In general, intestinal poisoning during breastfeeding is very dangerous. A baby can become infected from breast milk. Eating a stale product by a mother can cause serious intestinal problems. A large number of pathogenic microorganisms enter the body, which causes vomiting, diarrhea and fever. The treatment regimen is complex, including taking antibiotics, strictly following a diet and drinking the proper amount of water.

Allergic reaction. As a rule, a mother’s diet includes foods that are allergens. This may cause diarrhea. Treatment boils down to eliminating the product that causes the allergy from the menu.

Intestinal infection. Sometimes a nursing mother may neglect the rules of personal hygiene. This leads to an intestinal infection. Pathogenic microflora, entering the intestines, release toxins, which disrupts the functioning of the entire gastrointestinal tract. In this case, self-medication is not appropriate and even dangerous. Therefore, if signs of an intestinal infection appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

First aid

Removing toxins from the body by taking sorbents.
Getting rid of frequent bowel movements using a decoction of rice or rosehip.

A nursing mother, due to her illness, may completely lose her appetite. However, completely giving up nutrition is not at all correct. It is necessary to prevent dehydration, otherwise it can negatively affect the baby.

Improving intestinal microflora is also a top priority. It is necessary to consume fermented milk products (kefir, natural yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese and sour cream). Porridges based on cereals such as oatmeal, buckwheat and millet will be the best components of mommy’s diet.

Treatment methods

Even before visiting the doctor or waiting for an ambulance, mommy needs help in order to alleviate her general condition. The cause of the disease will only be determined by a doctor. Today there are a large number of drugs that can help the mother without harming the baby. However, it is better to postpone the intake of sorbents and other auxiliary agents due to the fact that they all pass directly into breast milk. That is, the baby will definitely receive a certain dose of medication. But it is possible to relieve a nursing mother from pathology without medications.

If you have diarrhea, you need to drink plenty of water, preferably clean and boiled water. You can use water-salt solutions, which should be in everyone’s home medicine cabinet.

A huge number of traditional medicine methods may be useful. These recipes, when used correctly, can eliminate diarrhea quickly and effectively.

Drink plenty of fluids, preferably clean and boiled water. You can use water-salt solutions, which should be in everyone’s home medicine cabinet. This is a well-known rehydron. The drug will help replenish the water-salt balance of the body and save from dehydration.
Drink a decoction of oak bark, chamomile tea, an infusion of pomegranate peels or bird cherry fruits. Oak bark and chamomile will relieve pain and relieve inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. Pomegranate and bird cherry have astringent properties, which will normalize intestinal function and form proper stool.
Consuming rice water. Rice porridge and broth will allow you to stop frequent, loose stools in a short time.
Walnut is an excellent fixative.
Drinking strong black tea.
Strict adherence to diet.

It is worth excluding fatty and difficult-to-digest foods and dishes. That is, the goal of the diet will be to slow down the contraction of the intestines. Preference should be given to porridges, first courses of lean meats and fish.

Is feeding acceptable?

Naturally, diarrhea in a nursing mother is an unpleasant condition and full of discomfort. The body instantly weakens, dehydration and weakness set in, and appetite disappears. Mothers are always worried that their baby may become infected through breast milk.

But the human body is designed in such a way that any disease provokes the production of antibodies to pathogens. That is, the baby will certainly receive his portion of antibodies through mother’s milk. According to pediatric experts, breastfeeding should not be stopped during diarrhea. Some doctors even recommend breastfeeding so that the baby receives everything useful for the better development of its immune system.

However, diarrhea while breastfeeding can be caused by a serious viral infection. High body temperature and frequent vomiting can be very dangerous. Therefore, the appearance of such signs should be a signal to contact a specialist. He will determine the cause of diarrhea and prescribe competent treatment that will lead to recovery. You won't need to stop breastfeeding completely; you will need to take a short break. A nursing mother should get rid of this disease as soon as possible. She will need to quickly restore her body's strength in order to continue breastfeeding her baby.

Prevention of intestinal dysbiosis

Today, intestinal dysbiosis is a fairly common phenomenon. Disruption of the gastrointestinal tract certainly leads to digestive problems. This is a familiar diarrhea, which in itself causes terrible discomfort for a nursing mother. Moreover, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract is a deterioration in the interaction of all body systems. This is especially dangerous during lactation and breastfeeding.

In order to prevent negative phenomena and their consequences, it is important to take preventive measures against dysbacteriosis. Preventing a disease means eliminating the risk of its impact on the body.

It may seem difficult to carry out prevention, since there are many factors that influence the development of intestinal dysbiosis. One of the reasons for disruption of the gastrointestinal tract is the use of antibiotics. Active components in medications can disrupt the intestinal microflora. This can provoke destruction of the intestinal mucosa, and subsequently upset stool. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor the condition of all gastrointestinal organs and carry out treatment on time.

Environmental pollution is also a pathological factor in intestinal dysfunction. Pathogenic microbes from outside can enter the body and cause serious illness. A severe form of dysbacteriosis provokes chronic diarrhea.

Prevention of such a phenomenon as diarrhea in a nursing mother comes down to proper and balanced nutrition.

Thus, eating fresh food, including fermented milk products, meat and fish dishes, and wholemeal bread, is the basis for excellent well-being. Fermented milk products are rich in lactobacilli, which fight pathogenic microbes and contribute to the creation of beneficial microflora in the intestines.

A sufficient amount of rest, relaxation and avoidance of stressful situations will also have a beneficial effect on the condition of the body of a nursing mother.

Diarrhea in a nursing mother can cause a lot of trouble for the mother and become a threat to the health of the child. After the birth of a baby, a young nursing mother has new worries and worries. Breastfeeding and caring for a baby takes a lot of time. Finding time to take care of yourself and maintain your health is often simply impossible. After giving birth, breastfeeding women often experience diarrhea. What to do if diarrhea is detected in a nursing mother? How dangerous is it for mother and child?

Is this dangerous for the baby?

If diarrhea develops while breastfeeding, then it is generally dangerous for the child, at this time he can become infected - this is what most mothers think. Therefore, some of them, without consulting a doctor, interrupt feeding the baby. In fact, diarrhea is most dangerous for the nursing mother herself. Doctors believe that in this case the child is not only possible, but also should continue to be fed milk.

Breastfeeding should not be interrupted even when the mother is diagnosed with an intestinal infection. The main mechanism of transmission of this disease is fecal-oral. When a mother develops diarrhea, she can infect her child only if the rules of personal hygiene are not followed. The lactation process will not contribute to infection. It should be remembered: breast milk contains many antibodies to the infections that the mother suffers from. Therefore, during an intestinal infection, it can treat the baby. Breastfeeding can be suspended only during a period of sharp deterioration in the mother’s condition; transferring the baby to artificial feeding will be temporary. As soon as the mother's condition improves, she can return to normal lactation.

Threats to the mother

Diarrhea during breastfeeding is more dangerous for the mother than for the baby. After giving birth, she devotes all her energy and time to the newborn. If a woman begins to be bothered by diarrhea, she quickly loses strength, eats and sleeps poorly. The mother's lactation volume decreases, which negatively affects the child's health.

After heavy diarrhea, a nursing mother develops dehydration. A woman’s body loses water, along with microelements and vitamins necessary for the life and feeding of the child. If the diarrhea is short-lived, then the damage done to the mother's body is insignificant. After the cessation of dyspeptic symptoms, a rapid restoration of the breastfeeding process can be expected. The main treatment in this case should be aimed at restoring water and electrolyte balance; activated charcoal can be used to cleanse the intestines.

The most dangerous is prolonged diarrhea after childbirth. The mother’s body quickly loses fluid, after which serious disturbances in general health begin. What to do in this case if activated carbon does not help at all? Self-treatment leads to unpleasant consequences; you should immediately consult a doctor.

There is another unfavorable symptom that can accompany diarrhea - gastric bleeding. It can be diagnosed quite easily. After defecation, the patient's stool will be black. What to do in this case? It is categorically impossible to treat on your own; during this period, a woman may simply die while breastfeeding. Therefore, you should immediately consult a doctor or call emergency help. Specialists will prescribe the correct treatment.

How to fight

Diarrhea in a nursing mother is most often not associated with the development of a pathological process. Childbirth is a serious stress for the nervous system of a young mother. After childbirth, a woman may suffer from nervous and physical stress, which develops when feeding the baby. She must do everything to make the child feel good and comfortable, feed him breast milk, and provide general care.

Fatigue and nervous tension in this case can be considered the main reason that a woman develops diarrhea. What can and should be done to prevent nervous diarrhea that is not associated with an infectious disease from developing?

During the period of breastfeeding, especially immediately after childbirth, a woman should be as balanced and calm as possible. What to do if this fails? There are a large number of medications that will help a nursing woman restore her weakened nervous system after childbirth. The only condition is that the treatment must be prescribed by a doctor. An incorrectly selected drug will harm not only the nursing woman, but also the child.
When breastfeeding, personal hygiene of mother and baby must be strictly observed. If this is not done, there is a high probability that the child will develop diarrhea. For this purpose, cleanliness of hands, utensils for preparing complementary foods, and clothing is the only way to avoid infection.
During the feeding period, the mother's diet should be balanced. Often, diarrhea in a nursing mother is caused by an incorrectly compiled daily menu. What should be done to rule out the cause of diarrhea? The diet of a young mother during the breastfeeding period should not contain difficult-to-digest fatty and spicy foods. To prevent diarrhea from developing, it is necessary to consume only mutually compatible foods; it is better to apply the principle of separate nutrition.
If diarrhea begins, you need to take activated charcoal and drink plenty of fluids.
If activated carbon or another sorbent does not help, and the diarrhea gets worse, then it is not recommended to do anything on your own. You should immediately consult a doctor.

What to do if a nursing woman has severe diarrhea? As we noted above, you need to see a doctor. Diarrhea can develop as a result of various reasons. Treatment of dyspepsia for some diseases is specific, and activated carbon may not always help. For example, with infectious colitis, the body of a mother nursing a baby cannot always cope with the disease on its own.

Attempting to treat such diarrhea on your own can lead to significant health problems. To treat an intestinal infection, antibiotics are needed. During breastfeeding they are prescribed with great care. They can cause irreparable harm not only to the nursing mother, but also to her baby.

Only a qualified doctor can decide what to do in this case. He will select the appropriate drug to not only stop diarrhea, but also not harm the woman and her baby during breastfeeding.

Intestinal problems during breastfeeding occur quite often - this is due to changes in diet and consumption of large amounts of dairy products. But here's how to treat diarrhea during breastfeeding in mother practically no one knows - after all, drugs previously taken and effective in such situations may be prohibited for use during breastfeeding. Also, most women find themselves in a state of shock when they notice this in their child. What's the matter?

The fact is that experts draw a parallel between diarrhea in mother and child - these are two inseparable parts that are dependent on each other. And this is understandable at first glance - everything that the mother eats affects the child (feeding the baby during diarrhea is prohibited). Therefore, it is not surprising that if a young mother begins to have diarrhea, similar problems begin in the baby. Moreover, if a young mother’s problems go away within 2 days if treatment is started correctly, then the baby suffers from diarrhea for several days and is much more noticeable. What is this connected with? This is due to the concentration of the pathogen - the weight of an adult woman and a baby are noticeably different.

In addition, the intestinal microflora of a newborn has not yet formed and strengthened. The causative agents of diarrhea remain in the blood of a young mother for several hours or even days - all this time they penetrate into breast milk and are passed on to the baby. Their constant exposure leads to new “attacks” of the intestines - diarrhea does not stop. In connection with the above facts, experts talk about the importance of preventing the development of diarrhea during breastfeeding and quickly eliminating the problem. All recommendations will be given later in the article.

What is diarrhea?

Diarrhea has an official name - diarrhea, which is “established” only when a person goes to the toilet with loose stool more than 3 times a day. At the same time, the amount of feces is also observed when establishing a diagnosis - at least 250 ml per day. It is these two factors that the specialist establishes to diagnose the disease and prescribe subsequent treatment.

This is interesting: Many people call diarrhea only an intestinal disorder, which is accompanied by an unpleasant symptom (stomach twisting), as well as the excretion of liquid-like feces. Diarrhea is also often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. But if this happens for only one day, then the problem should not be treated as diarrhea - it is enough to eat foods that have a binding effect.

The development of diarrhea or intestinal disorder is influenced by a certain pathogen that has entered the body - it will also quickly penetrate into the baby’s body along with breast milk. Therefore, a young mother who is on breastfeeding should be attentive to her condition and resort to immediate elimination of the problem, even with a one-time intestinal disorder.

Causes of diarrhea in a young mother

Before starting treatment for diarrhea in a young mother, you should determine the reasons for its development. The following prerequisites stand out here:

Nervous stress– diarrhea in a mother who is breastfeeding can begin even as a result of a stressful situation. If there were such prerequisites, then provocative situations should be eliminated as much as possible.
Food poisoning– develops due to the use of low-quality products. In most cases, the provocateurs are harmful bacteria in dairy products - manufacturers do not monitor the storage conditions of the products sold to stores.
Allergy– diarrhea can also be a consequence of consuming a product that is allergenic for a young mother. For example, if previously dairy products did not cause allergies in a woman, then after the birth of a child, proteins can become very dangerous allergens. This is due to the complete “restructuring” of the body during pregnancy and during breastfeeding - feeding the baby is also not recommended.
Intestinal infection- This is the most dangerous cause of diarrhea. The infection may develop as a result of poor personal hygiene or poor food hygiene. The infection is caused by the proliferation of bacteria that release toxic substances - this poisons the human body, leading to an increase in body temperature.

This is important: If diarrhea continues for 2 days, vomiting and other unpleasant symptoms are present, the young mother should immediately consult a doctor. In this case, there is a high risk of developing an infection that quickly infects the child - often neglected situations lead to the death of the baby, so they begin to feed the baby only with the permission of the doctor.

When is it forbidden to feed

Even during the period of determining why diarrhea developed and what its causes are, a woman should stop feeding if the following symptoms are present.

Namely:

severe abdominal pain;
suspicion of food poisoning - this is especially necessary if the product was previously consumed and is not the first freshness;
high temperature - breastfeeding is stopped when the temperature rises to 38 degrees;
weakness, involuntary drooping of the eyelids, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing - especially if this occurs with an increase in body temperature;
loose stool with various inclusions and impurities - mucus, a distinctive color, pellets and other inclusions;
diarrhea in several family members;
signs of dehydration - the eyes begin to sting in the absence of proper tear production, there is a dry mouth, cracked lips;
additional rash on the body - it can be anything from simple modified peeling of the skin to abscess formations.

This is important: Feeding a baby is prohibited not only during diarrhea, but also for the entire time that appropriate medications are taken for treatment. Some medications also have a mandatory period for suspending lactation - the time during which the medicinal components are eliminated.

Why is diarrhea dangerous for mother and baby?

Diarrhea is dangerous for the mother due to dehydration. First of all, intestinal poisoning is noted here, accompanied not only by diarrhea, but also by vomiting - dehydration begins already on the second day of the development of the problem. Dehydration entails a decrease in milk production, a deficiency in the content of beneficial properties in it, as well as disruption of the functioning of internal organs.

If we talk about the danger of diarrhea for a child, then it is necessary to note the influence of pathogenic bacteria on his condition. As a rule, the multiplying bacteria and the release of toxic substances by them do not immediately lead to diarrhea - accordingly, the young mother may not even be aware of the destruction of the intestinal microflora that has begun. But the child can feel it much earlier - waste products of bacteria quickly penetrate into the blood and into breast milk. This, in turn, leads to penetration into the child’s body - poisoning can manifest itself as nausea, vomiting and aching in the child’s bones.

What to do if you have diarrhea

What to do if a nursing mother has loose stools and a stomach ache, only a doctor who has carefully studied the cause and symptoms of diarrhea in a woman will answer exactly. Basically, they resort to eliminating diarrhea in a safer way - but even at this time it is forbidden to breastfeed the baby.

Basic methods for diarrhea

A young mother with indigestion or indigestion should reconsider her diet and stick to a diet. Here the following methods are used:

To begin with, stop eating food altogether and drink a lot of water. Even if diarrhea is not caused by bacterial pathogens, breastfeeding is temporarily prohibited - in the absence of medication, it is enough to stop the diarrhea.
Then, having stopped the vomiting, you can begin “treatment” with a diet - to consolidate the feces, you should include boiled rice, fresh or baked bananas, and crackers.
To avoid dehydration and restore useful microelements removed from the body, they resort to the use of special solutions. The use of formulations with mineral salts is effective here. You can prepare such a cocktail at home yourself - just mix 1 teaspoon of salt and 6 sugar in a liter of water.
To normalize the intestinal microflora, the doctor must prescribe a course of probiotics and prebiotics - it is not recommended to use them on your own.

After diarrhea has been restored and prevented, you should not eat food recklessly or in large quantities again. Firstly, you should introduce only healthy boiled or steamed foods into your diet. This is necessary because it reduces the load on the still weakened intestines. Secondly, the young mother should resume breastfeeding - the milk should be as saturated with useful components as possible.

Breastfeeding a child after diarrhea should only be done after intestinal problems have been completely eliminated. This can be confirmed with the first stool after diarrhea stops. Look carefully at the stool - if it is of normal consistency, there are no inclusions, and you are not bothered by secondary signs of poisoning, then you can start feeding the baby.

Taking Levomycetin for diarrhea

The drug Levomycetin is quite effective in the treatment of intestinal poisoning. However, Levomycetin is contraindicated for use during breastfeeding. The fact is that Levomycetin releases toxic components into the blood of a sick person - and this is fraught with penetration into the child’s body. Levomycetin is prescribed by doctors, but only in extreme cases - when taking antibiotics to treat food poisoning has not led to a positive result. The medicine Levomycetin quickly copes with bacterial infections - this often affects the treatment of sore throat and other similar bronchial diseases. For young mothers, this drug is prescribed only for the most severe poisoning.

Important! While taking Levomycetin for the treatment of diarrhea, breastfeeding is stopped - the components quickly penetrate into breast milk, leading to intoxication of the child's body.

Also, when taking Levomycetin, feeding the child is prohibited until toxic substances are completely eliminated from the mother’s body - and this often reaches 3 weeks after finishing taking the drug. Independent use of the product is strictly prohibited. Diarrhea or indigestion only has a negative effect on the body of a young mother. Therefore, it is better to prevent problems in advance than to eliminate them and stop breastfeeding. Most young mothers, after such intestinal poisoning, and especially after taking Levomycetin, stop breastfeeding altogether. This negatively affects the emotional state of the baby - the baby is capricious, demanding his mother. In combination with poisoning of the baby, parents will have to endure serious stress, and this, again, is fraught with the development of a new round of diarrhea. In order not to bring the situation in the family to a similar state, it is better to refuse to eat suspicious or prohibited products.

Almost every person experiences various stool disorders several times in his life. Sometimes you can solve the problem yourself, sometimes you have to resort to the help of specialists. In any case, treatment must be approached comprehensively and competently, using medications. But during breastfeeding, more attention should be paid to the prevention of digestive disorders, this way you can protect both the woman and the child. Why does a nursing mother have diarrhea? Does he pose a threat to the woman and baby?

Read in this article

Causes

Stool disorders can occur for many reasons. But still, diarrhea more often appears when consuming low-quality products, and in most cases this is a foodborne toxic infection. It can be quite difficult to distinguish a serious pathology from a banal poisoning, so you need to know the symptoms, the presence of which requires you to immediately seek help from specialists.

Viral infection

Such diseases can occur in different clinical forms. The main viral infections with diarrhea include adeno-, rota- and enterovirus infections. You can become infected through airborne droplets and household contact. All these viruses are quite stable in the environment and are killed by boiling and prolonged heat treatment. Symptoms usually begin with a feeling of general malaise, dyspepsia, etc. Subsequently, diarrhea characteristic of viral intestinal infections appears: foamy, “like water,” with pieces of undigested food and an unpleasant odor.

Often adeno-, rota- and enterovirus infections begin with a clinical picture similar to: weakness, lethargy, muscle pain and fever.

Of all the above, rotaviruses cause diarrhea during breastfeeding in mothers with greater frequency.

All these diseases are characterized by an endemic nature: people in close contact immediately begin to get sick - in kindergarten, in the family, at school, etc.

Bacterial infection

In most cases, these pathologies are more severe and require medical supervision and treatment. Bacterial infections include salmonellosis, shigellosis, cholera, escherichiosis, and foodborne illnesses. The occurrence of these diseases in most cases is associated with eating food contaminated with bacteria.

Disease	How it manifests itself
Salmonellosis	Salmonella bacillus can be contained in meat, etc. Pathology can occur in several forms, which differ in the predominance of certain symptoms. In most cases, abdominal pain and loose stools appear, often with a green tint and an admixture of blood. Nausea and vomiting may also occur without relief.
Dysentery	Dysentery, the “disease of dirty hands,” is caused by Shigella. When it enters the intestine, it is localized in the walls of the large intestine. Severe cramping pains appear in the abdomen, and fecal discharge is compared to “rectal spitting.” Body temperature also rises and other symptoms of general intoxication appear: lethargy, weakness, nausea, vomiting, headache.
Cholera	Caused by Vibrio cholerae. As a rule, people who are in areas where this pathology is endemic are affected. It is most often transmitted through water and food, but there are also pulmonary forms. The main difference between cholera is loose stools of “water” up to 20 - 30 times a day, which leads to serious dehydration. This even causes deaths. Such diarrhea in a nursing mother is more likely to occur if she goes to travel to African countries, some remote regions of Russia and does not sufficiently observe hygiene measures and drink running water rather than bottled water.
Escherichiosis	It has a varied clinical picture and occurs in dysentery, salmonella, shigello and cholera-like forms. The disease can only be diagnosed using auxiliary methods.
Food poisoning	The most common pathology when vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea occurs during breastfeeding will also occur in this case. In everyday life, this condition is often called "". The causative agents of the disease are staphylococci, which are normally present on the skin, in the intestines, and on many household items. But in conditions that are comfortable for these microorganisms, they actively multiply. Their favorite “dish” is butter-based cakes, which are stored at temperatures above 20 degrees.

Other diseases

If a nursing mother has ever had a stomach or duodenal ulcer, there is a possibility that after childbirth it will worsen and develop a serious complication - bleeding.

In this case, abdominal pain is accompanied by diarrhea, which has a dark color - “melena”. This condition requires serious drug treatment.

Other conditions

It is also necessary to take into account that taking certain medications can cause disruption of intestinal microflora and diarrhea. Most often, this side effect is caused by antibiotics. These conditions are not always accompanied by abdominal pain, and the stool is liquid, but colored dark or light brown. Such diarrhea during lactation may well develop in a mother if she is being treated for another disease.

Health hazard

Despite its apparent harmlessness, very often diarrhea can cause hospitalization and a life-threatening condition. How is it dangerous?

Dehydration of the body. A lot of fluid comes out with the stool. Therefore, the main thing in case of diarrhea is to restore the water-salt balance. Along with water, microelements also leave, the presence of which determines the functioning of the heart muscle and other vital organs. Dehydration can cause your milk supply to decrease temporarily or even for a long period. Therefore, the risk that you will have to supplement your baby with formula increases. But you shouldn’t completely exclude breastfeeding if the woman’s condition allows it: along with the milk, the baby receives protection.
Poisoning of the body by waste products of pathogenic bacteria. The symptoms of intoxication also depend on this - fever, weakness, lethargy, confusion, headache, lack of appetite and others.
Serious intestinal infections(for example, shigellosis or selfellosis) can occur in particularly dangerous forms with damage to other organs - the heart, joints, etc. The occurrence of generalized conditions – sepsis – is also dangerous. Such conditions are treated only in a hospital setting, sometimes in the intensive care unit.

Diarrhea during breastfeeding is also dangerous because mother and baby are in close contact with each other, which contributes to infection of the child. In a small and fragile organism, the disease can occur in a more severe form, often a generalized infection. But you should not stop breastfeeding, since in a small number of cases, infection can occur through breast milk, but antibodies are transferred from mother to child, and it will be easier for the baby to overcome the infection later.

When to see a doctor:

with diarrhea more than 10 times a day;
with severe abdominal pain;
if intestinal bleeding is suspected, dark stools;
in general serious condition;
at a temperature above 38 degrees for more than 3 days;
if any other complications occur.

How to treat

Many people believe that the most necessary thing to treat diarrhea during hepatitis B is antibacterial drugs. However, this is an incorrect statement. Drugs with similar effects are rarely prescribed and in severe cases; more often, simply intestinal antiseptics are used.

The most important thing in treating any diarrhea, especially at home, is restoring the balance of fluids and microelements. To do this, you need to drink at least five liters of water per day (3 - 4 times more than the volume of lost feces), it is advisable to alternate regular water with mineral water. There are special bags on sale for preparing a solution that contain the necessary composition of microelements for diarrhea. For example, "Regidron" and the like. You can also prepare these at home. To do this, you need to dissolve a teaspoon of salt and soda in 1 liter of water.

Diet should be limited, and light foods should not be consumed. It is useful to eat rice and other fastening foods.

Medicines

Intestinal antiseptics, for example, nifuroxoside, can be used. You need to drink it strictly according to the instructions: usually for an adult woman this is 2 tablets two to three times a day. It can also be used during breastfeeding.

In such situations, drugs that restore intestinal microflora, which contain pre- and eubiotics, help in such situations. For example, bioflor or linex.

It is also effective to use intestinal sorbents, which “attract” and then remove all toxins. For example, smecta, activated carbon and others.

The use of doxycycline or chloramphenicol, which they liked to use 15 - 20 years ago, is absolutely unjustified without verification of the pathology diagnosis. Such prescriptions can only be made by a doctor after an examination.

You should also be wary of loperamide. The drug slows down peristalsis, reducing diarrhea. But this leads to increased symptoms of intoxication and worsening infection.

ethnoscience

There are many folk recipes for infusions, decoctions and simply herbs. Such products have a bonding and antibacterial effect. For example, a mother can:

If diarrhea occurs during lactation, drink dill water, and also brew lemon balm and mint.
One tablespoon of wormwood and dill seeds must be poured into 200 ml of hot water and left for 2 - 3 hours. Drink 3 - 4 times a day.
Pour 30 g of cumin seeds into 150 ml of boiling water and place in a thermos for 15 - 20 minutes. You can add dill seeds. Use 2 - 3 times, 150 ml.

Prevention

It is easier to prevent diarrhea during breastfeeding than to treat it later and worry about your baby. Prevention recommendations:

store food correctly, especially during hot weather;
do not eat even slightly spoiled meat, etc.;
wash food and hands thoroughly before eating and during food preparation;
try not to be in areas where infectious pathology is endemic.

Diarrhea during lactation can be either a minor digestive disorder or the beginning of a pathology that requires serious treatment. If the condition worsens or the disease lasts for a long time, you must seek medical help. Compliance with preventive measures will help protect the woman and baby from such conditions.

During the period of feeding the baby, the mother must carefully monitor her health, because the well-being and life of her child at the moment depends on her. Diarrhea in a mother during breastfeeding can be caused by a huge number of reasons. This may be a harmless temporary glitch caused by nervousness, or it may signal a dangerous infection or poisoning. Therefore, it is very important to react immediately and find out the cause of this unpleasant condition, and then eliminate it.

Possible reasons

When feeding, you need to think through the diet very carefully. The functioning of the digestive system can be disrupted by eating foods that are too fatty, spicy, foods containing preservatives, dyes, other chemicals, as well as stale foods. Why did the malaise appear? It may be caused by one of these reasons.

Food poisoning. This condition is quite dangerous for both the mother and her baby. It is also called toxic infection - when spoiled food enters the body, it is poisoned by toxins released by pathogenic bacteria. In case of poisoning, diarrhea begins abruptly, the general condition worsens significantly, nausea and vomiting appear, and the temperature may rise. If you experience such symptoms, you should seek medical help as soon as possible. It may be necessary to start taking medications.
Irritable bowel syndrome. A fairly common problem that appears as a result of nervous stress, stress, lack of sleep, chronic fatigue, constant worries about the baby, and hormonal imbalances. The syndrome differs from poisoning in that the temperature remains normal and there is no vomiting. In addition, there are no cases of an attack occurring at night, since during sleep the body relaxes and diarrhea caused by nervous tension goes away. Usually, sedatives, as well as drugs whose action is aimed at relaxing muscles, help well with this condition. It is clear that no medications can be used without permission; any medications for a nursing mother must be prescribed by a doctor.
Allergic reactions. Most often, diarrhea is caused by a food allergy to any food. In order for the unpleasant symptom to disappear, it is enough to give up the product that causes it.
Intestinal infection. This condition is caused by eating unwashed or not thoroughly washed fruits, neglecting hand washing and poor hygiene. As a result, pathogenic bacteria appear in the intestines, multiply rapidly and release toxins, which upsets the balance of microflora. In this case, you need to contact a specialist.

Should I stop feeding?

Diarrhea during breastfeeding in a mother significantly worsens her well-being and raises a number of questions, including: is her condition dangerous for the baby? The mother has a completely logical fear that the disease could be passed on to the child. Is it really? The fact is that with various diseases, antibodies to their pathogens are formed in the human body. They tend to pass into breast milk and be passed on to the baby. Therefore, in most cases, pediatricians are of the opinion that feeding should be continued.

If your mother has an intestinal infection, then you should remember that the mechanism of its transmission is fecal-oral. Therefore, if the mother carefully observes the rules of hygiene, her baby is not in danger. The same can be said regarding food poisoning. If the child has not eaten the spoiled product, he is safe. For diarrhea caused by acute intestinal infections, there is also no need to stop feeding. The pathogens of such infections are not transmitted through breast milk. In addition, the baby will already have antibodies to them, obtained through milk.

But there are cases when a mother’s diarrhea during breastfeeding can cause a pause in breastfeeding for a short time. This may be necessary when the mother’s treatment involves taking antibiotics. Basically, when this problem occurs, the specialist selects a treatment that is fully compatible with breastfeeding. Therefore, switching to mixtures is impractical. The mother is only required to carefully observe the rules of hygiene. During intestinal upset, it is necessary to increase water consumption and combine it with special saline solutions. It is better to stick to a diet that includes boiled foods and various cereals.

How does the treatment work?

Treatment is carried out only after the cause of the disorder has been determined. Antibiotics are prescribed only in extreme cases: they are not always used even for acute intestinal infections. The human body is able to cope with most of these infections on its own within a few days. However, there are dangerous infections, the treatment of which requires the use of antibiotics - cholera, dysentery and some others. In such cases, the specialist decides to prescribe a particular drug and continue or suspend feeding.

The most common remedy, which is absolutely harmless for both mother and her baby, is activated carbon. It functions as a sorbent, passing through the intestinal system, capturing toxic substances and removing them from the body. However, this drug does not pass into breast milk. Modern pharmacology also has other sorbents that are more effective and do not contradict breastfeeding. These include Atoxil, Laktofiltrum, Sorbex. Products based on apple pectin also have antidiarrheal properties.

Diet features

The diet of a nursing mother suffering from this problem should include enough fluids, as there remains a high risk of dehydration. Otherwise he's pretty much the same as always. In normal conditions, the amount of water you drink per day is up to two liters. For diarrhea, experts recommend drinking at least two and a half liters. This includes any liquid: juices, tea, broth, herbal decoctions, mineral water. This is important, because even with the loss of ten percent of water in the body, changes begin: exhaustion appears, a person feels weak, and lacks strength. It is better to temporarily abstain from fresh vegetables and fruits. Fried, spicy, and fatty foods are also not recommended.

Direct your attention to buckwheat and rice porridge, steamed fish and meat. Vegetables are best consumed baked. You are allowed to eat dry bread, crackers, and low-fat cookies. It is recommended to use special solutions that are aimed at restoring electrolyte levels, for example, Regidron. It is available in powder form. It is enough to dissolve a sachet in warm water in an amount of one liter and drink small portions of this medicine throughout the day. After recovery occurs, start eating yoghurts and kefir. This will help restore the balance of bacteria in the intestines.

To treat diarrhea for a nursing mother, you can prepare a decoction of oak bark. One tsp. raw materials are boiled for about 10 minutes. in 300 ml of water. Then the drink must be cooled, strained and consumed one tablespoon at a time. three times a day. Rice water will improve the condition of the intestines. Take 1/2l. water and cook two tsp in it. rice over low heat for about 40 minutes. After cooling, this decoction should be drunk every 3 hours, a couple of times a day. spoons