Minor stomach upsets during pregnancy is very common. According to a study by Bonpace & Fisher (1998) most pregnant women face constipation. However, sometimes this constipation might make for something serious, like diarrhea. There are many foods that you should avoid whilst you are suffering from pregnancy diarrhea. Food preparations like curry should be avoided. Do not indulge in munching fries and crisps. You need to keep yourself hydrated, but drinks like aerated soft-drinks, and coffee should be avoided. Try and dodge seafood because they are more difficult to digest and can have side effects. Pond based fish is still fine.

Fast foods like pizzas and onion rings are strict no-nos. Red meats should be cut out from your diet. Some fruits like papaya, pomegranate, and pineapple might trigger loose motion. So, they should be avoided at any cost. Flour based foods also should be avoided, for the danger of bacterial contamination. Sweets like chocolates are hard to digest. That is why you also need to curb you chocolate cravings.

Read More: 10 Pregnancy Foods For Strong Bone Development In The Womb

Why diarrhea happens during pregnancy?

There are many reasons for diarrhea during pregnancy. The altering hormones play their part. Also the shifting diet can leave its impact. The change of food and body functions can give you an upset tummy.

However, according to Body & Christie (2016) diarrhea can happen during pregnancy due to virus, bacteria, or intestinal parasites. Also at certain occasions medications cause the problem. Mothers who are not aware of their pregnancy tend to inflict themselves with food poisoning.

So, reasons can be plenty. However, proper diet control can lead to partial or full recovery.

11 Foods to Avoid with Pregnancy Diarrhea

There are certain foods you should completely avoid if you are suffering from pregnancy diarrhea. Diarrhea is pretty much the signal that something major is wrong and your child might also suffer.

Curries:

No matter how tempting they might appear to your greedy tongue, curries should be avoided. They are spicy and oily and everything that is not good to have while suffering from pregnancy diarrhea.

The fat and the oil will make it difficult for you to digest. They require much more water for getting digested. Diarrhea will deprive you from that adequate water. So, the result can be a disaster.

Fries:

Unfortunately your favorite munchies will also be out of your diet chart, for a while. Any kind of fries has high fat content, which makes it hard to digest. Whilst potatoes itself are good to have, but the fried forms are not advised.

Chips and crisps are not encouraged to have because of the reason that it might deprive the fetus from the adequate amount of water.

Red Meat:

By nature red meats are hard to digest. However, that is not the only reason they are being discouraged during pregnancy diarrhea. Uncooked or not properly cooked red meats increase the chance of further contamination.

Red meats, a bit stale or uncooked, are very susceptible to bacterial infection. For that reason they should be avoided during this period.

Seafood:

Seafood contains methyl-mercury. This is a substance which cannot be completely digested by a pregnant woman. That is why it is even more risky during diarrhea.

Moreover, the undigested methyl-mercury can affect the fetus adversely. However, pond fish are okay to have. Even during diarrhea, fresh water fish can be consumed.

Raw Milk:

You got to cut down on your dairy intake if you are suffering from diarrhea during pregnancy. Raw milk has high probability of getting contaminated with harmful bacteria.

Even according to some experts boiled milk also should not be given to a would-be mother suffering from diarrhea. Milk contains many complex compounds which are hard to digest. It might worsen the situation.

Soft Cheese:

Just like raw milk, soft cheese is also high in fluid content and hence can be contaminated with bacteria. That is something very risky for a pregnant woman, suffering from diarrhea.

Moreover, soft cheese is pretty high in fat contents. This makes it very challenging to digest. A pregnant mother suffering from upset tummy should not be fed with soft cheese. A dollop of butter, occasionally, is still okay.

Pizzas:

Fast foods like pizzas need to be forgiven during the struggling phase. The cheese and toppings can cause all sorts of problems for your upset tummy.

Pizzas contain unhealthy fats. Just like in the case of fries. That is why it is important that you avoid the consumption.

Coffee:

Though you need to remain hydrated all the time, but drinks like coffee and aerated drinks should be avoided. The high caffeine content of these drinks can cause real problems for your digestive system.

As only your body will be deprived of water, and then above that highly caffeinated drinks can actually make you feel drier.

Bread or Pita Bread:

It is better to avoid flour based food products like bread or pita bread. It increases the chances of bacterial contamination. Like dairy products, flour based products are hence advised not be consumed.

Moreover, flour based products are also hard to digest. That is another reason for avoidance.

Papaya:

Fruits like papaya contain compounds which causes uterine contraction. It also relaxes muscles and promotes the passage of stool. This is something which you do not desire whilst suffering from diarrhea.

It is harmful for your child and for you as well. Too much consumption of similar fruits can even lead to miscarriage.

Pineapple:

Pineapples have similar impact like papayas. The relaxing enzymes will trigger more loose motions. It can also make your uterus contract. This is harmful for your fetus always.

That is why it is important that you avoid consumption of such fruits while you are suffering from pregnancy diarrhea.

Chocolates:

Sweets like chocolates are hard to digest. In fact any sweet or sugary product will need high amount of bodily fluid to get digested.

Diarrhea essentially robs you from that amount of adequate water. That is why you should not ideally indulge in any kind of sweet treats during your period of suffering.

Conclusion:

It is important that you always stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water and healthy fluids. Consult your doctor if you are having dark yellow urine, dry and sticky mouth, feeling nauseous, suffering from headache, and are always thirsty.

These are the symptoms that the ailment is going to a critical stage. In such cases you need to undergo some medication. However, only take the medicines prescribed by your doctor. Do not try and experiment because it might be fatal for you and your child.

Reference:

http://www.gastro.theclinics.com/article/S0889-8553(16)30005-X/abstract

https://www.momtricks.com/pregnancy/diarrhea-during-pregnancy/