Causes of postpartum diarrhea

The article was professionally consulted by Doctor Department of Gastroenterology - Endoscopy, Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

It is not uncommon for women to experience abdominal pain and diarrhea after childbirth, which not only affects the mother's health but can also affect the quality of breast milk due to the use of different types of milk. treatment drugs.

Postpartum diarrhea is defined as a disorder of the intestinal system, sometimes resembling diarrhea. Pregnant women often fall into a state of diarrhea after cesarean section. You may leak or pass stools or often feel the need to have a bowel movement.

There are many mothers who prefer a cesarean section because it is easier, less painful, and safer than a vaginal birth. But in fact, there are no reports to prove this. The cause of postpartum diarrhea or incontinence can also be due to the time of the mother's pushing before the cesarean section as well as other problems related to the pregnancy.
Pregnancy puts a lot of pressure on the pregnant woman's pelvis and can cause pelvic organ prolapse as well as stress incontinence.
One study found that mothers who had more bowel problems such as after a cesarean delivery had more diarrhea than mothers who gave birth vaginally, including excessive weight gain, diarrhea, and constipation.

After giving birth, the mother's resistance is often weak along with a strict diet, so it will affect the digestive system. Daily foods, if washed and processed improperly, mothers will easily be infected with E.Coli - the main bacteria that causes diarrhea in humans.
The body "overloaded" nutrients will cause digestive disorders after birth. Postpartum women lose too much strength, their body is weakened, so it is very necessary to supplement nutrients. However, it is not always good to add a lot of nutrients, but you have to know how to supplement it properly. Do not eat too little but also should not "load" too much, causing "overload", excess substance. The excess of substances will not only make the mother obese, but also have a weak digestive system after giving birth.
Eating too full and too much will cause the mother to have digestive disorders after giving birth. Mothers should only eat a moderate amount, not too much but not too little. Eat small meals throughout the day to avoid overeating. Moreover, foods containing a lot of fat and indigestible substances are not only bad for ordinary people but also more dangerous for new mothers. Just after giving birth, the digestive system is very weak, so eat foods that are easy to digest and limit fat because it can cause digestive disorders after birth.
Besides, mothers often have insomnia after giving birth, erratic sleeping habits because of having to take care of the baby, breastfeeding are also a cause of diarrhea. This will affect the mother's circadian rhythm, especially the intestinal activity. If the mother does not sleep enough, the body is tired, it will secrete more cortisol hormone, which makes everything in the body work faster, the intestines are also stimulated faster, causing more bowel movements, leading to diarrhea.
In addition, the insecurity and anxiety of mothers after giving birth will also lead to diarrhea, especially chronic diarrhea. Because there is a fairly large connection between brain and gut cells. When the mother is stressed, depression will lower serotonin levels in the brain and at the same time affect this concentration in the intestines, the mother's body will then release a lot of the hormone cortisol, which accelerates all bodily functions. including digestive function.

In case the baby also has diarrhea at the same time as the mother, the mother does not need to be too worried and panic to stop breastfeeding. At this time, the cause of postpartum diarrhea comes from factors other than breast milk. What you need to do is continue to breastfeed your baby more to avoid dehydration and take your baby to the doctor to determine the cause and treatment.
Priority in breastfeeding is to avoid the use of antibiotics. If the mother has early diarrhea, she should use oriental medicine and natural herbal remedies to avoid affecting the quality of milk. Medicines are only used when prescribed by a doctor.
Some folk remedies effectively treat diarrhea such as: decoction of young guava leaves to drink or star apricot leaves with chicken eggs to eat or simply decoction of feathery apricot leaves to drink.
In addition, when having diarrhea after giving birth, the mother's body often loses water, causing fatigue and lethargy. Mothers need to create a biochemical balance by drinking rehydration, drinking Oresol for the body. Probiotics are also a safe solution. This yeast provides live beneficial bacteria that have been freeze-dried to suppress harmful bacteria in the intestinal tract, helping the digestive system to be balanced.
Some diarrhea drugs such as Loperamide, Opioid can reduce intestinal motility and cause side effects such as vomiting, headache, so mothers should consider when taking antidiarrheal drugs and necessarily consult. doctor.