Wondering what to take for diarrhea while breastfeeding? Explore safe options for relief and maintaining your milk supply.
what to take for diarrhea while breastfeeding, Usually, bacteria entering the stomach is what causes diarrhea or loose stools. And it usually heals within a few days. But if severe dehydration occurs from diarrhea, it can also lead to death. This article contains tips on how to prevent dehydration and what to do if you have loose stools.
Symptoms of diarrhea:
We usually use the words ‘diarrhea’ and ‘poor stool’ interchangeably. However, in medical terms, a soft or thin stool does not necessarily mean that you have diarrhea. Three or more loose stools in a day are usually called diarrhea. Besides, if someone has more frequent, thin stools than normal, it is also considered diarrhea.
Breastfed babies’ stools are naturally somewhat soft and sticky. That’s not diarrhea.
Signs of dehydration:
what to take for diarrhea while breastfeeding causes a lot of water and essential salts to escape from the body. When this deficiency is not met, dehydration occurs. And if this dehydration goes too far, it can lead to death. So the first treatment for diarrhea is to rehydrate. The main symptoms of dehydration are:
- Dry Mouth
- Feeling thirsty
- Dry or itchy eyes
- Dark, strong-smelling urine
- Decreased urine output
Home remedies for constipation:
You can usually treat constipation at home. The most important thing in this case is to drink plenty of fluids and eat food to avoid dehydration.
1. What food should I eat in a thin toilet?
The key to treating what to take for diarrhea while breastfeeding is to correct the body’s water and salt deficit. Therefore, if you have diarrhea, you should eat a lot of saline food, liquid drinks, and nutritious food. It is generally advised to consume one packet or half a liter of saline after each bowel movement. Liquid drinks can include chira water, rice starch, or canned water. You can add a little salt to the rice flour.
Eat whenever you feel you can. Breastfeeding must be continued in infants.
What not to eat if you have diarrhea:
There is no basis for saying that eating certain foods will cure diarrhea. For example, there is a common belief that a diarrheal patient can eat nothing but white rice and chickpeas. This idea is not correct. All types of nutritious food should be eaten in a clean environment, even if the bowels are thin. However, if you have diarrhea, avoid fruit juice, soft drinks, coffee, and sugary tea bought from the market. Because eating these can make diarrhea worse.
2. Diarrhea medicine:
The natural cessation of diarrhea typically takes 5-7 days, but it is important to treat the dehydration it causes right away. In most cases, it is possible to get rid of diarrhea through treatment at home. Diarrhea medicines are mentioned below:
- Food Saline: It is generally advised to consume one packet or half a liter of food saline after each bowel movement. Even if you don’t have food saline at home, you can prepare food saline at home. Apart from this, chira water, rice starch, or canned water can also be consumed. You can add a little salt to the rice flour. If you feel nauseous, try taking small bites.
- Zinc Tablets: Studies have shown that zinc tablets can reduce the duration of diarrhea by a quarter. You can take 20 mg of zinc tablets or syrup for 10–14 days as per your doctor’s advice.
- Paracetamol: Paracetamol can be taken in cases of stomach discomfort. Before giving the medicine to the child, read the instructions that come with the medicine carefully, and be sure to give the correct dose according to the child’s age.
- Loperamide-like drugs: Your doctor may prescribe loperamide-like drugs to stop bowel movements for a few hours in an emergency. But the drug should never be used without a doctor’s advice or in children under 12 years of age. It can cause health damage.
what to take for diarrhea while breastfeeding medicine should be accompanied by nutritious food. Malnutrition causes diarrhea, and due to diarrhea, various nutrients leave the body. Therefore, infants under six months of age should continue to eat breast milk and nutritious food. However, it should be remembered that severe dehydration may require hospitalization and intravenous saline injection.
Medicines that cannot be taken in cases of diarrhea:
- Children under 12 should not be given anti-diarrhea medicine.
- Do not give medicines containing aspirin to children under 16 years of age. Check whether the word ASPIRIN is abbreviated under the drug name.
- Do not take any antibiotics or laxatives without your doctor’s advice.
3. What to do to prevent the spread of diarrhea in the family:
In cases of loose stools or diarrhea, the patient should get adequate rest. While this will help you recover faster, it will also play an important role in stopping the spread of what to take for diarrhea while breastfeeding.
Stay at home for at least two days after the diarrhea clears up. Do not send the child to school or return to work yourself. Otherwise, this thin stool, or diarrhea, can spread to others.
What to do to prevent the spread of diarrhea:
- Wash hands frequently with soap and water.
- Separately wash clothing or bedding that has come into contact with feces or vomit in hot water.
- Clean faucets, doorknobs, toilet seats, flush handles, and surfaces that may come into contact with germs daily.
What not to do if you have diarrhea:
If possible, avoid cooking for others.- Do not share your dishes, cutlery, towels, or clothes with anyone.
- Do not get in a pool or swimming pool until 2 weeks after symptoms go away.
Diarrhea treatment: when to go to the doctor quickly?
If any of the following symptoms occur with diarrhea, seek medical advice immediately. Serious symptoms of diarrhea are:
- Passage of blood or sticky mucus with stool
- Severe abdominal pain
- The diarrheal condition is not improving.
- Dehydration is not met.
- Diarrhea is accompanied by fever for more than 48 hours, i.e., a body temperature above 101 degrees Fahrenheit.
These indicate a serious condition, so it is very important to start treatment as per the doctor’s advice along with home remedies.
what to take for diarrhea while breastfeeding:
In closing, it’s critical that nursing moms learn appropriate and safe diarrhea management techniques. Even though diarrhea might be uncomfortable, it’s important to give priority to treatments that don’t interfere with suckling. To find out what choices are safe and effective for treating symptoms during nursing, speak with a healthcare provider. To enhance your general well-being, don’t forget to take in enough water, exercise proper hygiene, and eat a balanced diet. You can efficiently manage diarrhea while still giving your infant the greatest nutrition possible by seeking appropriate treatment and taking medications for yourself.
Causes of diarrhea
The most common causes of what to take for diarrhea while breastfeeding include:
- Bacterial attack or infection in the stomach. It is also called gastroenteritis. It usually resolves within a few days.
- An attack by a virus called norovirus
- Food poisoning is also a common cause of loose stools or diarrhea.
Other reasons that can cause diarrhea or loose stools are:
- Drug Side Effects: Read the instructions that come with any drug to see what the drug’s side effects are.
- Allergy to certain foods or intolerance to certain foods
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Celiac disease
- Diverticular disease
- Covid-19
Dr. Ima Islam
Head, Medical Content, Assisted Health
Education Dhaka Medical College