Treatment for diarrhoea in pregnancy

There is no single treatment for every episode. A clinician considers duration, fever, vomiting, pain, blood in the stool, recent travel, food exposure, existing bowel disease and your stage of pregnancy. Many mild episodes improve with rest and fluids, while dehydration or a bacterial or parasitic infection may need assessment and targeted care.

A diagnosis such as gastroenteritis, food poisoning, food intolerance or inflammatory bowel disease changes the advice. Avoid using leftover antibiotics because they may be ineffective, cause side effects, or make some diarrhoea worse.

Take frequent sips of water or a clinician-recommended oral rehydration solution. Continue eating small, plain meals when able. Keep taking prescribed medicines unless your clinician tells you otherwise, and ask how diarrhoea may affect absorption of any important medicine.

Check every anti-diarrhoeal, antibiotic, herbal product and supplement with a maternity clinician or pharmacist. A clinician may recommend a specific product after reviewing your symptoms; do not select treatment solely from a label or online list.

Get urgent care for fainting, confusion, severe pain, blood or black stool, breathing difficulty, very little urine, or repeated vomiting. Call your maternity team promptly for fever, diarrhoea that is not settling, contractions, vaginal bleeding, fluid leakage, or reduced fetal movement. These signs call for assessment rather than another home remedy.

Ask what fluid replacement is right for you, whether your medicines need timing changes, whether testing is useful, and which symptoms mean you should attend urgent care.