Black-green stool during pregnancy. Light feces during pregnancy - why and what to do

Many pregnant women notice that their stool color has changed, the stools have acquired a dark shade. Naturally, expectant mothers begin to worry about this, and some even panic, believing that they are sick with something. Let's figure it out.

Why does stool color change?

After the conception of the baby, the functioning of the woman's body is restructured, as the mother's body prepares for bearing the fetus. In connection with the "global" hormonal changes in the future mother, the color and density of bowel movements may change. During pregnancy, the color of feces can vary from green to black.

In many ways, the shade of feces is affected diet pregnant. If the expectant mother decides to consume leafy green vegetables in large quantities while carrying the baby, then green feces await her. And eating large quantities of black pudding, liver, currants, blueberries will color the stool black.

Also, the shade of feces can be affected taking medications rats. The well-known "Activated Charcoal", which is taken for digestive disorders, accumulation of gases in the intestines, food poisoning, salts of heavy metals, alkaloids, leads to black excrement staining. Therefore, if a woman in position drank several tablets of "Activated Charcoal", for example, from bloating, then in a day or two she would have dark feces. During pregnancy, even long-familiar medications should be taken with caution, since it is not known how the body of a woman carrying a baby will react to them. The same “Activated charcoal”, in addition to removing toxins from the body and staining feces, leads to the removal of useful substances: vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins and carbohydrates. And this negatively affects the development of the baby.

Black feces during pregnancy may be a consequence taking a vitamin-mineral complex, designed specifically for women who are expecting a baby, since all dietary supplements for expectant mothers contain a substance such as iron. It is vital for the body in order for the hematopoietic function to work properly, and the level of hemoglobin in the blood to remain normal. During the period of bearing a child, the need of a pregnant woman for iron doubles. Therefore, quite often expectant mothers are diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia, which can lead to health complications. To avoid this condition, obstetrician-gynecologists prescribe vitamin-mineral complexes containing an increased amount of iron to women in position. But not all of the iron found in the dietary supplement is absorbed into the gastrointestinal tract, since the stomach can absorb only 2 milligrams of this mineral during the day. All the rest of the iron is excreted from the body along with feces, which leads to dark feces in pregnant women taking vitamin-mineral complexes for expectant mothers.

Dangerous causes of discoloration of feces

In addition to the above reasons for changing the color of feces during the bearing of a baby, there are others that pose a danger to the health and life of the mother and child.

A change in the color of feces during pregnancy can be a consequence of liver disease, dysbacteriosis, an infectious disease, colitis, bleeding in the intestines. Let's consider all these ailments in more detail.

Liver disease, such as hepatosis, hepatitis, cirrhosis, fibrosis, are the cause of green feces. With these diseases, the liver is not able to fully perform its functions of utilizing hemoglobin, as a result of which iron compounds enter the duodenum and stain the stool in a dark color.
At dysbacteriosis intestines, the processes of absorption and digestion of food in the digestive tract are disrupted. As a result, the processes of fermentation and decay are actively taking place in the intestines, the result of which gives a green color to the feces.
Colitis- Inflammatory bowel disease. When this disease is severe, purulent and bloody discharge may join the feces. They are the cause of green feces. During pregnancy, this disease poses a threat not only to health, but also to the life of a woman and her baby.
internal bleeding. Peptic ulcer of the duodenum or stomach, malignant neoplasms in the digestive tract lead to chronic mild bleeding. As a result, iron compounds contained in the blood stain the stool black.
Infectious diseases(for example, dysentery) are the cause of a change in the color of feces, since with them the same processes occur in the intestines as with dysbacteriosis. But besides this, they are accompanied by symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, loose stools.

Summing up this article, I would like to say that any pregnant woman who notices that her stool color has changed should definitely consult a doctor for advice. Most likely, the reason for these changes in the diet or in the intake of vitamin and mineral complexes for pregnant women, which contain large amounts of iron. But there is a possibility that black feces is a symptom of diseases that are dangerous not only for health, but also for the life of a woman and her child. Therefore, it is better to play it safe once again and consult with a gynecologist about changing the color of the stool, take a general analysis of blood, urine and feces, so that the doctor, based on the results of the research, can draw a conclusion about the state of health of a woman who is expecting a baby and reassure her, saying that with she's all right.

During pregnancy, it is necessary to strictly monitor your health, since the development of the fetus directly depends on it. It is important to observe the condition of all biological material, take all tests in a timely manner and, in case of deviation, immediately take action.

You also need to know which parameters “speak” about which pathologies and disorders in the body in order to start treatment in a timely manner and avoid complications. Now we will consider what to do if a woman has light feces during pregnancy, in what cases it can be and what to do.

There are many reasons why feces change their permanent color. They can be as simple and harmless as serious. That is, diseases that affect the body from the inside.

The most common reasons:

a diet in which the expectant mother has a lot of food of plant origin in the diet
medical preparations. If you take certain medicines or vitamins, your stool may become light or too dark.
infectious diseases and (hepatitis A, B, C)
gallstone problems - stones, possible neoplasms that interfere with the full functionality of the bladder

Following from the reasons described above, it is difficult to determine exactly why the pregnant woman's feces brightened up, therefore, it is better to contact the clinic and get tested.

If the expectant mother consumed a lot of greens and fiber, while her state of health did not change in any way, and light feces were observed once or twice, then there is no reason for concern.

Possible diseases

If the cause of light feces is a disease, it is urgent to start treatment so as not to harm the baby.

In addition to the fact that the feces become light in color, other symptoms appear that may indicate the development of a particular disease:

loss of appetite, sudden weight loss, which is not typical during pregnancy
the whites of the eyes may become yellowish
the skin becomes pale or with a greenish-yellow tint
urine darkens, turns brown
stabbing or aching pain in the abdomen
general weakness, sleepiness all the time
fatigue, fatigue after sleep
nausea, vomiting (not to be confused with toxicosis)
May cause a small rash on the skin

Useful video - Stool color and possible diseases:

Symptoms such as light stools are usually characteristic of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver or gallbladder. The most common of them:

Some things we try not to say out loud, considering it indecent. For example, talking about feces during pregnancy causes many women to experience shyness. But, after all, this is a natural process, without which the functioning of the body is impossible, and you should not be ashamed of talking about such a topic. The fear of asking the doctor about the color of your stool gives rise to unnecessary fears, anxieties, and suspicions. Are such negative emotions acceptable to a woman in position? No, you answer and you will be right.

The color of feces, signaling the work of the liver and gastrointestinal tract, working with an increased load, is far from a trifle during pregnancy. The liver is an important organ in the body responsible for the preservation of feces. At the same time, its smell, color and consistency, as a result of the use of multivitamin complexes by a pregnant woman, may change somewhat. Since all multivitamin complexes contain such an element as iron, it contributes to staining the stool black.

Medical professionals agree that the color of feces becomes black as excess iron is excreted from the body. The body absorbs the required amount of iron, the excess is excreted with feces, while changing its color. The variability of the color of the feces, just says that the vitamins are of excellent quality and real, you should not change or stop drinking them.

Most importantly, do not forget to constantly monitor your well-being. If you don’t know for sure why the color of the feces has changed, then conduct an experiment for yourself and stop taking vitamins for a few days. The stool color should return to normal. Dyes in food that a pregnant woman consumes can also change color. Especially contribute to staining: blueberries, beets, currants, liver, black pudding.

Causes of changes in the color of stool and feces in a pregnant woman

A pregnant woman should be wary in the case when it appeared for no reason and is not associated with food intake and multivitamins. This is a direct reason to see a doctor and do both a general and a biochemical blood test. If you have been diagnosed with a duodenal ulcer and a stomach ulcer, your doctor will recommend a fecal occult blood test.

Black stools may be the result of stomach bleeding. By consistency, it differs from the above cases, as it acquires a liquid state, it looks like coffee grounds in color, the blood is real there, and mommy doesn’t feel well: she turns pale, sweats. In these cases, it is immediately necessary to see a surgeon. Internal bleeding in a pregnant woman will cause the appearance of feces of almost black - tar - color.
Dark feces can also provoke the intake of activated charcoal, which is prescribed for pregnant women with increased gas formation. And since it is not absorbed into the bloodstream, it does not get through the placenta to the child.
Sometimes there is a green feces or with an admixture of mucus observed with a large consumption of fruits and vegetables. A pregnant woman, believing that she thereby replenishes the amount of vitamins, on the contrary, provokes an upset gastrointestinal tract and a change in the color of the stool.
Gray stool occurs when eating a large amount of fruit and any product in large quantities. There is no cause for concern if there is no pain in the abdomen and mucus does not appear. It is enough to reduce the amount of the product that causes such a reaction and the problem will disappear by itself.
Light feces are observed in pregnant women due to a pathological condition, accompanied by a failure of the processes of digestion and movement of feces. Most often, a change in the color of feces to green and light is due to dysbacteriosis. As a result, intestinal motility and digestion are disturbed, manifested by diarrhea or constipation.
Sometimes observed during pregnancy in the stool blood. The cause is frequent diarrhea, which changes abruptly to constipation. All this indicates a chronic disease of the gastrointestinal tract, aggravated during pregnancy. It must be identified and further treated.
Liquid white stool during pregnancy is observed in rare cases. Basically, this is a food allergic reaction caused by the use of a certain product.

If dysbacteriosis is detected, the doctor prescribes the appropriate treatment, while the stool is analyzed at least twice. During treatment, antibacterial drugs are prescribed that remove toxins.

It is also useful to drink a decoction of raisins, which has a positive effect on the digestive tract. Unleavened cereals on the water and sour-milk low-fat products are welcome in the diet.

By the color of the feces, the doctor will be able to tell a lot about the health of the patient's digestive system. Normally, in adults, feces, as a rule, have a brown tint, which is obtained under the influence of bile pigments. Depending on the volume of pigment substances, the shade of feces may vary.

Causes of green feces in an adult

The hue of feces can vary depending on the use of a variety of foods that have a fairly diverse color.

Fecal color indicators are of great diagnostic value, because they indicate the development of various kinds of pathological changes. Cal acts as a kind of indicator of organic activity, by which one can judge the work of the whole organism.

Dark

Staining of feces in a dark green shade can occur for quite serious reasons, especially if the patient has low blood pressure and pain in the abdomen.

A similar symptom complex indicates internal structures in the region of the upper gastrointestinal tract. This is typical for pathologies like:

or ;
or in the duodenum or stomach;
Varicose veins of the stomach or esophagus;
A variety of disorders in the bile ducts;
Tumor pancreatic lesions;
Rupture of an aneurysm in the lumen of the duodenum 12;
Angiodysplasia of the gastric vessels.

Grey

Feces acquire a clayey consistency with a gray-green tint in cases where there is a lot of undigested fat in it due to violations of the bile outflow from the hepatic and gallbladder structures.

Light

Fecal masses of a light green hue occur with insufficiency of digestion, when patients produce an insufficient amount of enzymatic substances or the speed of passage of the food bolus through the gastrointestinal tract structures is too high.

With slime

Excrement with mucous inclusions is also an alarming symptom. The presence of mucus in the masses indicates the presence of a pathological process in any part of the digestive system.

Most often, mucous impurities in green feces are observed in patients with dysentery or, and, etc.
In such pathological conditions, changes also occur in the consistency of feces, which contain undigested food and are excreted in the form.

Liquid

If the stool is liquid and green in color, it bothers the patient for quite a long time, then a similar symptom often indicates a chronic, fermentative or.

Also, liquid feces often accompany disaccharidase deficiency, as well as hepatic pathologies such as hepatosis or cirrhosis.

With a bright tint

Excrement with a bright yellow-green tint usually accompanies pathologies such as intestinal infections that enter the body through the oral cavity. In such cases, feces are excreted as a bright yellow or yellow-green mass.

At the same time, the patient has a fever, weakness, nausea, dehydration, lack of appetite, or myalgia.

With lumps

The presence of green lumps in the feces is most often associated with errors in the diet or excessive abuse of green foods like dill or lettuce, spinach or broccoli, muesli or cereals.

What diseases cause the symptom?

If we exclude the physiological factor, then pathologies associated with intestinal disorders or diseases of the digestive system can become the cause of green feces. These include:

Often, with such pathologies, patients have signs such as hyperthermia and a nausea-vomiting reaction, which indicates an urgent need for treatment.

During pregnancy

Greening of feces in pregnant women can occur for a variety of reasons. Most often this is due to the nature of the diet.

In order for the baby to fully grow and develop properly in the mother's tummy, and the patient herself does not complain about her well-being, it is necessary to strictly monitor the diet so that it contains all the necessary components.

Sometimes mommy tries to enrich the menu with vitamins, so she eats a lot of green vegetables. But in these products there is a mass of chlorophyll, which, when ingested in large quantities, repaints the feces in dark green shades. You should not be afraid of this, since this condition cannot be called a pathological manifestation.

If mommy is still embarrassed by feces of a similar color, then you just need to replace green foods with equivalent vitamins, but of a different color scheme. Many pregnant women additionally take multivitamins containing iron and calcium. These microelements may not be completely absorbed, but partially come out in the feces, changing their color to dark green.

Also, the causes of green feces can be gastrointestinal diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, dysbacteriosis, etc. Antibiotics are contraindicated for mothers, but sometimes there are situations in which antibiotic therapy is inevitable. As a result of such treatment, feces also acquire a greenish color. After stopping the medication, the color of the feces returns to normal.

Diagnosis of the disease

If the feces have acquired a green tint, but no other pathological symptoms are observed, then you should not worry. Most likely, the reasons are associated with a change in diet and soon the feces will return to normal.

If the stool has acquired a frothy, liquid consistency with mucous or bloody inclusions, and the patient has a fever, weakness has appeared and fainting is often disturbing, then you need to consult a doctor.

Also, medical intervention is required in situations where greening of the stool is accompanied by anemic conditions, lack of appetite and weight loss, nausea and vomiting symptoms, abdominal or epigastric pain, and a change in the color of the skin to pale blue.

The doctor will prescribe a diagnostic examination, which includes activities such as blood biochemistry, a general clinical study. Necessarily carried out microscopy, coprogram and stool culture, fibrogastroduodenoscopy, MRI and ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs.

After obtaining a complete picture of the patient's condition, the doctor will select the optimal therapy.

Treatment

The approach to fixing this problem will depend entirely on its origin. If the reasons are related to the characteristics of the diet, then the patient needs to reconsider it, and if necessary, then exclude some foods, for example, cereals, red meat, herbs, cucumbers.

To cleanse the body, patients are prescribed sorbent preparations such as Smecta, Polysorb, Enterosgel, etc.
If green feces are accompanied by nausea-vomiting reactions, then the cause is most likely food poisoning, to eliminate which it is necessary to wash the stomach. To do this, you need to drink warm water, and then artificially induce vomiting. Helps to wash the stomach and manganese solution of low concentration.
For diarrhea, the doctor may prescribe antimicrobials such as Amoxicillin, Tetracycline, Metronidazole or Gastrolit, etc.
To restore the intestinal microflora in dysbacteriosis, the doctor may recommend taking Linex and Normoflorin, Bactisubtil or Acipol. The duration of therapy with such drugs is about a month.
It is useful to eat home-made yoghurts with special bacteria, starter cultures for which are sold in pharmacies.
Sometimes, with a similar problem, taking enzymatic preparations like Pancreatin or Creon is indicated. Usually they are prescribed for enzyme deficiency.
In addition to drug therapy, patients are usually prescribed a dietary nutrition program.
If the problem lies in internal bleeding that cannot be stopped, then surgery is indicated.

If the feces change to a suspicious green color, you cannot self-medicate, only the doctor, after collecting an anamnesis and conducting a diagnosis, will be able to establish the true cause of the problem and prescribe an effective treatment. Antidiarrheal drugs can provide only temporary relief.

If the cause of green feces is an intestinal infection, then serious therapy will be required, so it is better to contact specialists for treatment.

Pregnancy is an amazing state for every woman, when a new life is born. A woman is transformed, her body is being rebuilt, preparing for the appearance of a healthy baby. Unfortunately, sometimes unexpected problems arise. Black feces during pregnancy can greatly scare the expectant mother.

Is it worth it to sound the alarm if the bowel movements change? Violations of the functions of the digestive system are observed most often. For example, changes in the regularity of the stool, its consistency, feces appear black or other shades with an admixture of undigested particles. Do not worry ahead of time, you need to figure everything out.

The body of a pregnant woman works for two, and it is not so easy, it is not always possible to cope on your own. An increased load on the liver will disrupt its usual function, which can be expressed in the deviation of laboratory blood parameters, feces also begin to change in a number of ways.

Causes of fecal changes

Feces during pregnancy can change due to poor nutrition, hypovitaminosis and, mainly, due to hormonal changes. With pregnancy, the amount of progesterone synthesized in the body, which is needed for normal growth and development of the fetus, increases significantly. However, progesterone contributes to the metabolic processes of the mother's body.

Already in the first trimester, under the influence of progesterone, peristalsis decreases, and the movement of feces through the intestines slows down. As a result, the smell (sharp, unpleasant), the consistency (from mushy to solid), the color of the feces (dark-colored feces) may change.

With a good general condition, in this situation there is nothing to worry about. Loose stools during pregnancy also appear as a result of the unpredictable influence of hormonal levels. Most often, diarrhea is accompanied by symptoms of toxicosis (nausea, frequent vomiting). Usually by the beginning of the second trimester, the condition returns to normal.

In the second trimester, the organs and systems of the unborn baby are formed, so it is very important to create all conditions for him during this period. It is from 4–5 months that most pregnant women begin to prescribe iron supplements or multivitamin complexes, since the fetus has already pretty much depleted the mother's iron reserves. This therapy continues until the end of pregnancy and even after childbirth. Therefore, color transformation in the second trimester during bowel movements is not a reason to cancel the prescribed drugs.

Dark stools during pregnancy can also appear when taking other medicines, such as activated charcoal, bismuth preparations, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Such phenomena can occur both in the early stages and in the later ones. In such cases during pregnancy, black feces are normal, no need to panic. The remaining or appearing dark feces after childbirth are formed for similar reasons.

The black-green color of feces indicates the death of beneficial microorganisms in the small intestine and, consequently, dysbacteriosis. The reason for this may be taking specific medications or malnutrition. However, in the presence of other symptoms, poisoning and infectious and inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract should be excluded.

Alimentary factor

It is important not to forget what food was consumed the day before. Some products contain dark pigment:

blueberries, currants, blackberries, prunes;
beets, tomatoes;
liver, offal.

As a result of the processing of these pigments, black stools are formed. The greenish color of feces during pregnancy indicates an excess intake of fiber containing green pigment (broccoli, spinach, lettuce, fruits), such diets are often accompanied by an insufficient amount of protein in the diet. In rare cases, bowel movements of green shades appear against the background of taking a complex of vitamins and minerals. Similar symptoms can occur with intestinal infections.

These conditions can be differentiated by examining feces for intestinal infections.

Conditions requiring attention

But do not give up rational alertness. An established diagnosis of peptic ulcer, accompanying weakness, pallor, cold, clammy sweat, and even abdominal pain should increase vigilance. If at the same time the feces are dark in color, mushy consistency, then there may be gastrointestinal bleeding. It is necessary to pass a general blood test as soon as possible to control the level of hemoglobin and red blood cells, a biochemical blood test to control possible organ damage, feces for a coprogram and feces for occult blood to clarify the disease. You should also consult a doctor who can prescribe FGDS, make a final diagnosis and prescribe the necessary treatment.

Black feces during pregnancy may appear during exacerbation of chronic diseases.

Gastritis, hepatitis, enterocolitis contribute to disruption of food processing, secrete an excess amount of enzymes. As a result, the dark shade of the stool is formed by pigments and black, poorly digested food particles. In this case, when the stool darkens, it is necessary to pass a fecal analysis for an extended coprogram, which includes chemical, macroscopic and immunochemical studies. It is also necessary to consult a doctor.

It would seem that with the birth of a small miracle, all hardships should pass, but why do the conditions described above persist after childbirth? It's simple: the body has adapted to the developing child for a long time, so it also takes time to reverse recovery. The stool after childbirth returns to normal within a month, but dark-colored bowel movements may last longer if the woman continues to take iron supplements or multivitamins.

Prevention

In most cases, an isolated change in stool consistency or color during pregnancy is not dangerous, and can be corrected by maintaining a balanced diet with mandatory product quality control.

Nutrition should be balanced, with a sufficient amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Taking medications should be under the supervision of a doctor, and in the case of correction of anemia, it is necessary to control the erythrocyte counts (in the general blood test). When detecting dark feces during pregnancy, the main thing is to correctly determine the cause of the change in normal stool.