Diarrhea at 5 weeks pregnant - wtf? and could this harm the pregnancy?

[DangerMousey]

Have had a really dicky tummy all day today (am 5+1) - woke up this morning with bad tummy cramps and did a couple of really horrible runny poos (ew, sorry tmi). And now again after eating my dinner: it just went straight through me :(

Am a bit worried that this is (a) something to worry about and (b) might harm the pregnancy in some way? I have been really careful not to eat any foods off the forbidden list, and am not vomiting, so I don't think it's food poisoning...

Has anyone else had this? should I be seeking medical advice or just drinking lots of water etc etc? (I've not even been to the GP yet to tell them I'm pg and get the referral to the midwives - was planning to go this week).

For those of you who haven't read any of my other mental posts recently, I had an early MC in January so am really worrying at every twinge this time - and the stomach cramps I am having with this diarrhea are not helping, because they feel very similar to the pains I had when I MC'd last time :(

Early pregnancy hormones interfere with digestion. You can end up constipated. Or you can end up with diarrhoea. I always had terrible diarrhoea and cramps in the first trimester. No it does not affect the pregnancy. In fact, you just feel worse because your body protects the baby first, looks after you second.

It could be food poisoning or a bug too. It is still noro season atm. But be reassured that it's a common and hideous symptom of being pregnant.

I've had two very healthy happy pregnancies, both with diarrhoea from 5 weeks. I've hat 2x miscarriages, both with no diarrhoea.

I'm sorry for what happened in January, it makes you second guess everything doesn't it?

Yup, GoGo is right, it could be pregnancy related yet harmless. This is one joy I didn't discover until this time round (6th pregnancy, 4th baby -no diarrhoea with my two m/cs either). Can't say I enjoyed it, but it passed faster than the nausea and, in my case at least, was only in the mornings.

Congratulations

I've had it my entire pregnancy (31+2 now). My MW isn't concerned, she said some people get constipated, some get diarrhoea. It's all due to your digestive system slowing down.

It's a nightmare, but the baby gets all the nutrients before you anyway so there's no need to worry :)

I had the worst diarrhoea I've ever had in my life for 48 hours when I was five weeks. I assumed there was no way the embryo could survive the abdominal cramps I was experiencing and resigned myself to a third mc on the trot.

I was wrong. She's eight months old now.

Rest, drink fluids. Don't eat anything too much - toast, dry crackers. Rest.

Thanks guys, that's very reassuring to hear!

I am going to have an early night and try to convince myself that the cramping is in my guts, rather than my uterus. They're such similar feelings! :) I guess I'll have to put most weird bodily things over the next 8 months down to being pregnant. This is only my 2nd ever pregnancy after MC in Jan, so it's all so new. But i suppose that until I see any bleeding, I have to assume things are ok.

Really appreciating hearing all the ladies' reassuring stories and experiences on these boards. Will mention it to the GP when I go this week, but feeling a lot less panicky now.

Congratulations I had exactly the same and I'm now 22 wks

Ah Danger, it's really hard when you've had a loss . My first pg ended in m/c and I remember all too well wondering 2nd time round if it could be OK, could my body even do this? What would happen next? . It was really hard. Sometimes it felt like my first pregnancy had been imagined, or wasn't even real because so few people knew and there was so little acknowledgement of its existence. Yet to me, at the time, that loss was the worst experience of my whole life. My second m/c was between my first and second child, and though also very sad, was much easier for me to deal with, because I had a child in my arms already, so knew it was possible.

I'm not sure what I'm saying really, maybe that some of us have a clue how you might feel, but things worked out OK in the end. Take care of yourself x

So much of pregnancy is about expulsive effort. From the diarrhoea, to the constipation and then the sickness. And the labour at the end is the same sort of stuff too. It's almost like you're practising for the main event. Something or somebody trying to force its way out of you along with cramps and a great deal of worry. It's a magical time.

Have a happy, healthy pregnancy. I really do hope you will. I worried so much for during my 2nd pregnancy after the first ended the way it did. You will relax a bit as you get further on. All the best.

On our antenatal thread about half of us suffered with runny tummies at first. mine was just once a day in the monring, kind of reverse morning sickness if you like 8+4 now and only get an occasional sloppy one

This post has really reassured me! Thank you ladies!! It’s my birthday this weekend and whilst up until now I’ve been eating very healthy and mostly my normal diet, these past two days I’ve eaten dinner out and spoilt myself with rich food and have just woken and had runny poo! Same thing happened yesterday morning too? Hoping it’s just part of ‘being pregnant’ ......this is my third pregnancy-previous two ended in miscarrage so like many of you, I’m nervous as hell about any little twinge etc?! X

As others have said:pregnancy can be awful on the bowels!

I went between diarrhea then constipation in the 3rd trimester.

Might be worth noting down what you are eating to see if there's a correlation?

I totally understand the worry though x

I am only five weeks so hoping it’s still just a possible pregnancy symptom? And not something sinister? I read that foods you have eaten in the past may not agree with you due to hormones etc - the food I’ve eaten over past few days has been oily and quite rich so maybe that’s why? X

I had it for about a week. Stay off the fruit juice I just drank water and tried to eat bland which seemed to help. It came and it went with no explanation all seems to be o.k so far.