Pregnancy is a wild but beautiful experience that has emotional, physical, and mental impacts. That should not be a surprise, though, seeing that you are growing a precious bundle.
The process makes your body go through some wacky stuff, including green poop. You may be aware of the expected changes, but others may get you off-guard.
The human stool is usually light brown in color with slight variations depending on the previous day’s diet. However, seeing green poop can be quite scary, especially in your first pregnancy.
Green poop pregnancy sign should not cause too much concern unless other symptoms accompany it.
What Can Turn Your Poop Green During Pregnancy?
- Consuming Green Colored Food
Whether you are pregnant or not, eating green food turns the color of your poop green. Therefore, the green poop pregnancy sign can be an outcome of a diet composed of green, fiber-rich, healthy foods.
These foods’ chlorophyll can alter the poop’s color to green. Some of these foods include kale, spinach, seaweed, collard greens, broccoli, parsley, herbs, and chard.
- Iron Supplements
Pregnant women take prenatal supplements to ensure they get enough minerals and vitamins and provide the baby with the vital nutrition to thrive.
Many of these supplements contain iron which aids the body to create more red blood cells for your baby and you. Iron supplements can make your poop greenish or even black.
Ensure that you do not take extra iron with the daily prenatal supplement. It is best to take the recommended dosages of all the prescribed supplements and drink a lot of water.
- Antibiotics
Your doctor may prescribe certain medications to boost your immunity and balance your health during pregnancy.
Some of these medications can change your poop’s color. For instance, antibiotics eliminate nasty bacteria and also healthy ones from your gut. Friendly bacteria help give your poop the brown color.
Your poop might turn green after taking antibiotics for a while. However, that should not put you into panic mode because the healthy bacteria will be available when you stop taking the antibiotics.
Other medications that can cause green poop include indomethacin, pain medication.
- Laxatives
Pregnant women experience constipation often. Some may turn to natural remedies like drinking plenty of water and consuming more fiber-rich foods to relieve it.
However, they may not work, making laxatives a popular alternative for easing the discomfort.
Laxatives can turn the stool green because as the food passes through your digestive system quickly, bile and the bacteria will have minimal time to act on it.
- Short Transit Time
While it is usually linked to diarrhea, that is not always the case. Unlike the usual diarrhea case, short transit time poop contains more water because it did not stay in the colon long enough to facilitate proper absorption.
Due to this, the poop may look green since bile did not get sufficient time to react chemically with other intestinal contents to make the stool brown.
Short transit time loose stools are pretty common early into a pregnancy, during the late stages of your pregnancy, and when you are anxious or stressed.
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Should Green Poop Pregnancy Sign Cause Alarm?
There are minimal reasons to be worried about green poop. Some stool types can indicate a severe underlying problem and are typically accompanied by other signs.
You should consult your doctor if the green poop is accompanied by:
- Diarrhea or Persistent Loose Stool
It would be wise to talk to your doctor if you experience loose stools for over 2-3 days because dehydration can be severe, particularly during pregnancy.
Hence, it is crucial to remain hydrated at all times. The doctor will determine if the diarrhea is a symptom of an underlying condition or a virus that will pass in due course.
- Bloody Stool
Finding blood in your poop can be frightening but a common occurrence during pregnancy due to hemorrhoids.
However, your doctor should know if you see bright red blood in poop, persistent bloody stool, or lose poop that appears to have coffee grounds.
- Severe Abdominal Cramps
Severe abdominal cramps in pregnancy can be a sign of food poisoning or a serious medical condition.
Additionally, watch out for the green poop pregnancy sign accompanied by vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite, dizziness, lightheartedness, headaches, and jaundice.
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How to Handle Green Poop During Pregnancy
It is vital to maintain good hygiene to avoid viral and bacterial infections, have a balanced diet meal plan, and eat on time to facilitate optimum digestion.
Additionally, if you are on antibiotics, consult your doctor, change the medication or dosage if necessary, switch to a prenatal vitamin with less iron, or avoid meals with dyes.
Your poop can tell you a lot about your health when pregnant or not, so keep track of it to notice any changes. We encourage you to trust your instincts and inform your doctor of any changes because your safety and the baby are of utmost importance.