Stomach Flu or Food Poisoning During Pregnancy!

[asia1]

I am 8 months pregnant and currently going through either a stomach flu or food poisoning episode (diarrhea, stomach pain and vomiting)! How do I distinguish between stomach flue and food poisoning?  What should I do or take?  DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THERE IS ANY POTENTIAL RISK TO THE BABY?
Please Help!

[boycrazy]

If you get dehydrated from vomiting and diarrhea it can be harmful to the baby.  Have you called your obgyn?  How many days have you been this way?  If two days or longer, I would venture to guess she/he may want you in the hospital with an IV to make sure you are not dehydrated.  I had the flu with my first ds at 8 months and had to stay in the hospital overnight with IV for fuid replacement.  Sounds like the flu to me, but depends on what you have been eating, would not hurt to have a list to tell the dr. about all you've eaten too. Good luck, and call her right away.  Don't feel like you are bugging on the weekend, that is what they get paid for.

[asia1]

It started last night (3 am).  I called a help line and they advised me to drink a lot so that is what I have been doing.  
Do you think I should go to the hospital?

[Adevotee]

are you managing to keep the fluids down or are you throwing it up? if you are managing to keep the fluids down, then my advice would be to keep drinking and see how you feel tomorrow

[asia1]

Yes I am keeping fluids down now but I still feel nauseous!

[duehring]

I am 8 months pregnant too and I just had the stomach flu. I had diahrea and was throwing up. The only 2 dangers are if you have a high fever or if you get dehydrated. I never called my doctor but talked to my sister who helps deliver babies and she said they usually only admit people that are in danger of being dehydrated. The baby will still get what they need from you even if you aren't eating. I went 3 days with no food. If you are able to keep fluid down fine and are keeping your fever down you should be fine.

[cowgirlup96]

Food poisoning will only last 24-48 hours after eating the bad food and the flu will last any where from 3-7 days if not longer.  I hope u feel better.

[workingmom4]

yes, fluids and nutrition are impt.  if this lasts for days, call the ob.  they might want to put you on a iv for nutrition.  try to keep taking your vitamin and keep hydrated.  maybe even get a nutritional milkshake or drink if fluids are ok too keep down.  most impt., keep your ob informed of your condition.  no fun having the yucchy stomache.
good luck and hope you feel better

[Drea - 2006]

I have also been able to experience the stomach flu this past week.  I am only 16 weeks pregnant but it is now 6 days later and my stomach is still not right.  I have experienced dizziness after eating also. I was instructed by a nurse to take imodium (immodium) to settle my stomach.  As recommended I did so, but it doesn't help.  Wondering if I still have the virus and I'm unable to get rid of it due to the imodium (immodium).  Sounds gross, sorry.  Could I still have it after all this time?

[asia1]

I saw my dr. and he said it is the stomach flu.  He told me to keep drinking as much as I can. He also said that if this persists for more than 2 -3 days to see him again as it might be something else.  He also said that the flu won't hurt the baby!  I feel much better today - Thank You All for your comments!

[cowgirlup96]

I know this is a late post but if you are finding it hard to keep fluids down... the pedialyte pops are a great wait to get electrolytes.  Hope you feel better.

[RedMama]

I am bout 6 weeks along and have caught a stomach flu going around my family. I've only had it today. I have diarrhea as well as vomiting. I have tried sipping on gatorade, sprite, and sucking on ice, but I can't keep anything down. I'm going from burning up sweating to be freezing cold back and forth during my sick episodes. And between my episodes I try to lay down to get some sleep, but my body is aching so bad I can't get comfortable. It only lasted 2 days the most with everyone else. Hopefully it won't last longer with me. Anyone have any advice?

[alysia06]

i am nine months pregnant and can't hold down any food and drinks i also have been havig severe stomach pain so i went to the hospital they put me on an IV in case I was dehydrated thank God that I was not but they said if I was to conduct a fever that I should come back imeadiatly with out delay that it could really hurt the baby It seems to me that the stomach flu is going around.  My husband told me to drink a small glass of milk to settal my stomach it helped for about one hour than I was crying with severe pain again

[Noorah]

Im about 6-7 weeks pregnant..im really new to this, im experincing nausea and vomiting. And had constipation, but yesterday i had dirrahea for once only..is this food poisoning? i can't tell the difference! sometimes i feel like going to the bathroom as for having dirrahea but when i go it's kinda normal..please advise..

[makenoiz]

32 weeks pregnant. 3rd baby, this one is a boy my 2 others were girls. Hes breach right now how so his little head is under my ribs. He sits very high. I m also very short (5'3" 138 lbs.). Bad heartburn since week 27 (as with all my babies) but this  actually made me vomit all night last night and today. Not sure if this is just baby pushing my stomach up or stomach flu... no other flu like symptoms. Just  very nauseous. Right after I vomit I feel great for about 5 minutes. Then bam! have not had  food for 24 hours, very hard to even keep water down or my asthma meds or iron replacement tabs. Will give it until tomorrow afternoon then will call OB. Just want to post so that when I find out what the heck is going on I can let you know in order to possibly help others who may be experiencing or will experience this.... Ill keep you posted.

[makenoiz]

Update: Well, I ate dinner last night. Lost it within 30 minutes. I immediately drank a little water and took a tagamet A/B (antiacid) in hopes of preventing new acid. It worked. I was able to sleep last night and not have to run to the bathroom every 30 minutes. Today, I feel much better. Toast and water. But not nausea.  My unprofessional diagnosis on myself  is - 24 hour stomach flu or possibly food poisoning. Hope this can be of some help to someone.

[loser2world]

im 35 week and 2 days pregnant and yesterday morning i got the stomach flu or food poisioning. don't know which. i woke up having contractions. and then i deciced to take a shower and then i threw up it was gross, but i also had diarahia. i had my doctor appointment to see my obygn and he wasn't worried he told me to drink fluids and that the contractions were probably braxton hicks but didn't say much more. then i was with my mom and she wanted to go to the store so i stayed in the car cuz i never seem to feel right. then i had to go to bathroom again it seemed like this wasn't going to end. she got me some food and something to drink since i hadn't ate after i threw up and then i threw up and i started to get the contractions even worse so i had her take me to the hospital and they pump me with iv to get my hydrated cuz i was really dehydrated and it took three bags before i even felt like i had to pee and i wasn't able to keep anything down so they gave me some nausea meds. but now i am better i am not have the contractions like was having and i am able to keep things down i am so glad that it is over

[loser2world]

im 35 week and 2 days pregnant and yesterday morning i got the stomach flu or food poisioning. don't know which. i woke up having contractions. and then i deciced to take a shower and then i threw up it was gross, but i also had diarahia. i had my doctor appointment to see my obygn and he wasn't worried he told me to drink fluids and that the contractions were probably braxton hicks but didn't say much more. then i was with my mom and she wanted to go to the store so i stayed in the car cuz i never seem to feel right. then i had to go to bathroom again it seemed like this wasn't going to end. she got me some food and something to drink since i hadn't ate after i threw up and then i threw up and i started to get the contractions even worse so i had her take me to the hospital and they pump me with iv to get my hydrated cuz i was really dehydrated and it took three bags before i even felt like i had to pee and i wasn't able to keep anything down so they gave me some nausea meds. but now i am better i am not have the contractions like was having and i am able to keep things down i am so glad that it is over

[tooskie]

If you have diarrhea with vomiting, you are probably losing lots of fluids! I am 27 weeks weeks pregnant and I just had the flu or possibly food poisoning in which I was suffering from these symptoms, along with painful stomach pains. I couldn't keep anything down, not even water. The next morning I called my doctor and he had me go into the Labor and Delivery room right away because if you are severely dehydrated, you may not even realize it and it can cause contractions, as well as other risks to you and the baby. I didn't think it was necessary, I figured I could just drink some water and I'd be ok. But I figured better than safe than sorry. Good thing too, it took 2 bags on the IV before I could even give a urine sample and when I did my signs of dehydration were dangerous. They had to pump 4 bags before my signs of dehydration had passed.
  In my opinion, if you've been throwing up all all night and having bouts of diarrhea then it's better to be safe than sorry... take yourself to the ER and get checked out, it can't hurt, and it is in the best interest for the two of you. In the meantime, try drinking small amounts of water or Gatorade until you can be seen. Even if you throw it up, your body will hang onto something.    

[katgirl16]

i had similar symptoms although my heartburn was very strong or i thought it was heartburn. it was my first baby and im just 26 but the pain would last for hours and tums never helped. i thought the symptoms would all go away after i had my daughter but they came back. my doctor had suggested gall bladder problems but i didnt give it much thought before. 5 weeks after delivery i had pain for several hours aftern having an episode 3 days before that had lasted 9 hours. checked out the symptoms online and sure engough when i went to the er i had several gall stones, one lodgded in my bile duct and they had to take it out. hopefully you dont have this but might not be a bad idea to check it out. pregnancy is a reason they see younger women with gall bladder problems.

[LisaJay1970a]

I got sick on a cruise with food poisoning - after getting off the boat my OBGYN nurse had me go straight to the ER for a blood culture, they will check to see if the bacteria passed to the baby, they know more about food poisoning and it's danger to the baby in some cases antibiotics are needed