Millions of women get pregnant yearly, but each pregnancy is different. Some women feel nauseous and tired, while others do not have any such symptoms throughout gestation. Sometimes expecting women also report green poop during pregnancy which can be worrisome if you have never had green poop before. So, is pooping green normal when pregnant?
Yes, pooping green is normal during pregnancy due to hormonal changes. But there could be various other reasons if you have green poop.
Let us tell you everything you need to know about green poop when pregnant.
Normal Poop Range
While you might not give much importance to it, the color of your poop can indicate your health. That is why healthcare facilities often ask for stool tests to assess your medical well-being, especially when pregnant.
As poop is a combination of undigested food, bacteria, proteins, and salts, changes in the composition can help determine worsening health conditions. Whether pregnant or not, you can expect changes in your poop for various reasons. But often what is not fine at other times is normal during pregnancy.
The most common poop color is brown, produced by the presence of bile and gut-friendly bacteria. Poop color between light yellow and black can be considered normal depending on the individual’s body and medical assessment. However, if you see poop different from the regular color, it is critical to find the underlying reason.
How Should Poop Look when you are Pregnant?
Your body experiences many changes during pregnancy. It alters your body shape and weight, and your organs squeeze to make space for the fetus; your digestive system is no exception. The GIT, including the stomach and intestines, have to squeeze, influencing the digestive activity. But that does not mean that the color of your poop must necessarily change.
Your poop may look the same during pregnancy as it did before. Some expecting mothers experience diarrhea and constipation, and others report changes in the poop color. Do not worry, as it is quite common. As many women experience green poop, the question arises, why is pooping green normal during pregnancy?
Causes of Green Poop During Pregnancy
Hormonal Changes
As soon as you conceive, your body goes through hormonal changes, altering hormone levels. Various hormones and enzymes contribute to digestion and making poop. Bile secreted by the liver is an important component of the digestive process. It is green in color and changes to brown by the action of gut-friendly bacteria; this gives a brown color to the poop.
However, sometimes, hormonal changes lead to an increase in GI motility, and your body does not get enough time for the good bacteria to act and change the poop’s color. So, the poop does not get a brown color when it passes through the GIT.
Antibiotics
Your healthcare provider may prescribe antibiotics to fight disease-causing bacteria during pregnancy. However, antibiotics can also kill good bacteria besides the bad ones, leading to an imbalance of the good bacteria.
You can identify green poop during pregnancy due to antibiotic use when it retains the normal color once you complete the course. If you continue to have green poop, there could be another reason.
Taking probiotics after antibiotics can help regulate the good bacteria in your body and maintain normal poop characteristics. Take them after your antibiotic dose or once the treatment finishes.
Iron Supplements
Pregnancy requires you to be more vigilant about your diet, including vitamins and minerals, to ensure proper fetal growth. Often, healthcare providers give prenatal supplements to pregnant women for adequate nutrient intake. It may include calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B complex, folic acid, etc.
Sometimes, doctors also suggest additional iron supplements if the expecting mother is low on iron. Iron is well-known for changing the color of the poop to green or black. Thus, if you experience green poop when taking iron supplements, there is nothing to worry about. Do not add iron supplements to your diet until recommended by the doctor.
Laxatives
Laxatives contribute to green poop in the same way as hormonal changes in the body – reducing transit time. Constipation is one of the most uncomfortable problems during pregnancy, and women take laxatives to make pooping easy.
As the poop passes through the gastrointestinal tract faster, it does not get enough time for gut-friendly bacteria to act on it. So, you might experience green diarrhea if you are on laxatives longer.
Chlorophyll-Rich Foods
It is a well-known fact that dyes in food can change the color of your poop, which can be one of the reasons for green poop during pregnancy. People with a high intake of vegetables are more likely to experience green poop, whether pregnant or not. Plants have the green pigment chlorophyll that gives the green color to plants.
Eating green plants and vegetables in high amounts can turn your poop green, even when you are not using antibiotics or laxatives. Chlorophyll-rich foods include kale, spinach, broccoli, avocado, green beans, parsley, seaweed, bok choy, kiwi, etc. At the same time, fiber-rich foods also tend to make your poop green when passed out of your body, undigested.
Blue or Purple Foods
While it may seem evident that green foods can turn poop green, surprisingly, an abundance of blue and purple foods in the diet may also make your poop green.
Do you remember a time you had lots of blueberries and experienced changes in poop color? That is because grapes and blueberries are the most common culprits. The natural pigments in these fruits interact with bile and produce a greenish color.
Synthetic Food Dyes
Besides natural colors in foods, synthetic dyes also alter the color of your poop. Pregnant and non-pregnant individuals may observe changes in their poop color when they eat anything containing food dyes.
The most common examples are colored frosting and cocktails. The food may contain any color, yet it typically turns green due to the presence of bile. Colored cereals, packaged food snacks, and candy may also contribute to poop color changes during pregnancy.
The good news is that these changes in poop color are short-lived. You might see it a day or two after eating a colored edible.
Gallbladder Removal or Gallstones
The gallbladder is a critical part of the human body that stores bile which helps break down fats in food. Removing the gallbladder inhibits it from storing the bile, and your poop usually has a light yellow or green color, depending on a few other factors.
Alternatively, increased cholesterol levels during pregnancy can also cause gallstones. These gallstones may block the bile ducts and stop the passage of bile to the intestine.
When Should You Worry About Green Poop During Pregnancy?
Most causes behind green poop mentioned above are harmless and do not require medical treatment. However, sometimes, you may observe green poop due to a viral or bacterial infection or another health condition. Parasitic infections may also change how your poop looks.
Infections and Conditions Causing Green Poop When Pregnant
Cholestasis of Pregnancy
Cholestasis refers to the build-up of bile acids in the blood and is one of the most common causes of green poop when pregnant. Women get cholestasis of pregnancy in the late second trimester or last trimester. Besides green poop, you may also have itching on the hands and feet.
Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that develops due to immune reactions from gluten. Gluten is found in barley, wheat, and rye. Celiac disease hinders nutrient absorption by the inflammation of the small intestine.
Pseudomembranous Colitis
Pseudomembranous colitis is another condition that leads to green poop in pregnant women. It is a bacterial infection resulting from Clostridium difficile that causes colon inflammation. Medications such as antibiotics may cause Pseudomembranous colitis.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, is a digestive condition that affects the large intestine muscles, leading to changes in digestion and poop. People suffering from IBS experience discomfort, bloating, and gas. Sometimes, IBS may also cause diarrhea and change the appearance of your poop. A green discoloration may indicate an IBS flare-up.
Crohn’s Disease
Another gastric ailment, Crohn’s disease causes irritation and inflammation in your GI tract, primarily in the small intestine. It may also affect other parts of the GIT, including the beginning of the large intestine. As Crohn’s disease impacts the digestive process, food passes quickly through the digestive tract. This short transit time does not allow gut-friendly bacteria to change the color of the poop to brown.
Food Poisoning
Food poisoning can result from food contaminated with Salmonella or E. coli. Salmonella typically transmits through undercooked, contaminated meat, while E. coli spreads through contaminated food and water. It may also alter your poop’s color due to changes in the digestive habit.
Anal Fissures
Anal fissures are small tears in the anal tissue lining due to passing hard stool. However, it may also result from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and chronic diarrhea. Green poop is widely associated with anal fissures leading to chronic diarrhea.
Green Poop Pregnancy Symptom
Besides the normal changes in the body during pregnancy, some may need medical interventions. Common symptoms of infection during pregnancy include:
- Food poisoning
- Long-lasting diarrhea
- Abdominal cramps
- Severe nausea and vomiting
- Fever
- Blood in stools
How Long Does Green Poop Last?
Green poop resulting from antibiotics use may last as long as you take antibiotics for a particular infection. The color of the poop will come back to normal when you finish treatment. At the same time, if it is because of hormonal changes during pregnancy, you will no longer have green poop a few weeks after delivery. Thus, the duration of green poop during pregnancy depends on the underlying reason.
Preventing Green Poop
Your poop turns green during pregnancy for various reasons, including colored foods, antibiotics, gallstones, food poisoning, and hormonal changes. Controlling these conditions can help prevent green poop during pregnancy. Some precautions include:
- Using probiotics after taking antibiotics
- Use iron supplements only if prescribed by the doctors
- Avoid food containing natural or synthetic dyes
- Treat bacterial or viral infections affecting your gut motility
- Receive medical care for underlying health conditions
First Trimester Pregnancy Poop Color
Many people believe that green stools are among the first signs of pregnancy. Pregnant women may experience green poop, yet it is not necessary. Light brown to dark brown poop is also normal during the first trimester of pregnancy. The changes in poop appearance result from a high fiber intake during pregnancy, giving it a greenish hue.
Pooping a Lot During Pregnancy Third Trimester
Gastric changes occur throughout pregnancy, resulting in constipation, bloating, gas, and diarrhea towards the end of gestation. When preparing for labor at the end of the third trimester, the body releases prostaglandins that help ease the cervix. Consequently, the bowel movements also soften, resulting in diarrhea in pregnancy third trimester.
Is Green Poop a Sign of Cancer?
The color of poop is a major indicator of diseases and may also help healthcare workers assess cancer risks. If you think you might not have green poop for any of the reasons mentioned above, it might be one of the symptoms of cancer.
Green poop can depict intestinal or bile duct cancer as the structure of bilirubin changes which may alter the color of your poop. However, it does not typically indicate other types of cancer, such as liver cancer.
Black Stool in Pregnancy; Is it Normal?
Black stool may have some of the same reasons as green poop during pregnancy; consuming food with natural or artificial coloring is one of the most common.
Iron supplements are also a primary cause of black poop in pregnant women. Furthermore, sometimes, medicines to treat diarrhea can alter stool color. However, if you are not taking iron supplements or eating foods with dyes, notify your doctor about black or tarry stools immediately.
The Bottom Line
Pooping green is quite normal during pregnancy as various factors contribute to changes in poop color. Most pregnant women take iron supplements that change the color of the poop between black and green. Moreover, fiber-rich foods containing chlorophyll and synthetic dyes in food may also alter the color of your poop. Pregnant women with IBS, Celiac disease, and cholestasis of pregnancy also experience green-colored poop.
FAQs
What is the symptom of green stool?
Green stool indicates that the poop moves through your digestive tract without the action of gut-friendly bacteria. It is quite common in pregnant women due to hormonal changes.
Does green poop mean infection?
Yes, green poop can indicate bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection. It may also indicate food poisoning due to infection with salmonella or E. coli.
What should I do if my poop is green?
The most critical factor when observing green poop is to find out the underlying reason. If you are taking fibrous foods in high amounts, reduce the intake and avoid foods with synthetic dyes.
What color poop indicates a problem?
The presence of bile in the stool, in combination with gut bacteria, gives it a brown color. A maroon, red, pale yellow, green, and clay-colored poop can indicate problems.
What does unhealthy poop look like?
Besides changes in poop color, the shape, size, and texture may change due to health conditions. Bloody, stinky, greasy stool also indicates unhealthy poop.
Marit B. Veierød’s dedication to cancer epidemiology, particularly in relation to breast cancer, has made her a highly regarded researcher in the field. She is a prominent researcher and expert in the field of epidemiology, particularly focused on cancer. Throughout her career, she has been actively involved in conducting research, publishing scientific articles, and collaborating with fellow researchers and medical professionals.