Concerns With Nausea During Pregnancy
If you are experiencing severe nausea and vomiting, and the above treatments do not appear to be helping, contact your doctor for further suggestions. While nausea during pregnancy can be normal, it can also point to a problem that needs to be addressed.Examples of potential conditions seen with severe nausea are:
- Hyperemesis Gravidarum, which is a medical condition that causes you to lose essential nutrients needed during pregnancy.
- Molar Pregnancy, which occurs when an abnormal growth of tissue develops within the uterus.
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Compiled using information from the following sources:
1. Beckmann, C., Ling, F. W., Barzanksy, B. M., Herbert, W., Laube, D. W., & Smith, R. P., Obstetrics and Gynecology . Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
2. Mayo Clinic, Guide To A Healthy Pregnancy. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
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Possible Complications Of Morning Sickness
Nausea and vomiting can easily cause a loss of appetite. Many pregnant women worry that this will harm their babies. Mild morning sickness is generally not harmful.
Women who experience morning sickness well beyond the first 3 to 4 months of their pregnancies should speak with their doctor. Also seek help if you arent gaining any weight during pregnancy.
Morning sickness is usually not severe enough to hinder fetal growth and development. For some pregnant women, nausea causes them to experience severe vomiting and weight loss.
This condition is called hyperemesis gravidarum. It causes electrolyte imbalances and unintentional weight loss. If left untreated, this condition may eventually harm your baby.
- inability to keep food down
- weight loss of 2 pounds or more
- spotting, or bleeding
Severe bouts of morning sickness generally require hospitalization. Hyperemesis gravidarum often requires intravenous fluids for rehydration.
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Is Morning Sickness Dangerous
While its not fun, morning sickness is not dangerous to you or your baby. However, if you are suffering from severe vomiting with an inability to keep food down, you could be dealing with a form of extreme morning sickness called Hyperemesis Gravidarum . HG is only harmful to yourself and baby if left untreated due to lack of nutrition and electrolyte loss.
If you have any concerns, be sure to address them with your doctor right away.
What Is Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Hyperemesis gravidarum is simply increased nausea and vomiting in pregnancy due to the normal increase in one of the pregnancy hormones. If you are experiencing these symptoms it is important to tell your obstetric provider because if left alone, it can cause severe dehydration. There are simple things you can do at home to help decrease nausea and vomiting and prevent from becoming dehydrated.
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It Wasnt Just In The Morning
Pregnancy nausea can strike any time of day, Washington says. The term morning sickness is a bit of a misnomer because women don’t always get sick in the morning. It can happen day or night. Ashley actually was sick throughout the day.
Dr. Washington had me taking 100 mg of vitamin B-6 during the day, one tablet, and half a Unisom sleep aid at night. But when my nausea was really bad, I took the combo during the day. And she suggested I avoid what I call the good stuff.
Tips For Dealing With Morning Sickness
Pregnancy nausea or what some people simply call morning sickness is a pretty common problem faced by most pregnant women out there. The degree of morning sickness varies among women, and it can even change from pregnancy to pregnancy. Sometimes what works for baby number one may not really work for baby two. Pregnancy nausea or morning sickness as the case may be mostly caused by the overproduction of hormones during pregnancy. This hormone is known as Human Chorionic gonadotropin hormone – almost exclusively in the placenta. Yeah, I know medical terminology could be a pain in the neck to pronounce. The HCG hormone levels found in the female blood and urine usually increases dramatically during pregnancy in the first trimester. This excess hormone produced contributes to causing nausea and vomiting that often comes with being pregnant. There are other factors that are responsible for morning sickness among those may include having a low blood sugar level or your body may be reacting to changes in the body during pregnancy. So now that we know what pregnancy nausea is and what causes it let us go straight to the tips to avoid or reduce morning sickness.
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Possible Causes Of Morning Sickness
The cause of morning sickness remains a mystery, but it is thought a combination of physical and metabolic factors play a significant role, including:
- High levels of hormones, including oestrogen
- Fluctuations in blood pressure, particularly lowered blood pressure
- Altered metabolism of carbohydrates
- The enormous physical and chemical changes that pregnancy triggers.
Drink Before Or After A Meal Not During
Staying hydrated is important, especially if youre vomiting. Drink small amounts of fluid throughout the day, but limit fluid intake during meals to avoid feeling too full. Drink 30 minutes before or after a meal instead. If you prefer drinking with your meal, have a small glass of water rather than a beverage containing sugar, as too much sugar can upset your stomach.
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What Are Some Less Common Signs Of Early Pregnancy
There are some additional signs of early pregnancy that arent as common. Just like with the most common symptoms, these signs of pregnancy may or may not happen. Its important to remember that everyone is different and will experience unique symptoms.
Less common signs of early pregnancy can include:
Plan Small Frequent Meals
Youre more likely to feel nauseous when your tummy’s empty. But eating too much at once can also contribute to queasiness.
Try the Goldilocks rule: Don’t overfill your belly, but don’t let it get completely empty. Instead, keep your stomach a little bit filled all the time.
Because smaller meals are easier to digest, theyre less likely to trigger both the queasies and heartburn. Aim for six mini-meals throughout the day rather than three large ones.
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Risk Factors For Morning Sickness
Its thought hormonal changes in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy are probably one of the causes of morning sickness.
But you may be more at risk of it if:
- youre having twins or more
- you had severe sickness and vomiting in a previous pregnancy
- you tend to get motion sickness
- you have a history of migraine headaches
- morning sickness runs in the family
- you used to feel sick when taking contraceptives containing oestrogen
- its your first pregnancy
- youre experiencing stress
Visit the pregnancy sickness support site for tips for you and your partner on dealing with morning sickness.
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Can You Feel Pregnancy Symptoms Soon After Sex
While some pregnancy symptoms start very early, most of the time, you wont notice anything right away. Anything that happens immediately after having sex, like spotting or increased discharge, is usually not related to pregnancy.
Other than a missed period, pregnancy symptoms tend to really kick in around week five or six of pregnancy. One 2018 study of 458 women found that 72% detected their pregnancy by the sixth week after their last menstrual period. Symptoms tend to develop abruptly.
This is about two weeks from when you missed your last period . Occasionally you will hear of someone who has symptoms right around their first missed period.
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What Causes Morning Sickness
While experts dont know exactly what causes it, morning sickness is most likely caused by everyones favorite friendhormones! Are you shocked? At this point in your life, youve probably heard all about hormones and how they can wreak havoc on your system . While you will no longer have to deal with Aunt Flo during your pregnancy, that doesnt mean your hormone issues will go away, sadly!
Experts believe there are a few main hormones that contribute most to morning sickness , including hormones like:
- Estrogen. During pregnancy, your estrogen levels are up to 100 times higher than normal, which could play a factor.
- Progesterone. Progesterone also rises during pregnancy. These hormones relax your uterine lining to prevent childbirth, but can also relax your stomach muscles, causing extra stomach acid.
- hCG. This is the hormone that the embryo starts creating directly after conception.
Other things that can contribute to morning sickness include:
Low magnesium levels. While there are no conclusive scientific studies, many women have reported feeling significantly better after boosting their magnesium levels while pregnant.
Another trigger that contributes to morning sickness is your heightened sense of smell during pregnancy. You may find that even the most seemingly simple things like opening your spice cabinet door or walking by a trash can may send you running for the toilet.
Taking Prescribed Or Recommended Drugs
Like I said earlier the degree of morning sickness varies among women or different pregnancy so sometimes taking the right drug can help. Please visit a professional and licensed doctor for the right prescription if you find it challenging to deal with pregnancy nausea. However, I would recommend you take vitamin B
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Get As Much Rest As Possiblebut Not Right After Eating
Good news! Naps are recommended for pregnant women. Carrying a baby inside you takes energy and being sick saps that energy. Rest at intervals during the day, if you can. Take more frequent small breaks at work to change position, walk around and get fresh air. Also, do not lie down right after eating. Give your body time to digest the food first. Establish a good, calming pre-sleep routine at night to help you fall asleep more easily. Turn lights down and stay away from digital screens and devices an hour before your bedtime, if possible.
Ease Nausea With Natural Remedies
When you get pregnant, you may have morning sickness. This is feelings of nausea or vomiting. These symptoms often happen during your first trimester or first 12 weeks pregnancy. Then they go away. However, in some cases, these symptoms can last through your pregnancy. The exact cause for morning sickness isn’t known.
While uncomfortable, morning sickness is rarely serious. In fact, morning sickness affects about 90 percent of all pregnant women. Most of the time, natural approaches can help you feel better.
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When Should You Call Your Health Care Provider About Morning Sickness
For most women, morning sickness is mild and goes away over time. But call your provider if:
- Your morning sickness continues into your 4th month of pregnancy.
- You lose more than 2 pounds.
- Your vomit is brown in color or has blood in it. If so, call your provider right away.
- You vomit more than 3 times a day and cant keep food or fluids down.
- Your heart beats faster than usual.
- Youre tired or confused.
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What Does Morning Sickness Feel Like
Many would describe morning sickness as a queasy feeling that may come with or without nausea and vomiting.You would think that with a name like âmorning sickness,â it would mean that you only get the symptoms of queasiness and nausea in the morning. Unfortunately, thatâs not the case â morning sickness can strike at any time of day. It can also come and go throughout the day or last all day. Most women will get sick for a short time each day, possibly even vomiting once or twice. But itâs different for every mom-to-be, and what you may experience during early pregnancy is unique to you.There is also a severe form of morning sickness known as hyperemesis gravidarum. Only 2 percent of women with morning sickness experience this severe condition. Though no one knows what causes the condition, its possible that women who are carrying more than one baby may be more likely to have severe nausea and vomiting than those carrying just one baby. For this type of morning sickness, your healthcare provider may prescribe medication to treat the nausea and vomiting.
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How Can I Relieve Morning Sickness
To relieve morning sickness, consider:
- eating smaller meals more often
- eating a plain cracker shortly after waking up
- drinking water before and after a meal, rather than with food
- aiming to drink 8 glasses of water a day
- avoiding spicy or fatty foods
- eating protein-rich foods
- avoiding skipping meals
Soda water and ginger/peppermint tea are also known to help relieve nausea and settle an upset stomach.
Some women become more sensitive to strong food smells while pregnant. If certain smells bother you, consider asking for help preparing your food. You can also increase ventilation in your kitchen while cooking by opening windows to get rid of cooking smells. Cold foods produce less odour than hot foods, so you may find these more appetising.
Nausea may feel worse when you are over-tired, and taking rest or nap breaks frequently throughout the day may help. Other suggestions include:
- deep breathing or relaxation exercises
- anti-nausea wristbands
- acupuncture treatments
Be sure to check with your doctor before you take any supplement, prescription or over-the-counter medicine, especially while pregnant.
When Should I See My Doctor About Morning Sickness
If nausea or vomiting is causing significant discomfort, or if you suspect that you have hyperemesis gravidarum, you should see your doctor.
Other signs you need to see a doctor include:
- very dark urine
- dramatic weight loss
- dehydration due to inability to keep fluids down
In some cases, a doctor may advise a home remedy. In other cases, they may refer you to another healthcare professional, such as a dietitian to help you create a healthy and enjoyable meal plan or to a specialist for further tests. Your doctor may prescribe you with medicine to ease your symptoms, such as an antiemetic , or vitamin and mineral supplements.
If your symptoms persist after treatment, it is a good idea to return to your doctor for another consultation there may be another approach you can try.
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What Do I Do If My Morning Sickness Is Severe
When morning sickness is severe, it is known as hyperemesis gravidarum. A pregnant woman who experiences severe vomiting for an extended period of time may need monitoring and treatment in hospital. An intravenous drip is inserted to replace essential salts and fluids and prevent dehydration. If you are vomiting whenever you eat or drink, consult a health care professional, since early treatment can protect you and your baby from health complications.
Best Foods For Morning Sickness
Nausea and vomiting are always unpleasant and stressful. For some women, itâs crucial to proactively eat certain foods to help treat morning sickness before it becomes more severe. Other expectant moms find relief with particular food and drinks when the queasiness kicks in. Itâs also vital to eat and drink after vomiting to replace fluids, electrolytes, and calories.
While we wish there was a morning sickness cure, these foods and drinks can help with nausea during pregnancy:
- Bland, easy-to-digest foods
- High-protein foods
- Cold beverages and snacks
- Foods high in vitamin B6
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Foods For Morning Sickness
Pregnancy hormones may be doing a number on your digestive system, but you can offset morning sickness symptoms by eating small, frequent meals and eating as soon as you wake up . Certain foods may also offer some nausea relief, so during your next grocery store trip or order, look for these ingredients and foods.
Avoid Cooking Odors As Much As Possible
If you can have someone else cook for you, that is ideal. If thats not an option, ventilate your kitchen well while cooking. Open the windows, use the fan and, as long as nothing is cooking on the stovetop, leave the room to avoid inhaling cooking odors. Avoiding scents and odors in general is a good ideaperfumes, air fresheners, trash, etc.especially when youre not feeling well.
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Guard Against Unpleasant Smells
When youre pregnant, you expect your body to change. But who knew that your sensitivity to smells would change as well? The hormonal changes that accompany pregnancy can even turn once-appealing smells into unpleasant, even intolerable, nausea triggers.
That means that the smell of your favorite meal may now make you want to throw up. Talk about frustrating!
If you find that your sense of smell is becoming more sensitive, we suggest you avoid heavy odors like tobacco, perfumes, and exhaust from vehicles. If you encounter a smell that triggers your nausea, excuse yourself as quickly as possible and find fresh air away from the odor.
If you cant get away from the trigger smell, try breathing through your mouth instead of your nose. And dont worry about what others may think if you have to excuse yourself. Theyre not pregnant.
