What Helps With Nausea And Vomiting While Pregnant

Talk About Your Morning Sickness

You may be all about self-sufficiency and powering through your pregnancy, but being vocal about your feelings can help alleviate morning sickness misery. Your partner probably doesnt know that their scented soap makes you queasy, or that giving you a kiss post pizza dinner, without brushing their teeth first gets your gag reflex going. So tell them, and let them know what little changes they can make to help you feel better.

Your pregnancy nausea may seem to come and go, but by tuning into your body and surroundings, you might find the queasiness isnt so random. If you find yourself getting nauseated at the same time every evening, says Erick, it may be from the smells of your neighbors cooking. Queasy at 3 p.m.? A coworkers afternoon popcorn habit could be the culprit. Once youve identified morning sickness triggers, you can take the appropriate steps to avoid them whenever possible.

Complications Or Side Effects Of Vomiting During Pregnancy

Run-of-the-mill morning sickness during pregnancy is uncomfortable, but youre not likely to experience major complications.

But if you develop hyperemesis gravidarum, severe vomiting can lead to dehydration or decreased urination. And if youre unable to replenish your fluid level, you may need to be hospitalized and receive intravenous fluids.

This condition can also cause liver damage, a B-vitamin deficiency, and poor growth weight in your developing child, so its important to discuss your options with a doctor.

Foodborne illnesses are nothing to play with, either. These illnesses, which can include salmonella poisoning and listeria, can cause premature delivery and even a miscarriage.

Its also important to note that different types of vomiting can cause different issues. So while morning sickness might not lead to dehydration, hyperemesis gravidarum or a foodborne illness can, depending on the severity of vomiting.

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.

Want to Know More?

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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Ways To Relieve Morning Sickness

For many women, morning sickness is one of the more unpleasant side effects of pregnancy, especially early on. It can disrupt your routine and interfere with daily activities like going to work, taking care of your children, household chores, and enjoying hobbies.

Morning sickness is defined as nausea and vomiting that occurs during pregnancy. It is poorly named, however, as it can happen any time of day or night. Many women get past morning sickness after the first trimester, but some women may experience sickness throughout the entire pregnancy.

Usually, morning sickness is extremely unpleasant but not considered dangerous, but it can progress to something more severe in rare cases. Hyperemesis gravidarum occurs when nausea and vomiting are so frequent that they can cause severe dehydration, weight loss, and even malnutrition. When this happens, the health of both the baby and the mother can be threatened, so physician treatment or hospitalization may be required.

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Eat Small Amounts Often

It can be hard to eat a healthy diet when you are not feeling well. Don’t worry if your diet isnt the healthiest when you are sick.

Aim to eat little and often throughout the day. Eat enough to keep your energy levels up and prevent weight loss.

Things you can do

• Nibble your favourite foods every 2 hours – long gaps without food will make nausea worse.
• Dry and plain foods are easiest to tolerate, such as dry toast, biscuits, crackers, pasta, rice, dry cereal and cereal bars.
• Bring some dry crackers to bed with you to eat when you wake. Wait about 15-20 minutes before slowly getting up after eating the crackers.
• Keep your meals simple.
• Have easy-to-prepare foods in the house, such as beans or ready made meals.
• Eat foods that have lots of energy in a small amount, such as nuts, cheese, hummus, full-fat yogurt, avocado.
• Eat more when you are hungry do not wait for mealtimes.

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How Long Does It Last

Nausea usually starts by the fifth or sixth week of pregnancy and may be the worst towards the beginning of the third month. Symptoms usually disappear around the start of the second trimester, but in 15 to 20 percent of women, they may last longer.

Luckily, these sensations can usually be managed without a visit to your provider or prescription drugs. Here are some helpful home remedies from One Medical providers to get you through morning sickness.

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Lemon Water Always Works

Owing to its citrus fruity flavour, lemon provides instant relief from nausea during pregnancy. Lemon is also rich in minerals which can help improve your overall well-being. Just squeeze half a lemon into one glass of warm water and add a teaspoon of honey and drink this juice daily in the morning. Alternatively, you can also inhale lemon essential oil sprinkled on a handkerchief for instant relief.

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Tap Into The Power Of Ginger

Ginger is safe and effective in relieving nausea caused by morning sickness. But it doesnt seem to work for vomiting.

Ginger comes in many forms. Moms- to-be can take ginger supplements three or four times a day, with a total daily dose of about 1 gram. Foods that contain ginger may also help ease nausea. These include ginger ale, ginger lollipops, and ginger tea.

Morning Sickness And Your Baby

Some women are concerned that the action of vomiting may threaten their unborn baby. Vomiting and retching may strain the abdominal muscles and cause localised aching and soreness, but the physical mechanics of vomiting wont harm the baby. The fetus is perfectly cushioned inside its sac of amniotic fluid.Numerous studies have discovered that moderate morning sickness is associated with a reduced risk of miscarriage. However, prolonged vomiting can deprive your child of proper nutrition and increase the risk of your baby being underweight at birth.If you have nausea and vomiting that will not stop, contact your GP or midwife.

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Get Creative With Ginger

Ginger has long been touted as a stomach soother, and studies have shown that it may help morning sickness. A 2014 meta-analysis found that using ginger for at least four days was associated with a five-fold likelihood of improvement in early pregnancy nausea and vomiting.

Try adding a thin slice of ginger to hot water or sipping flat ginger ale . If that doesn’t sound appetizing, try sipping on some ginger tea, sucking on a ginger lollipop or lozenge, or snacking on a handful of crystallized ginger candy, gingersnaps, or even gingerbread. Erick suggests microwaving ginger jam and pouring it over vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Can Morning Sickness Hurt My Baby

Although you might be feeling sick, your baby almost definitely isn’t. In the short term, not eating very much isn’t a problem. Your baby is teeny tiny when morning sickness is at its worst and doesn’t have very much in the way of nutritional needs yet. By the time he does, you’ll almost certainly have your appetite back, in spades!

Even women who have such a hard time keeping food down that they actually lose weight during the first trimester arent hurting their babies, as long as they make up for the lost weight, as needed, in later months.

Keep an eye on your urine: It should be clear or light-colored, like straw. If its darker, you may be dehydrated. Be sure to drink up, since staying hydrated during pregnancy ensures your baby is getting the essentials he needs for healthy development.

If youre not able to keep anything down, including fluids, it may be a symptom of hyperemesis gravidarum a more serious condition that affects up to 3 percent of women with morning sickness. If your nausea is continuous and severe and you vomit several times a day, make sure to see your doctor. You may require additional treatment to protect yourself and your baby.

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Wear An Acupressure Wristband

Remember those sea sickness wristbands you wore on that Caribbean cruise? Dig them out and strap them on. Acupressure wristbands apply light pressure to a spot located inside the wrist believed to be related to nausea and vomitingwhether induced by motion or morning sickness. Who knows? It might just make you feel a bit better.

Though Dr. Atlas cautions that such holistic remedies have been tested with mixed results, some do find relief in them. Jennifer Rickert, a mom from Columbus, Nebraska, says acupressure bands helped relieve some of her all-day nausea, though “they made my wrist ache…so maybe it was just taking my mind off the nausea.”

And on the upside, according to Dr. Atlas, acupressure and acupuncture don’t pose any risk to your baby, so press and poke away.

Frequently Asked Questionsexpand All

Your ob-gyn or other obstetric care provider might suspect that you have one of these conditions if you have signs or symptoms that usually do not occur with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Some of these signs and symptoms include:

• Nausea and vomiting that occurs for the first time after 9 weeks of pregnancy

• Abdominal pain or tenderness

• Enlarged thyroid gland

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Home Or Natural Remedies

• Avoiding foods and smells that trigger your nausea.
• Keeping soda crackers by your bed and eating a couple before getting up. Allow some time for digestion, and rise slowly once you are ready.
• Eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day instead of three big meals.
• Drinking less water/fluids with your meals, and instead, drink them between meals.
• Eating drier, plain foods such as white rice, dry toast, or a plain baked potato instead of richer, creamier foods.
• Sucking on hard candy.
• Keeping rooms well ventilated or having a fan close by for easier breathing. If neither of these is possible, take time to go outside to get some fresh air.
• Getting plenty of rest Listen to your body when you are feeling fatigued, and try lying down.
• Sniffing ginger or lemons, or drinking ginger ale or lemonade, which can help ease the feeling of nausea.
• Talking with your healthcare provider about the prenatal vitamins you are taking having too much iron may cause nausea, and switching to a different vitamin could help.
• Asking your healthcare provider about taking a vitamin B-6 supplement, which has proven to help reduce nausea and vomiting.

Appendix G Economic Evidence Study Selection

Economic evidence study selection for review question: What interventions are effective in treating nausea and vomiting during pregnancy?

A single economic search was undertaken for all topics included in the scope of this guideline. One economic study was identified which was applicable to this review question. See for details.

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How Soon Can You Get Morning Sickness

Your doctor may ask for a urine sample to check for ketones, which is a chemical found in dehydration. In severe cases, your doctor may also take blood samples to check your blood sugar, electrolyte levels, liver function, or levels of certain hormones.

These tests may help your doctor determine your level of dehydration.

They may also help decide if a different condition is causing your nausea and vomiting, such as a urinary tract infection, hepatitis, or gallstones.

Depending on how far along you are in your pregnancy, the doctor may also check the babys health by listening for a heartbeat with a Doppler instrument, or by ultrasonography.

Your doctor may diagnose hyperemesis gravidarum only after excluding other serious illnesses. The following are other disorders that may show symptoms similar to hyperemesis gravidarum:

• Side effects from too much of a certain drug
• Liver and gastrointestinal disorders
• Preeclampsia: A toxic condition that develops in late pregnancy and causes a sudden rise in blood pressure, excessive weight gain, fluid build-up, albumin in your urine, severe headache, and visual disturbances.

Vitamin supplements

Acupressure

• Stimulation of the P6 acupressure point on the wrist has been suggested as a method to reduce nausea and vomiting.
• You can press on this area with your finger or thumb or buy an acupressure band. These bands are often sold as motion sickness treatments, so check with a local drug store or auto club.

Over-the-counter medications

Avoid Strong Smelling Foods That Bother You

• Try eating outside in the fresh air if possible.
• Ask someone else to cook, especially trigger foods, hot foods and high smell foods.
• If you have to prepare meals for yourself or others make food you are able to eat and try to make cold foods that are easy to make.
• A breathable mask can be helpful when you have to be in a place where smells are too strong for you. These masks help to block some of the food smell.
• Smelling lemons or lemon essential oils might help settle the stomach.

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Whats Severe Morning Sickness

Severe morning sickness is when nausea and vomiting get so serious that a pregnant woman vomits several times a day, loses weight, and gets dehydrated or is at risk for dehydration.

If this rare pregnancy-related condition isnt treated, it can affect a woman’s health and her baby’s ability to thrive.

The medical term for severe morning sickness is “hyperemesis gravidarum” , which means “excessive vomiting during pregnancy.” It usually follows a similar timeline to normal morning sickness. But it can go longer, sometimes lasting for the whole pregnancy. Often, the symptoms get less severe as the pregnancy continues.

Most cases of hyperemesis gravidarum affect a woman’s first pregnancy. But women who have it in one pregnancy are more likely to have it in future pregnancies.

When Should I Seek Treatment For Nausea And Vomiting During Pregnancy

If the nausea and vomiting is severe and persistent it may be more than just regular morning sickness. It could be a type of severe morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum or signs of another medical condition, such as a urinary tract infection, and may require medical attention.

Consult your obstetrician-gynecologist or other obstetric care provider if your symptoms are severe, persistent or are causing you any concerns. Especially see your doctor if you cant keep down any food or water, youre losing weight and peeing less often than usual.

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What Helps Nausea And Vomiting During Pregnancy

Morning sickness is one of the most common complaints during pregnancy. But if you ask any woman who has ever been pregnant, shell tell you that nausea and vomiting can come at any time of the day. Morning sickness varies, but a lot of women have some nausea during pregnancy, especially between 6-16 weeks. Some women may feel sick the whole time they are pregnant and some never get sick at all.

Every woman is unique, but if you happen to be one of the ones that have morning sickness, then here are some common techniques that may help ease your symptoms.

Seek Medical Treatment For Serious Symptoms

Sometimes, nausea and vomiting can be severe, or last into the second trimester. Talk with your healthcare provider about other treatments. In some cases, hyperemesis gravidarum can happen. Women with this serious condition need treatment with medicine and intravenous fluids.

Online Medical Reviewer: Bowers, Nancy, RN, BSN, MPHFoley, Maryann, RN, BSN

Date Last Reviewed: 4/12/2016

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What Causes Nausea In Pregnancy

No one actually knows what causes morning sickness. Also known as nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.

It is speculated that the extreme change in hormones may be to blame. Also the enhanced sense of smell and taste that you experience during pregnancy may contribute to your morning sickness symptoms.

Whatever the cause we just want to get rid of it right? Morning sickness can be terrible! 75% of women experience some sort of nausea during their first trimester. About half of those also experience vomiting.

There is even an extreme case of morning sickness known as Hyperemesis Gravidarum . This is a condition in which you suffer from severe nausea and vomiting all the time and experience weight loss and electrolyte imbalance as a result. If you think you are suffering from HG please consult your doctor or midwife.

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