Morning sickness is a term used to describe nausea and vomiting that can occur during pregnancy. It typically starts around 6 weeks and can last up to 14 weeks.
Pregnancy is a time of great joy, but it can also be a time of great discomfort. Morning sickness is one of the most common complaints among pregnant women and can cause nausea and vomiting. Up to 75% of pregnant women experience nausea and vomiting during their first trimester.
While there is no cure for morning sickness, there are ways to manage the symptoms. In this blog post, we will discuss how to deal with nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. We will also offer some tips on how to make yourself more comfortable during this time.
What is morning sickness?
Morning sickness is a term used to describe nausea and vomiting that can occur during pregnancy. It typically starts around week six of pregnancy and can last up to week fourteen, but some women may experience it throughout their entire pregnancy. Even though it’s called morning sickness, it can last all day and happen any time of day.
What is severe morning sickness?
“Hyperemesis gravidarum” is the medical term for severe morning sickness, which means severe vomiting during pregnancy. Severe morning sickness is when a woman experiences nausea and vomiting so frequently that she cannot keep any food or fluids down. A pregnant woman vomits several times a day. If left untreated, severe nausea and vomiting can lead to dehydration, weight loss, and electrolyte imbalances.
What causes morning sickness?
The cause of pregnancy nausea is not fully understood, but it is believed to be related to the hormone changes that occur during pregnancy.
Risk factors for morning sickness
Several factors may increase a woman’s risk of developing morning sickness, including:-
- Having motion sickness or nausea and vomiting in a previous pregnancy
- Being pregnant with twins or triplets
- Having a history of migraines
- Having a mother or sisters who had morning sickness
What are the symptoms of morning sickness?
The most common symptom of morning sickness is nausea, but some women may also experience vomiting. Other morning sickness symptoms can include:-
- Food aversions
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Heartburn
- Constipation
- Bloating
How to treat morning sickness?
Extreme morning sickness can be treated with a bland diet or eating dry crackers in the morning, according to several sources. But these might not help with severe symptoms.
Medical treatment can include:
- A short period of not eating to rest the gastrointestinal system
- Some women are given medicine to eliminate the vomiting, either orally or via an IV
- Intravenous (IV) fluids
- Vitamins and nutritional supplements
- To relieve nausea, the doctor may advise eating foods with ginger or mint tastes
Mild morning sickness is completely natural and doesn’t hurt your baby in any way. However, severe nausea and vomiting can result in significant issues throughout pregnancy. You should contact your healthcare provider if you cannot keep fluids down, have lost weight, or are showing signs of dehydration.
How can I manage morning sickness?
There are a few things you can do to help manage morning sickness:
- Eat small, frequent meals
- Avoid spicy and fatty foods
- Eat high-protein foods
- Take prenatal vitamins
- Avoid trigger foods
- Drink plenty of fluids, especially water
- Ginger in the form of ginger tea, candy, or supplements
- Get plenty of rest
- Acupuncture
- Hypnosis
- Antiemetic medicines: Doxylamine, Meclizine, Vitamins B-12 and B-06, Zofran, Ondansetron. Talk with your provider before you take any medicine during pregnancy, even medicine to help treat morning sickness.
What are some tips for making myself more comfortable during pregnancy?
Here are a few tips to make yourself more comfortable during pregnancy:
- Wear comfortable clothing
- Put your feet up when you can
- Sleep on your left side
- Drink lots of fluids
- Eat small, frequent meals
- Get plenty of rest
- Talk to your doctor about medications that can help with nausea and vomiting.
Conclusion
If you’re pregnant and dealing with morning sickness, know that you’re not alone. Morning sickness is a common symptom of pregnancy, affecting up to 75% of pregnant women. There are many ways to help ease the symptoms of morning sickness, so don’t hesitate to ask for help from your doctor or midwife. With a little trial and error, you’ll find what works best for you to help you get through this tough time.
Thanks for reading!
