4. Nausea and Vomiting
An early symptom of pregnancy for some women is nausea, with or without vomiting; it is often called morning sickness.
About half of all pregnant women experience nausea and vomiting, about
25% of pregnant women have nausea only and 25% experience no symptoms.
You may get morning sickness if you suffer from motion sickness or
migraines before pregnancy. If you’re going to get morning sickness, it
usually appears before the 12th week of pregnancy.
If your sense of smell becomes more intense during pregnancy, it may add to the problem of morning sickness.
There is good news
about morning sickness—women with nausea and vomiting in pregnancy have a
lower incidence of miscarriage. The sicker you are, the less chance you
will miscarry.
Morning sickness can occur in the morning
or later in the day. It often starts early and improves during the day
as you become active. The condition may begin around the 6th week of pregnancy.
Take heart—morning sickness usually
improves and disappears around the end of the first trimester (week 13).
Hang in there, and keep in mind that this is all temporary.
Morning sickness can affect your pregnancy
weight gain. For many women with morning sickness, weight gain may not
begin until the beginning of the second trimester, when nausea and
vomiting often pass.
If morning sickness is wearing you down,
call your healthcare provider. Ask about different ways to deal with it.
Reassurances that this situation is normal and your baby is OK can be
comforting.
Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Nausea doesn’t usually cause enough trouble to require medical attention. However, a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum (severe nausea and vomiting) causes a lot of vomiting, which results in loss of nutrients and fluid.
You have hyperemesis gravidarum if you’re
unable to keep down 80 ounces of fluid in 24 hours, if you lose more
than 2 pounds a week or 5% of your prepregnancy weight, or if you vomit
blood or bile. Contact your healthcare provider immediately!
Only 1 to 2% of all pregnant women
experience hyperemesis gravidarum. Very high levels of nausea-inducing
hormones may be one cause.
If symptoms are severe, call your
healthcare provider’s office as soon as possible. Even though your first
prenatal appointment may not be scheduled for a while, there’s no
reason to suffer. Your healthcare provider will want to know about the
problem. You may have to ask to be seen sooner than a normal first
prenatal appointment so you can find some relief.
Studies show if you experience hyperemesis
gravidarum, your chance of having a daughter increases by more than
75%. Experts believe the cause may be an overabundance of female hormones produced by the baby and mom-to-be in the first trimester.
If you experience severe nausea and
vomiting, if you cannot eat or drink anything or if you feel so ill you
can’t carry on your daily activities, call your healthcare provider.
Call if your urine is dark, you produce little urine, you feel dizzy
when you stand up, your heart races or pounds, or you vomit blood or
bile.
In severe cases, a woman may need to be
treated in the hospital with intravenous fluids and medications.
Hypnosis has also been used successfully in treating the problem.
Hyperemesis after Pregnancy?
It has been commonly believed that symptoms associated with hyperemesis
gravidarum disappear after pregnancy. This is the case for most women,
but a few women will have problems even after baby’s birth.
Studies show some women with severe
hyperemesis gravidarum can experience symptoms well beyond delivery that
can take months to overcome. Symptoms include food aversions,
gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), digestive problems, nausea, gallbladder
issues, fatigue and muscle weakness. Women who received I.V. feedings
during pregnancy because they couldn’t eat had the highest rate of
symptoms.
Tip for Week 5
Pregnancy may affect your sense of
smell. You may smell odors more intensely; odors that do not normally
affect you may now smell bad. If you’re sensitive to the smell of food,
try eating a piece of cheddar, cottage cheese, dry-roasted nuts or cold
chicken.
Recovery can take a few months to as long as 2 years. Some believe it takes 1 to 2 months of recovery for every month
you were ill. Women who have nausea and/or vomiting into late pregnancy
find it usually takes several months to regain their energy and restore
nutritional reserves.
If your hyperemesis gravidarum persists
after baby’s birth, you may need to see a nutritionist. Talk to your
healthcare provider about it. It is especially important to seek help
before you plan another pregnancy.
A ReliefBand
may help relieve morning sickness. It’s worn like a wrist watch on the
inside of your wrist and stimulates nerves with gentle electric signals.
This stimulation is believed to interfere with messages between the
brain and stomach that cause nausea. It has various stimulation levels
so you can adjust signals to control your comfort. It can be used when
nausea begins, or you can wear it before you feel ill. This device does
not interfere with eating or drinking. It’s water resistant and shock
resistant, so you can wear it just about any time!
Treating Morning Sickness.
There is no completely successful treatment for normal nausea and
vomiting. Research has found some women find relief by taking vitamin B6
supplements. It’s a good therapy to try because it’s readily available
and inexpensive. Ask your healthcare provider about taking PremesisRx, a
once-a-day tablet. If vitamin B6 alone doesn’t work, your healthcare provider might want to add an antihistamine.
You can ask your healthcare provider about
taking over-the-counter antinausea medication, such as Emetrol. In
addition, ask about using a different prenatal vitamin that might be
easier on your stomach. You might ask about taking a regular
multivitamin—not a prenatal vitamin—or a folic-acid supplement during
the first trimester.
Acupressure, acupuncture and massage may
prove helpful in dealing with nausea and vomiting. Acupressure
wristbands, worn for motion and seasickness, and other devices help some
women feel better.
This is an extremely important period in
the development of your baby. Don’t expose baby to herbs,
over-the-counter treatments or any other “remedies” for nausea that are
not known to be safe during pregnancy.
Some Actions You Can Take.
Eat small meals more frequently. Experts agree you should eat what
appeals to you—these foods may be the ones you can keep down more easily
right now. If that means sourdough bread and lemon-lime soda, go for
it! Some women find protein foods settle more easily in their stomachs;
these foods include cheese, eggs, peanut butter and nonfatty meats. A
2-ounce bar of dark chocolate may also help relieve nausea.
Some Interesting Facts about Morning Sickness
• Nausea and vomiting are uncommon in Asia and Africa.
• Morning sickness is more common in women carrying multiples.
• Heartburn and reflux can make morning sickness worse.
• Other conditions can cause
nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy, including pancreatitis,
gastroenteritis, appendicitis and pyelonephritis, as well as some
metabolic disorders.
• If you don’t have morning sickness in early pregnancy, then experience nausea and vomiting later in pregnancy, it’s not morning sickness.
Ginger may help reduce vomiting. Make tea
from fresh ginger, and drink it to calm your stomach. Taking about 350mg
of ginger supplements may also help. Be careful when choosing
ginger-root supplements. There’s a difference in quality of ginger from
different manufacturers. Buy from a reliable company.
If you’ve heard about Nzu to treat morning sickness, don’t
use it. It is a traditional remedy from Africa that looks like balls of
mud or clay. However, it’s dangerous to use because it contains high
levels of lead and arsenic.
Keep up your fluid intake, even if you
can’t keep food down. Dehydration is more serious than not eating for a
while. If you vomit a lot, you may want to choose fluids that contain
electrolytes to help replace those you lose when you vomit. Ask your
healthcare provider what fluids he or she recommends.
