Your Guide to Deal with Morning Sickness in Pregnancy?

Things Everyone Misunderstands About Morning Sickness in Pregnancy

• Nearly 85% of women experience vomiting and nausea in pregnancy, but out of them, merely 60% to 70% of them actually deal with throwing up
• Morning sickness doesn’t only strike in the morning. You can face nausea anytime during the day that is in the afternoon, evening, or even at night
• Some women might experience morning sickness during their first trimester, while some experience it throughout their pregnancy
• Women sometimes suffer from morning sickness due to hyperemesis gravidarum, during which women fail to hold up food or even fluids in their stomach, due to which they might develop electrolyte abnormalities and dehydration
• Morning sickness doesn’t have any relevancy with whether you are carrying a baby boy or baby girl in your womb
• If you are suffering from morning sickness in the first pregnancy, it is not necessary you would suffer from the same in the next pregnancy
• If you are suffering from morning sickness and are not able to keep the food down, your baby is still receiving all the essential nutrients and wouldn’t develop any kind of deficiency for the same reason
• It is not necessary that if your sister or friend is feeling good with lemons, acupressure, or any other idea when dealing with morning sickness you would also feel good with the same ingredient

Morning Sickness : One of the common symptoms of Pregnancy

Pregnancy is surely a pleasurable journey, but when it comes to morning sickness, it’s definitely not fab. The feeling of vomiting and nausea might lead to irritation many times. Morning sickness is among the primary and most common symptoms many women face during pregnancy, particularly in the first trimester.

Also termed as nausea gravidarum, vomiting, nausea, pregnancy sickness, or emesis gravidarum, around 85% of the pregnant women get tired of this in pregnancy. Many people think morning sickness is experienced in the mornings only, but the fact is that morning sickness is a situation that can be experienced throughout the day. According to some studies, morning sickness is widely considered to be a sign of having a healthy pregnancy, which reduces the chances of stillbirths and miscarriages compared to the women with no sign of vomiting or nausea in pregnancy.

But what can actually be termed as morning sickness? And what are the treatments that can make the situation easy? Through this blog, let’s explore every possible detail regarding morning sickness and how to deal with it.

What is morning sickness?

Morning sickness is an uncomfortable situation in pregnancy during which women suffer from occasional vomiting and nausea, mostly during early mornings. No doubt, the name of the health issue terms that it is suffered in the morning, the discomfort can be faced any time during the day.

Morning sickness or nausea in pregnancy is usually felt in the early stages during the first trimester. No doubt, the actual reason for suffering from the health issue is not yet determined, reduced blood sugar levels, increase in the estrogen levels, or sensitivity to particular smell are mostly the reasons behind having morning sickness. During pregnancy, hormones like progesterone, estrogen, cholecystokinin, and human chorionic gonadotrophin increase the body that makes changes in the digestive system resulting in feeling nauseous. Similarly, when the blood sugar level reduces, the energy is received from the placenta which again can lead to morning sickness.

What are the symptoms of morning sickness?

Emblematic symptoms of morning sickness include:

• Feeling queasy or nauseous in early pregnancy resulting in carsickness or seasickness
• Sickness widely experienced in the morning, but can occur any time during the day or even night
• Strong distastes to particular smells or food items which are powerful enough to give you a sick stomach
• Feeling seasick that’s widely accompanied with immediate hunger pangs
• Feeling nauseous after having meals
• Strong nauseousness leading to vomiting or throw off

Some factors that might worsen the health issue include having more than one baby in there, excessive fatigue, emotional stress, and frequent traveling. Again, women should also keep in mind that if you are suffering from morning sickness in your first pregnancy, it is not compulsory to have a similar phase in future pregnancies.

What are the possible complications of morning sickness?

Feeling nauseous or vomiting often leads to loss of appetite, and many women think that this can be harmful to the baby. But wait, morning sickness isn’t that harmful most of the time.

It is essential for women to talk to their doctors if they are still experiencing morning sickness after the first trimester of their pregnancy. Again, if you fail in gaining weight in pregnancy, it should be brought into notice to your doctor. Morning sickness is surely not going to hinder the growth and development of the fetus. But for some women, nausea can lead to severe weight loss and vomiting which is widely termed as hyperemesis gravidarum. This leads to electrolyte imbalances and if left unprocessed, can definitely harm the fetus.

Apart from all these, seek immediate attention of your doctor if you feel:

• Excess weight loss
• Inability to keep food in the stomach
• Fever
• Bleeding or spotting
• Abdominal pain
• Frequent headache
• Find blood in vomits
• Increased heartbeat
• Severe nausea in the second trimester
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Infrequent urination in small quantities and dark color

If morning sickness is severe, the chances of the mother getting admitted increases. Similarly, if any woman is suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, intravenous fluids are given for rehydration.

Meanwhile, are you suffering from shingles while you are pregnant? Here is a guide on how to treat Shingles in Pregnancy.

Home Remedies to Treat Morning Sickness in Pregnancy

Many times, to treat morning sickness, there is no attention needed from the professionals. However, there are some home remedies that are sure to help you treat morning sickness.

1. Take sufficient rest

When suffering from morning sickness, it is essential to take sufficient rest or sleep for the expecting mother. Not only at night, but taking a nap during the daytime can help to a great extent. But make sure you don’t head towards your bed directly after having meals as this would boost the feeling of nausea. If you are working with night shifts, look for some sleep mask or dark blackout curtains to eliminate maximum light in the room. Additionally, during and after the initial first trimester, using a maternity pillow is helpful for relaxing the abdomen and back. Try to sleep early and avoid any sleeping pills unless the doctors have advised you to take it.

2. Watch your meals and ingredients

Generally, having caffeine, spicy and fatty foods release the acids in your stomach leading to morning sickness as the fetus shoves against the digestive system. Taking a bland of food can be infuriating for the stomach. If possible, look for a small portion of meals that reduce the possibility of throwing out and helps in keeping something in the stomach. On the other hand, an empty stomach can worsen the nauseous feeling as the stomach produces particular acids which process the meals, and when they don’t have anything to process, it can lead to nausea. Taking some protein snacks or salty crackers before stepping out of your bed can also help in treating morning sickness. While having breakfast, add any citrus fruits, banana, pears, or cold apple sauce to keep you satisfied and prevent nausea. Lastly, having some snacks high in proteins at night would regulate the blood glucose levels in the body and prevent you from nausea.

3. Increase your fluid intake

Just as it is essential to remain hydrated, in pregnancy also, it is important to remain hydrated throughout the day. This would also help in treating morning sickness. For this, add some fluid intake in your diet. If consuming 8 glasses of water is difficult for you when suffering from nausea, look for other fluids like honey and apple cider vinegar, ice cubes, fruit juices, etc. that would reduce the feeling of dehydration and help in prevention from morning sickness too. You can also add peppermint and ginger teas to your diet as this would reduce the chances of abdominal discomfort and also boost digestion. You can also look for sipping cold ginger ale or simply add a piece of raw ginger to tea or water.

4. Change your dressing style

When dealing with morning sickness, you not only need to keep a watch on your ingredients but also have to restrict your dressings. Shop for clothes that are light and loose to wear. This would keep you comfortable and reduce the severity of nausea. Wearing tight clothes might boost the chances of morning sickness as your stomach area remains tight. So, when feeling nauseous during pregnancy, look for some comfortable outfits preferably in cotton to keep adding to your comfort levels.

5. Be active both mentally and physically

Sometimes remaining on the bed for long hours or being inactive boosts the feeling of nauseousness. Hence, remaining active physically and mentally is much helpful to reduce the impact or severity of morning sickness. So, try to remain busy by keeping yourself occupied with different activities like reading books, playing puzzle games, playing cards, watching television, going for walks, etc. All these would keep you and your mind inattentive.

6. Have all your essential Vitamins and supplements

Rather than focusing on the supplements, it is ideal to have all the essential nutrients in their natural form that is through your meals. Yet, the doctors might still suggest some supplements to meet the requirements. If you are on Vitamin supplements, make sure you have them before moving to bed along with some snacks. Vitamin B6 is quite essential for dealing with nausea. Similarly, the doctors would also recommend other supplements like iron, Vitamin C, folic acid, etc. Taking a drink that is rich in Vitamin C helps in reducing nausea.

7. Avoid any triggers

Many times, morning sickness is connected with the increased sensitivity to strong or mild odors. Pregnant women may get irritated or feel nauseous with some strong smell which can worsen morning sickness. For such a situation, try going for aromatherapy by smelling orange, lemon, rosemary, or even mint. The smell of such essential oils or ingredients helps in alleviating morning sickness. The aromatherapy can be carried out by either spraying the smell or by using a cotton ball.

8. Say no to computer monitor flicker

This might be surprising but the computer monitor flicker is also one of the factors that lead to morning sickness. Hence, if you are working for long hours on computers, and are suffering from morning sickness, try to use the monitor of the computer as less as possible. You can also try adjusting the screen of the computer monitor by changing the fonts to larger and bold. Changing the background to soft pink or tan would also reduce the strain on your eyes and help in reducing the impact of nausea or morning sickness.

Apart from all these, you can also try acupressure or acupuncture for reducing the symptoms of morning sickness. Keeping the windows open while cooking would also reduce the chances of cooking odors disturbing your symptom. Try to avoid beverages along with meals to reduce morning sickness.

When should you see the doctor?

Most of the women suffering from morning sickness in pregnancy feel relieved from the symptom by making changes in the diet and lifestyle. However, for some who are experiencing hyperemesis gravidarum, quick medical attention is required.

Here are the situations you should remain concerned about:

• If you are not able to keep food or fluid down for more than 12 hours
• If you visualize any sign of dehydration like dark urine, infrequent urinating, dizziness, etc.
• Vomiting more than normal times, and if you observe blood in the vomit
• Pelvic pain, abdominal pain, or cramping
• Sudden weight loss for more than 5 pounds
• If you are having symptoms similar to flu
• If you are having morning sickness after starting with iron supplements in your prenatal vitamin

If you are observing any of such symptoms, it is the right time to call your doctor for an appointment at the earliest.

Conclusion

Morning sickness in pregnancy is quite normal unless severity levels are observed. Again, if morning sickness is at the mild stage, it wouldn’t also harm your baby and its development too. Merely by changing your eating habits, adding some nutritious ingredients to your meals, and remaining active can help in treating morning sickness.

So, lets ditch morning sickness by making simple yet effective changes in lifestyle for a happy pregnancy today.