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Morning Sickness

Nausea and vomiting can be one of the first signs of pregnancy and usually begins around the 6th week of pregnancy. It can occur at any time of the day, and for most women it seems to stop around the 12th week of pregnancy.

Morning sickness is not harmful to you or your baby, but if you experience excessive vomiting and cannot keep your food down, you may have hyperemesis gravidarum. Hyperemesis gravidarum can be harmful to you and your baby if severe and left untreated, due to the possible lack of nutrients and electrolyte imbalance. The most important thing is to inform your health care provider when these symptoms appear and discuss possible options for treatment.

Morning Sickness:

More than half of all pregnant women experience morning sickness. Morning sickness is the nauseated feeling you get during pregnancy. Morning sickness can be, but is not always, accompanied with vomiting. The nausea is often a result of the increased hormones in your body. Many health care providers think morning sickness is a good sign because it means the placenta is developing well.

There are a number of do's and don'ts you can try to help alleviate your symptoms.

Helpful Do's and Don'ts:

Do:

• Eat small meals often
• Drink fluids 1/2 hour before or after a meal, but not with meals
• Drink small amounts of fluids during the day to avoid dehydration
• Eat soda crackers 15 minutes before getting up in the morning
• Avoid foods and smells that increase nausea
• Ask someone else to cook for you and open the windows or turn on fans if the odor bothers you
• Get plenty of rest and nap during the day
• Avoid warm places (feeling hot adds to nausea)
• Sniff lemons or ginger, drink lemonade, or eat watermelon to relieve nausea
• Eat salty potato chips (they have been found to settle stomachs enough to eat a meal)
• Exercise

Don'ts:

• Do not lie down after eating
• Do not skip meals
• Do not cook or eat spicy food

Hyperemesis Gravidarum:

Hyperemesis gravidarum is a condition characterized by severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and sometimes electrolyte disturbance. Mild cases are often treated with dietary measures, rest and antacids. Severe cases often require a stay in the hospital so that the mother can receive fluid and nutrition through an intravenous line. DO NOT take any medications to solve this problem without consulting your health care provider first.

You should contact your health care provider:

• If you are experiencing excessive nausea and vomiting that prevents you from keeping any food down
• If vomiting is accompanied by pain or fever
• If nausea and vomiting persists well into the second trimester (after 13th week)

For more information, read Surviving Morning Sickness.

Compiled using information from the following sources:

Williams Obstetrics Twenty-Second Ed. Cunningham, F. Gary, et al, Ch. 8.

American Academy of Family Physicians, http://familydoctor.org