Morning sickness is nausea and vomiting that occurs during pregnancy and can happen at any time of the day or night. Many pregnant women experience morning sickness, especially during the first trimester. However, some women may experience morning sickness throughout their pregnancy.
When nausea and vomiting during pregnancy become severe, they can cause significant dehydration or a loss of more than 5% of the body weight before pregnancy. In most cases, morning sickness does not harm the mother or the unborn baby. However, severe morning sickness accompanied by weight loss and dehydration requires prompt medical attention.
What Causes Morning Sickness?
Nausea during pregnancy is probably caused by the sudden increase in hormones in the body. It is usually mild and often improves by the middle of pregnancy. Although the exact cause of morning sickness is not known, it is associated with hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy.
A hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG, may be responsible because severe morning sickness often occurs when HCG levels are at their highest in a pregnant woman's body.
Severe morning sickness may also run in families and can be more common among women whose close family members, such as their mother or sisters, have experienced it.
An imbalance of potassium and magnesium in the diet, low blood sugar, and low levels of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) may also contribute to nausea.
Other factors that may increase a woman's chances of experiencing severe morning sickness include:
A. Carrying multiples — twins, triplets, etc.
B. A history of motion sickness
C. Migraine headaches accompanied by nausea or vomiting
Remedies for Morning Sickness
Although giving the body some time is often the only way to completely get through morning sickness, several strategies may help relieve the symptoms:
Eat a few dry crackers or plain sweet biscuits before getting out of bed in the morning.
Avoid foods that make you feel nauseous. In general, high-carbohydrate foods may be easier to tolerate.
Eat small meals regularly because an empty stomach can make nausea worse.
Avoid cooking or preparing food if the smell makes you nauseous. Avoid eating, seeing, smelling, or even thinking about foods that trigger nausea. Spicy and acidic foods can be particularly difficult to tolerate, as can foods with strong smells.
Drink fluids as much as you can tolerate. Green tea, ginger tea, and clear soups may help with morning sickness. If none of these are tolerable, try sucking on ice cubes.
Wear loose-fitting clothes that do not put pressure on your stomach.
Eat small, frequent meals and snacks. Try eating every two hours so that your stomach does not remain empty.
Choose high-protein foods and snacks, such as cheese and crackers, a small bowl of rice and beans, or yogurt with granola.
Take small sips of fluids frequently throughout the day. Try to avoid very cold or sweet drinks such as juice, fruit drinks, or lemonade if they worsen your symptoms.
Keep food and drinks separate. Avoid drinking fluids immediately before, during, or immediately after meals.
Try ginger. Fresh or ground ginger or ginger tea may help. Ginger capsules may also be used in doses of up to 250 mg four times a day. Larger amounts may not be safe.
Avoid spicy and fatty foods when experiencing morning sickness.
Get some fresh air. Go outside for a walk or simply open a window.
Rinse your mouth after vomiting. This helps protect your teeth from stomach acid. For additional protection, you can add baking soda to a cup of water before rinsing.
Acupuncture, in which very thin needles are placed at specific points on the skin, may also help relieve symptoms.
Some women find relief from calming scents such as lavender essential oil during morning sickness.
Some Popular Food and Drink Ideas
● Crackers
● Milkshakes
● Grape juice / papaya juice / apple juice
● Toast / cheese toast
● Peanut butter
● Peeled apples / applesauce / watermelon
● Dry cereal - Cheerios / Rice Chex
● Ginger tea
● Rice / noodles / baked or boiled potatoes
● Scrambled eggs
● Sprite / Coke
● Popcorn
Every pregnancy is different. In fact, women may experience different symptoms during each of their pregnancies. Some traditional home remedies and remedies using natural ingredients commonly found in the kitchen may help with pregnancy-related morning sickness. However, if the condition becomes severe, consult your healthcare provider promptly.
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