"Pregnancy is the happiest reason to feel like crap."
Pregnancy brings joy and livelihood to the parents-to-be. It is a phase where happiness is quite essential for a happy and healthy baby. Nothing comes easy, and so is pregnancy! it comes along with MORNING SICKNESS. Around half to two-thirds of all pregnant women will experience morning sickness more likely in the first trimester. Morning sickness is worst most of the time in the morning as the name simplifies, but it can strike any time during the day or night.
For most women it begins around the fourth week of pregnancy and resolves by 12th to 14th weeks. There are cases where morning sickness lasted for the whole pregnancy. In most cases, morning sickness doesn't harm the woman or the unborn child. However, severe morning sickness (which is known as Hyperemesis Gravidarum) that leads to weight loss and dehydration needs medical attention.
What is Hyperemesis Gravidarum? (Severe Morning Sickness)
HG can affect around one in 1000 women with repeated vomiting, weight loss and dehydration. Treatment usually involves immediate medical attention, hospitalisation, complete bed rest, or administering of intravenous liquids and nutrition.
The possible complications of untreated HG include:
- Electrolyte imbalances
- Extreme depression and anxiety
- Malnourishment of the fetus
- Excessive strain on vital organs, including heart, liver, kidney and brain
What causes morning sickness? Morning sickness can vary between pregnancies. while you have had severe morning sickness during one pregnancy, in future pregnancies it may be very mild. There is no exact theory to explain the reason for morning sickness, but it is thought to be a combination of physical and metabolic factors that might be at the play: - Increased HCG levels - Higher than normal pregnancy hormones (if carrying multiples)
can increase morning sickness, while lower levels of hormones can have lesser effect. - Rising levels of estrogen and progesterone, which relax the muscles of the digestive tract and make digestion less efficient
- Fluctuations in blood pressure, particularly lowered blood pressure
- Rapid stretching of the uterine muscles
- A sharper sense of smell due to pregnancy hormones
-Heartburn or gastrointestinal reflux which are quite common during pregnancy. Emotional stress can trigger gastrointestinal. So the morning sickness can worsen if you are stressed.
What are the symptoms of Morning Sickness?
The symptoms include:
- Nausea that typically strikes after eating
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting and dehydration
- Psychological effects - depression and anxiety
- Strong aversions to certain smells and foods
How to treat morning sickness?
Consult the doctor and take prescribed medicines to alleviate nausea and to help retain foods and fluids. Medications that doctors may provide include:
- Antihistamines: to help with nausea and motion sickness
- Phenothiazine: to help calm severe nausea and vomiting
- Metoclopramide: to help the stomach move food into the intestines and help with nausea and vomiting
- Antacids: to absorb stomach acid and help prevent acid reflux
How to prevent morning sickness?
Morning sickness can often be managed by making changes to the lifestyle and diet and having plenty of rest.
- Eat a few crackers or sweet biscuits before getting up from the bed.
- Avoid large drinks. have frequent small drinks between meals.
- Limit the intake of fatty, fried and spicy food.
- Eat small meals regularly, as an empty stomach tends to trigger nausea.
- Wear loose clothes that don't constrict your abdomen.
- Stay away from smells or scents that may cause nausea.
- De-stressing in any form weather prenatal yoga or meditation to minimise queasiness.
- Avoid brushing the teeth straight after having the meal as that may cause nausea.
- Chewing on ginger pieces, ginger tables, taking ginger or peppermint tea might
minimise some of the sickness.
When to see the doctor?
- Severe nausea or vomiting
- Small amount of urine or dark coloured urine
- Inability to keep food and fluids down
- Dizziness
- Fast heartbeat - Frequent headaches
- Weight loss of 2 pounds or more
- Spotting or bleeding
- Abdominal pain
- Fever
Hope any of these works for you! Just remember (I know it's hard) this only lasts for about the first 12-14 weeks usually. Do your best to see the light at the end of the tunnel. You got this mamma! So close now!