When Did Morning Sickness Start And Dealing With It

What is morning sickness?

Morning sickness is nausea and vomiting that starts when you get pregnant. Nausea is the sudden urge to vomit. Is it normal to be nauseous all day when pregnant? Yes, nausea can be triggered at any time of the day and not just in the mornings. Some women feel sick all day long.

Dealing With Morning Sickness

Pregnancy is a beautiful and magical time for every expectant mother. There’s also a fair amount of mess that accompanies the magic.

Morning sickness is one of the most well known and often discussed adverse side effects of pregnancy. In many cases, morning sickness is the first indicator for women to suspect pregnancy.

Morning sickness is a condition that impacts about half of all pregnant women and is perhaps the most uncomfortable aspects of pregnancy. Morning sickness usually occurs in the early hours of the day (hence the name) and tapers off as the day progresses. Morning sickness is generally characterized by mild to severe nausea and vomiting.

Morning sickness usually begins at about the sixth week of pregnancy and lasts until about the twelfth week. There is no evidence about what causes morning sickness, but most doctors believe it has its root in various factors.

Some of the leading theories include:

• An increase in the amount of estrogen. When women become pregnant, their estrogen production can increase by 100 times the average rate of production. There’s no known difference in estrogen levels between women who experience morning sickness and those who do not.

• When women become pregnant, their sense of smell dramatically improves. Because their sense of smell is more significant, they’re better able to detect foul odors, and their sensitivity to them thus increases, which may lead to them becoming more likely to suffer from nausea.

• When women become pregnant, their progesterone levels increase, this increase in progesterone allows the muscles in the uterus to relax and thus prevents premature birth. However, this may also relax pregnant women’s stomach and intestines, leading to an excess of stomach acids and gastroesophageal reflux, thus causing nausea and vomiting.

• Morning sickness may also be an evolutionary safeguard that prevents women from eating less healthy foods during pregnancy. Because women suffering from morning sickness have more sensitive stomachs, they’re forced to eat lighter, more nutritious foods and abstain from unhealthy, greasy foods and strong-spirited substances like alcohol.

Whatever the reason, morning sickness can be quite unpleasant for many pregnant women. In some cases, it can lead to more severe health problems. In rare pregnancies, morning sickness can lead to vomiting severe enough to cause weight loss, dehydration, hypokalaemia, and alkalosis. This is known as hyperemesis gravidarum and happens in about one percent of all pregnancies. Hyperemesis gravidarum can cause many health complications for a pregnant woman and may cause some later-in-life health issues for their unborn child.

There are various home and medical remedies to morning sickness that can alleviate some of the discomforts this condition causes pregnant women.

Home remedies for morning sickness include:

• Rest. Your body’s going through an exhausting period of change. Sufficient bed rest could help settle your stomach and make you less likely to become ill.
• Keep snacks by your bedside. Having snacks at night has been found to help settle the stomach and thus keep you from feeling ill when you wake up in the morning.
• Vitamin B6 is effective in preventing nausea and vomiting in pregnant women.
• Eating or sniffing lemon slices. Ginger and ginger ale has also been found to help prevent nausea and vomiting.

Another home remedy is avoiding fried, fatty foods. Because of your heightened sense of smell, you may find the odor of fried chicken or greasy hamburgers to be nauseating. By just avoiding these foods, you may reduce your chance of being ill.

If home remedies don’t suffice, doctors can prescribe several anti-nausea medications for morning sickness. The leading anti-nausea medication prescribed for morning sickness is Zofran, a drug that blocks chemical interactions in the body that can cause nausea and vomiting. Other medications include promethazine metoclopramide and prochlorperazine.

If you suffer from severe morning sickness, take the time to mention it to your doctor. There’s no need to prolong the unpleasant feeling. You should immediately seek medical attention if your morning sickness is causing you to become dehydrated or lose weight. In extremely rare cases, women who cannot keep any food down must be fed through intravenous methods to preserve their health and that of their unborn child.

Despite all the downsides to morning sickness, there may be a silver lining after all. The upside of morning sickness (yes, there is one) is that, according to some studies, pregnant women who suffer from morning sickness are less likely to miscarry than women not afflicted with it.

Morning sickness can make pregnancy less enjoyable and bearable. Still, suppose you can take advantage of the many home remedies or medication alternatives available to alleviate this problem. In that case, it can be made into a minor annoyance instead of a significant inconvenience and discomfort.

When does morning sickness start during pregnancy?

The study shows that 63 % of women suffer from morning sickness during their early trimester. Typically it beings in 6 to 9 weeks of pregnancy. The sickness remains till 16 weeks of pregnancy and gets messier in 10 to 16 weeks. For some moms, sickness goes in the second trimester, while some have it throughout their pregnancies.

What does pregnancy nausea feel like?

 Some of the signs of pregnancy nausea are:

• Seasickness and carsickness
• Queasiness that can come any time of the day or night
• Dislike of strong smells and food items
• Nausea sometimes start after eating
• Nausea can sometimes cause vomiting
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Muscle pain
• Strong fatigue

Foods that fight nausea during pregnancy

Nausea can be unpleasant and make your pregnancy a little less magical. One of the most asked questions is how to stop morning sickness in early pregnancy? The best way to fight nausea is to have a healthy diet filled with nutritious food with a mild smell. When you start to get morning sickness, it is better to add the food items I will mention below you.

Here are some tips and food that will help you fight nausea.

Food Items:

Dry Food Items

Try to eat early in the day. Keep a jar of crackers beside your bed so that you can eat whenever you wake up. It is also said that an empty stomach causes nausea, so it is better to keep dry food in your house. Crackers, pretzels, toast, and cereals are a quick fix to morning sickness.

Lemon

Lemons help a lot! Keep a handful of lemons in your kitchen and squeeze half a lemon in the water when you start your day. The citric acid in the lemon refreshes and calms your stomach.

Ginger

Ginger is known for all the right things, including morning sickness. You can take it in any form ginger tea, ginger soda, or ginger jam, whatever suits you best.

Herbal Tea

Herbal tea is good for health; you can have them between your meals. Ginger or peppermint tea is also helpful for women suffering from morning sickness.

Veggies

Raw veggies are an excellent source of vitamins, especially for pregnant women. They help in providing lots of nutrition to your body and make your pregnancy go smooth. You can add raw vegetables to a cold sandwich or eat them alone.

Cold Food

Cold food helps with the cause. They don’t have a strong odor, which causes nausea. It is known that strong food smells can trigger nausea and morning sickness. It is better to eat cold food like ice-cream, chilled fruits, popsicles, cold sandwiches, or yogurt.

Broths and Soups

Broths and simple soup helps with morning sickness and keep your stomach full. It is better if you blend all the ingredients and make them easier to eat. Soups provide hydration and nutrition to the body. It is better if you add veggies to it. They will provide protein, vitamins, and fiber to your body.

Fruits

Fruits like bananas are easy to eat and contain loads of energy. They can be used as a snack as they provide instant energy to your body and recover soon if you have diarrhea.

Useful Tips

Stay hydrated

Regular liquid intake is a must for mommies who are suffering from morning sickness. It can be in any form. Water, soda, herbal tea, or juices; you can even stick to your favourite Popsicle.

Eat less but frequently.

An empty stomach is the worst enemy of morning sickness. It can trigger nausea and makes you dizzy. Try to eat in smaller portions, but more frequently, you can have snacks between your meals. The main goal is not to leave your stomach alone!

Stay Active

You must move around and keep your body active; it helps during labour. Being physically active is right for you and your baby, plus it also helps with nausea. It will take your mind off it and not make you dizzy or overwhelmed.

When to consult with your doctor?

If you have any signs mentioned below, call your doctor and tell him about your condition.

• When you vomit and cannot digest food or keep any fluids in your body for 24 hours.
•  When you are vomiting and having dark-coloured urine or haven’t peed in 8 or more hours.
•  When you are vomiting and feel dizzy or faint a lot.
•  Notice if you are losing weight or have any abdominal pain.