How To Avoid Morning Sickness During Pregnancy

Morning Sickness during pregnancy is one of the most common things. Around 2/3 women in the world, suffer from morning sickness. Till the time you come to know that you are pregnant, morning sickness gets started. Even it is considered as the first symptom, to know whether you are pregnant or not.

There are many other things to understand about the Morning sickness during pregnancy like symptoms, when does it start, and how to take care of it. So this blog answers all your questions regarding the morning sickness.

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What are the Symptoms of Morning Sickness?

The most common symptoms of Morning Sickness during pregnancy are nausea and vomiting, which gets triggered by certain odors, spicy foods, or due to heat. It is most common during the first trimester and gets improved by the late second trimester.

Some of the symptoms of Morning sickness are-

• A nauseous feeling
• Strong aversion to certain smell and food
• Feeling of vomiting
• Nausea that strikes after eating any food

What Causes Morning Sickness?

It is still not clear, what are the reasons for Morning sickness. But due to the hormonal changes in the body due to pregnancy, it makes us nauseous and causes vomiting.

During the first few weeks of pregnancy, our body is in the adjusting mode for the next nine months. This causes Increased hormone levels and sometimes Blood sugar also reduces. And all this leads to morning sickness.

Morning sickness is different in different pregnancies. Some women go through severe morning sickness while some have mild morning sickness.

When does Morning Sickness Start?

As soon as you get the confirmed news of you being pregnant, morning sickness will accompany you. Most of the time morning sickness is the signs to tell you that you are pregnant. Whenever you feel nauseous, without any proper reason. It’s time to check on your pregnancy status.

Around 70-80 percent of women experience morning sickness. It starts around 6 weeks of pregnancy and goes away by week 14. But some moms get the morning sickness as early as week 4. And the symptoms of morning sickness are at its peak around 9-10 weeks.

Now, that morning sickness doesn’t need to appear in the morning, it can appear at any time of the day. So, it is more like “anytime sickness”

Possible complications of Morning Sickness

Although Morning sickness is a very generic term, sometimes it can get worsened. Hyperemesis gravidarum is a very rare but severe form of morning sickness. It affects around 1-2 % of all pregnant women. This is one of the possible complications of morning sickness.

Some of the symptoms are-

• Cannot keep fluids or food down because of severe vomiting
• Serious risk of dehydration
• Unable to gain weight
• Fast Heartbeat
• Abdominal Pain
• Spotting or Bleeding
• Blood in your vomit

If you are facing any of the above symptoms, it is good to call a doctor.

What is the Treatment for Morning Sickness?

Morning sickness does not require treatment by a doctor. But some things can help to minimize morning sickness. Some of the ideas are-

Rest- Tiredness can make nausea worse. So, it is very important to take proper rest.

Food- It is good to have smaller meals at every short interval rather than consuming food in large quantities. You can also try eating cold meals rather than hot meals, as they have less odor. Dry and savory foods are much better than sweet or spicy food. Eat healthy snacks during pregnancy.

Liquids- Liquid intake is very necessary during pregnancy. Sucking on ice cubes, made from water or even fruit juice can help. Consume liquid in small quantities rather than large quantities.

Empty Stomach- Morning sickness occurs much when pregnant women are empty stomachs. So one should try to have an empty stomach as much as possible. Try to eat early.

Medical treatment- If you have severe symptoms which are intolerable. It is better to consult a doctor, a doctor can give you anti-sickness medication, which will be pregnancy safe and will help you in morning sickness.

Ginger supplement- Ginger supplements are good and effective to combat morning sickness symptoms. Pregnant women should buy some ginger supplements for a good place, to make the morning sickness easy.

Acupressure- Acupressure is a good way to get relief from any symptoms. Acupressure means applying pressure on specific points, this helps to improve nausea and vomiting symptoms.

Smell- Pregnant women are more sensitive to smell. The smell which was like aroma to them before has suddenly become offensive. So try to stay away from the smells that trigger nausea. 

Lemonade- It has been tested that the smell and taste of lemon are comforting during pregnancy. So, when life gives you morning sickness, try making lemonade.

Make your life a Slow-mo– Rushing during pregnancy can aggravate nausea. When you wake up in the morning, don’t rush into getting out of the bed. Take a few minutes to linger on the bed, and then rise slowly to have a leisure breakfast. If this is your second pregnancy, you can ask your husband to look after your kids in the morning.

Home Remedies to get relief from Morning Sickness

There are some simple home remedies, which will help you to get rid of Morning Sickness. Some of them are-

• Vitamin B6: Consuming vitamin B6 supplements or foods rich in vitamin B6 like- whole grains, low-fat milk, lean meat, seafood is effective to alleviate nausea and vomiting.
• Controlled Breathing: Some pregnant women have noticed, that takin slow and deep breaths help to relieve nausea and vomiting.
• Fennel Seeds: Chewing fennel seeds is believed to provide some relief from nausea. You can also soak the fennel seeds overnight and drink the water in the morning.
• Broccoli: Broccoli is rich in folic acid, and this helps to reduce nausea.
• Yogurt: Yogurt is very helpful in regulating the digestive system. Vitamin B12 in yogurt helps to reduce nausea during pregnancy.
• Onion: This is something different and strange, but the onion is rich in sulfur and it helps to soothe the stomach. You can extract fresh onion juice and mix it with any other juice like carrot juice and drink it.
• Apple: An apple a day keeps morning sickness away. Yes, the fiber in apples is believed to reduce morning sickness.

 

Steps to Take Care During Morning Sickness?

1. Eat five or six small meals instead of three big ones to avoid.
2. Avoid smells that upset your stomach
3. Avoid spicy and fatty acids
4. Take multivitamins regularly.
5. Eat saltine crackers, dry toast, or dry cereal before you get out of bed to calm your stomach.
6. Wear loose clothes 
7. Vitamin B6 supplements can be useful.
8. Drink as much as you can. Sometimes sips of flat lemonade, diluted fruit juice, cordial, weak tea, and ginger tea, etc.
9. Drink peppermint tea.
10. Avoid getting overheated
11. Continue exercises such as walking, prenatal yoga, or swimming.
12. Suck on ice or sip water, weak tea, or clear sodas when you feel nauseous.

Things to Remember

After understanding everything about the Morning sickness, some of the things to remember are-

• Around 2/3 of pregnant women suffer from morning sickness
• If you have severe morning sickness like hyperemesis gravidarum, it may require hospitalization.
• You can get relieved from morning sickness by eating crackers, avoiding food whose smell makes you feel nauseous, drink plenty of water, and rest as much as you can.

So, morning sickness is just a term used for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Remember it can appear to you at any time of the day. Try the above steps to tackle the morning sickness. If you think you are throwing up way too much, you can consult a doctor.

Just have plenty of rest, morning sickness is with you just for a few weeks. Happy Pregnancy!

FAQ

• What foods are good for morning sickness?

Foods like dry crackers or plain sweet biscuits, cold meal, and meals which are high in carbohydrates. These foods are good for morning sickness.

• How to Stop Morning Sickness in early pregnancy?

There is no such way to stop the morning sickness, but you can try to alleviate nausea and vomiting symptoms by following the above methods like eating in small portions, not rushing, never be empty stomach, etc.