Nausea During Pregnancy
Nausea during pregnancy, commonly called morning sickness, is experienced by about 4 out of 5 women. The causes of morning sickness are not fully understood and although it’s called morning sickness, it may occur at any time during the day or night. This nausea and sometimes vomiting is believed to be related to increased hormone levels produced by the placenta (afterbirth). You may take comfort in the fact that most nausea disappears by the 12th week. The following recommendations may help you to cope with this common experience.
Don’t smoke and ask others around you not to smoke.
Avoid odors and smells that may aggravate your nausea. Ventilate cooking areas.
Increase liquid intake, especially between meals.
Eat small portions of non-spicy, non-greasy food frequently, rather than having 3 large meals a day.
Try an early morning snack around 6:00am. Set you alarm. Snack on some cookies or crackers and then return to sleep. This may help.
Cinnamon, peppermint, or a lifesaver candy can be used to create a distracting flavor in the mouth. Some people experience good relief using this approach.
If nothing else seems to help, the following non-medicine dietary beverage may be tried: Emetrol, 2 tbs over crushed ice. Sip continuously until the nausea subsides or 1-2 tablespoons every 15 minutes.
You may take a Vitamin B6 tablet and ½ tablet of Unisom each morning to help with the nausea.
Try taking your prenatal vitamin before going to bed or with food to help decrease the nausea.
Call our office (463-1234) day or night if you are losing weight, if your vomiting contains blood, or it you are unable to hold down liquids for 24-48 hours.
Fatigue and stress seem to make nausea and vomiting worse. Make sure you are getting adequate rest and relaxation.
Please call our office before taking any over-the-counter medication or any medication prescribed by another doctor.
