Approximately 70 to 85 percent of pregnant women suffer from morning sickness or nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Morning sickness typically occurs only during the first trimester (three months) of pregnancy and is often the first sign of pregnancy that women experience.
- Eating smaller meals more frequently is often helpful for reducing the amount and severity of morning sickness suffered during pregnancy.
- Drinking liquids only between meals and not with meals is beneficial for reducing nausea and vomiting during pregnancy for many women.
- Foods that are greasy, fried, and / or spicy often result in substantial bouts of morning sickness and pregnant women should avoid these foods.
- Odors that seem foul or unpleasant many times led to uncomfortable attacks of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. I know of one woman whose pregnancy was inundated by nausea brought on by the “smell” of her microwave oven.
- During pregnancy, the female body undergoes an enormous amount of rapid changes, which can lead to extreme tiredness and fatigue. Getting plenty of rest before excessive tiredness arises is helpful for decreasing nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
Guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) for treating the symptoms morning sickness include taking a multivitamin at the time of conception, taking Vitamin B6 or Vitamin B6 plus doxylamine, an antihistamine, and using ginger (ginger supplements, ginger ale, ginger cookies) a proven beneficial treatment for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. These methods of preventing nausea and vomiting during pregnancy are both safe and effective. Of course, you should always consult your health care provider before using any type of over-the-counter vitamins, supplements, or medications during pregnancy.
Make sure to tell your health-care provider about any morning sickness symptoms you experience during your pregnancy, even if they are only mild. The best morning sickness treatment results occur when treatment starts early, before mild symptoms progress to severe nausea or vomiting.
If you experience severe nausea accompanied by vomiting during your pregnancy, or if you think morning sickness is keeping you from eating properly or gaining the weight that is necessary for a healthy pregnancy consult your health-care provider.
Untreated, severe vomiting can cause dehydration. Inform your health-care provider of any severe vomiting you experience immediately to reduce your risk hospitalization or other potentially serious complications that dehydration during pregnancy may cause in either you or your unborn baby.
Tip: Many pregnant women find keeping a package of saltine crackers at their bedside and eating a few before getting up is an effectively relieves and reduces the severity of their morning sickness symptoms.
Source: The U.S. Office on Women's Health, First Trimester Essentials, accessed 07/15/06. ACOG News Release, March 29, 2004, ACOG Issues Guidance on Treatment of Morning Sickness During Pregnancy, accessed 07/15/06.
