Pregnancy is a time of changes; your body, hormones, appetite, and emotions undergo a great number of changes over the nine-month period you’re carrying your child. During the first trimester (the first few months of your pregnancy), your body starts making the first changes, including breast tenderness, fatigue, and morning sickness.
Also referred to as the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, morning sickness is very common, affecting about 70% of pregnant women. It often starts around the sixth week of your pregnancy and can last for weeks or months though some women deal with it during all nine months. Let’s explore how to cope with morning sickness by looking at its causes, possible complications, and best methods for management.
Women in the Arlington, Texas, area looking for help dealing with morning sickness or other symptoms during pregnancy can find help with Dr. Joan Bergstrom and her team of doctors at the Women’s Health Center.
The cause of morning sickness isn’t entirely understood, but a possible reason is the presence of low blood sugar or the rise of pregnancy hormones like human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) or estrogen. Cases of morning sickness can be worsened by stress, excess fatigue, motion sickness, and certain foods.
Generally, this condition is mild and lasts for the first few months of your pregnancy, but there are cases of women dealing with hyperemesis gravidarum, a condition that causes you to experience severe vomiting and weight loss. This can lead to severe dehydration and make it harder for you to keep food down, which could have terrible effects on you and your baby.
In addition to severe vomiting and weight loss, if you experience symptoms like fever, infrequent urination with traces of dark urine, lightheadedness, fast heartbeat, bloody vomit, frequent headaches, and abdominal pain seek medical attention right away.
Here are some ways to deal with first trimester morning sickness:
This can be treated with medications and supplements, like antihistamines, phenothiazine, metoclopramide (Reglan), antacids, vitamin B-6 supplements, and prenatal vitamins. Other alternative and home remedies include ginger products (ale, tea, and drops), saltine crackers, acupuncture, and hypnosis.
Basic ways to manage or prevent morning sickness include drinking plenty of water before and after meals, taking naps, ventilating your home and workspace, eliminating nausea-triggering odors, avoiding spicy and fatty foods, eating small meals and taking vitamins at night.
Your body will go through many changes on the way to the day you can hold your baby in your arms, and morning sickness is likely to be one of them. But, it is manageable, and we can help. Make an appointment with Dr. Bergstrom and the team at the Women’s Health Center today so we can help you make this journey in good health.
