Early Pregnancy: 7 Tips To Coping With Morning Sickness
Morning sickness is the term used to describe the symptoms of nausea and vomiting that often occur during early pregnancy.
Around 70 - 80% of women experience sickness to some degree and typically symptoms first appear at around the 6th week of pregnancy.
It is not entirely clear what causes it but a commonly held theory is that it is due to the high levels of the hormone hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotrophin) released during early pregnancy.
Low blood sugar levels and tiredness may also increase feelings of nausea in the pregnant woman.
Although referred to as 'Morning' sickness, the symptoms may be present at any time of the day and are not necessarily restricted to the beginning of the day.
Thankfully for the majority of women, the symptoms usually pass off around the end of the first trimester (12 weeks).
However, some women continue to suffer from morning sickness throughout the entire duration of their pregnancy and a very small percentage (around 1%) may develop a condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum.
This is characterised by severe nausea and vomiting and an inability to keep down any food or drink, resulting in clinical dehydration.
In most cases the woman will need to be taken into hospital and treated with intravenous (IV) fluids and medication to control the vomiting.
Possible causes of hyperemesis gravidarum are thought to be fluctuating hCG levels and thyroid and liver function.
Thankfully, morning sickness is rarely severe enough to require medical treatment and there are many well-tried and tested everyday methods of coping with and minimising the symptoms.
1.
Eat snacks and small meals little and often.
2.
Stick to foods which are easily digestible such as dry toast, plain biscuits, crackers and breakfast cereals with milk.
3.
Avoid fried and fatty foods which tend to increase feelings of nausea.
4.
Eat a couple of plain biscuits before getting out of bed to ensure that blood sugar levels are maintained.
5.
Ginger is thought to be particularly good for reducing nausea and can be easily taken in the form of ginger biscuits or ginger beer.
6.
Herbal teas, especially peppermint can have a soothing and refreshing effect.
7.
Acupressure bands, normally used to treat travel-sickness, can also be worn by pregnant women to alleviate symptoms of morning sickness.
Although morning sickness can be an unpleasant and annoying aspect of pregnancy, for most women it is a passing problem and does not unduly affect their enjoyment of being pregnant.
If the symptoms persist it's well worth speaking to your doctor or midwife.
They will be able to provide you with reassurance, along with checking out that you're not becoming dehydrated, and may well have other tips to help you cope better.
Before the days of home pregnancy kits and tests, morning sickness was often a 'tell-tale-sign' of early pregnancy which many women found difficult to disguise! The combination of sickness and increased urination are very prominent signs of early pregnancy which often occur well before a woman's second period is missed.
Around 70 - 80% of women experience sickness to some degree and typically symptoms first appear at around the 6th week of pregnancy.
It is not entirely clear what causes it but a commonly held theory is that it is due to the high levels of the hormone hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotrophin) released during early pregnancy.
Low blood sugar levels and tiredness may also increase feelings of nausea in the pregnant woman.
Although referred to as 'Morning' sickness, the symptoms may be present at any time of the day and are not necessarily restricted to the beginning of the day.
Thankfully for the majority of women, the symptoms usually pass off around the end of the first trimester (12 weeks).
However, some women continue to suffer from morning sickness throughout the entire duration of their pregnancy and a very small percentage (around 1%) may develop a condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum.
This is characterised by severe nausea and vomiting and an inability to keep down any food or drink, resulting in clinical dehydration.
In most cases the woman will need to be taken into hospital and treated with intravenous (IV) fluids and medication to control the vomiting.
Possible causes of hyperemesis gravidarum are thought to be fluctuating hCG levels and thyroid and liver function.
Thankfully, morning sickness is rarely severe enough to require medical treatment and there are many well-tried and tested everyday methods of coping with and minimising the symptoms.
1.
Eat snacks and small meals little and often.
2.
Stick to foods which are easily digestible such as dry toast, plain biscuits, crackers and breakfast cereals with milk.
3.
Avoid fried and fatty foods which tend to increase feelings of nausea.
4.
Eat a couple of plain biscuits before getting out of bed to ensure that blood sugar levels are maintained.
5.
Ginger is thought to be particularly good for reducing nausea and can be easily taken in the form of ginger biscuits or ginger beer.
6.
Herbal teas, especially peppermint can have a soothing and refreshing effect.
7.
Acupressure bands, normally used to treat travel-sickness, can also be worn by pregnant women to alleviate symptoms of morning sickness.
Although morning sickness can be an unpleasant and annoying aspect of pregnancy, for most women it is a passing problem and does not unduly affect their enjoyment of being pregnant.
If the symptoms persist it's well worth speaking to your doctor or midwife.
They will be able to provide you with reassurance, along with checking out that you're not becoming dehydrated, and may well have other tips to help you cope better.
Before the days of home pregnancy kits and tests, morning sickness was often a 'tell-tale-sign' of early pregnancy which many women found difficult to disguise! The combination of sickness and increased urination are very prominent signs of early pregnancy which often occur well before a woman's second period is missed.
