Morning Sickness
You may feel as though the ground is falling out from under you and break out in a cold sweat. Welcome to the world of morning sickness—the most common symptom of pregnancy. Nausea usually appears around the 6th week of pregnancy and “bids you farewell” at the end of the first trimester. It is estimated that about 65% of pregnant women experience this discomfort.
Some women may simply feel a little unwell when they wake up in the morning, while others suffer from hours of unrelenting nausea, aversion to food and smells, and sometimes even vomiting. In extremely rare cases, when vomiting is frequent and severe, hyperemesis occurs—a serious condition requiring hospitalization. It does not pose a risk to the health of the mother or the fetus, provided, of course, that it is treated with intravenous fluids, electrolytes, and vitamins. Although hyperemesis makes pregnancy extremely unpleasant, simple morning sickness is usually considered a sign that everything is going well.
In fact, nausea and occasional vomiting may be a sign that a woman’s hormones are rising at a normal rate to help the placenta attach to the uterus. If you can understand a little about what might be causing morning sickness, then you’ll have taken a big step toward preventing or even eliminating it.
Nausea is certainly one of the effects of the so-called “hormonal storm” that sweeps through an expectant mother’s body—that is, the overproduction of hormones, particularly estrogen. When these hormones increase during pregnancy, they stimulate the vomiting receptors in the central nervous system. Gradually, however, these receptors “get used to” the constant stimulation from the hormones and stop reacting so strongly. Thus, morning sickness gradually subsides after the 12th week.
Furthermore, it is the most obvious sign of the difficulty the pregnant woman’s body faces in “accepting” the implantation of the egg and the development of the placenta. A genuine immune defense process begins in the woman’s body, altering food metabolism and causing increased secretion of gastric fluids. This sensitivity, which is even more intense in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon, when the stomach is empty and blood sugar levels are lower, causes a sensation of dizziness and sudden nausea that often leads to vomiting.
On the contrary, the urge to vomit is caused by an increase in abdominal volume, which exerts significant internal pressure and prevents the normal passage of food from the stomach into the duodenum, pushing it back toward the esophagus. At the base of this organ is a sphincter whose purpose is to prevent food from rising. However, constant pressure during pregnancy sometimes affects the sphincter’s function, causing it to no longer close as tightly, and the tendency to vomit may persist for some time even after the end of pregnancy. If you have mild symptoms of nausea and vomiting, there are certain steps you can take to help relieve them.
Many of the following recommendations, although not supported by evidence, are often recommended by obstetrician-gynecologists.
- Eat small, frequent meals or nutritious snacks throughout the day so that your stomach is never empty. Some studies have shown that protein-rich foods may help alleviate symptoms.
- Keep some snacks (e.g., crackers) next to your bed. Eating crackers as soon as you wake up in the morning can help you feel better, and they can also help you feel better during the night.
- Also, if you sit in bed for a few minutes after waking up in the morning instead of jumping out of bed, it might help.
- Try to avoid foods and smells that trigger nausea.
- Eat cold foods or foods at room temperature, because when they are warm, they tend to have a stronger aroma.
- Avoid fatty, spicy, and fried foods that are likely to upset your digestive system.
- Try to drink fluids mainly between meals. Avoid drinking large amounts of water all at once, as this can make your stomach feel full and discourage your appetite. A good strategy is to drink small amounts of fluids frequently throughout the day.
- Symptoms of nausea may get worse if you are tired. Try to relax by doing things you enjoy; watching a movie or spending time with friends can help relieve your stress and discomfort.