Although the term “morning sickness” is commonly used, it is in fact misleading since many women who are pregnant do experience nausea symptoms at other times besides the morning (although the morning remains the most intense).Most women (3 of 4) will experience some kind of nausea, vomiting, or both, most often beginning around week 6 and lasting to about week 14 to 18; there are a few unfortunate women who do experience nausea and/or vomiting until the last day of their pregnancies. But, no matter how long the symptoms last, it is an unpleasant condition which should not be dismissed just because it is common or temporary.
While not definitively identified or understood, and while each woman is, of course, different, nausea seems to be related to a convergence of physical, hormonal, and psychological factors.Among these is hCG, or human chorionic gonadtropin (the pregnancy hormone), which causes many of the changes in a pregnant woman’s body; also likely to blame are increasing levels of estrogen, which is linked to a pregnant woman’s sensitivity to smells.
It may also be true that for women who usually respond to stress with feelings of nausea, the stress of pregnancy causes a similar reaction – though this has not been proven.Generations of women swear by certain strategies to bring nausea relief; while these have not been scientifically confirmed, they remain potential, non-medication options for you to try.
One step is to eat frequently over the course of the day so that your stomach is never completely empty; for the mornings, keep crackers by your bed to nibble on right when you wake up.Remain in bed for 20 to 30 minutes, and then get up slowly – you may find that you don’t experience quite as much nausea.In general, pregnant women will want to be slow and easy getting out of bed in the mornings.
Nausea is often triggered by strong foods, like spicy, acidic, or rich (fried or fatty) items; you should experiment with high-carbohydrate and high-protein options and see if one kind is better at relieving (or at least not causing) nausea.It is not recommended that you obligate yourself to eat anything which is causing you nausea, though this may mean having an unbalanced diet for a while.Avoid eating foods while hot, since they have stronger odors; eat them cold or at room temperature, and try to choose bland foods overall.
You must drink plenty of fluids, for good health and to counteract vomiting – but be sure not to have too many liquids at meals, as you’ll likely be too full; good beverage choices include ginger tea or ginger ale (real ginger works against nausea), sports drinks, and cold, carbonated beverages.
You can also take steps like avoiding nausea triggers unrelated to food, like strong smells or motion (such as a car ride); you can also try using acupressure bands or even hypnosis for nausea relief.Remember, just because morning sickness is common or temporary, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek relief; if none of these or other strategies work for you, talk with your doctor about potentially treating your nausea with medication.
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