Nausea during Pregnancy: Can It Be Relieved?

One of the most dreaded aspects of pregnancy for most women is morning sickness or nausea during pregnancy. Nausea is actually a good sign because it means that the mother's body is producing an adequate amount of hormones. When adequate hormone levels are present, it means that there’s less chance of a having a miscarriage. Unfortunately, the inconvenient nausea and vomiting, make it very uncomfortable for women in the early stages of pregnancy.

Nausea during pregnancy is most apparent during the first trimester when hormone levels increase. When hormone levels slow down, the nausea also stops for most women. For some women, nausea and vomiting seems to continue their entire pregnancy.

The medical world has not yet discovered why some women are more susceptible to morning sickness than others. Why are some women more prone to nausea during pregnancy than others? Is it in the genes? Or, is it because some women have a stronger immune system?

The inconvenience, along with nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, can sometimes be dangerous. Serious nausea and vomiting during pregnancy result from a condition called Hyperemesis gravidarum. (A severe form of morning sickness, with "unrelenting, excessive pregnancy-related nausea and/or vomiting that prevents adequate intake of food and fluids.) This is the diagnoses when a woman has lost at least 10% of her body weight because of nausea and vomiting. The percentage of pregnant women afflicted with Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is only a small range from 0.3% to 2.0% of women.

Excessive nausea and vomiting can cause a pregnant woman to become dehydrated and the electrolytes balance may become unbalanced, which can be dangerous for the baby. The most common treatment for this is intravenous fluids, to replace the depleted fluids, and anti-nausea medications. Several prescription medications are used to treat nausea during pregnancy. Obviously, drugs of all kinds should be avoided during pregnancy if possible. Only in those rare situations should you consider using anti-nausea medications.

There are ways to handle nausea during pregnancy and no one method works for every woman, but some methods work better than others. Saltine crackers and ginger ale are still a favorite fix for some pregnant women. The “saltiness” of the crackers seems to help settle the stomach for some women. Potato chips work well for others. Ginger is a well known anti-nausea remedy. If you don’t get the relief results you’d like from ginger ale, gradually add more ginger to the ginger ale. Be cautious not to add too much. For some women, just the scent of ginger can have a very calming effect. Try other fresh scents, like citrus fragrances.

Every pregnant woman is different. Some prefer bland foods while others have no problem with spicy foods. Some women have reported throwing up dry toast and plain foods, only to be able to eat spicy food with no problems. There are no hard and fast rules for a pregnant woman. What kinds of foods sound good to you? Eat those. Eating more frequent small meals throughout the day, may help you feel better and have less nausea during pregnancy.

Some women find relief wearing acupressure, anti-nausea wrist bands. When you lie down, lie on your right side. Your stomach will empty more quickly and reduce your nausea symptoms.

Find something that works for you and be patient. Your nausea will finally subside around 12-14 weeks. Remember, it’s only temporary and the joy of your baby will make you forget you ever felt sick.

For more information: http://enauseaduringpregnancy.com/nausea-during-pregnancy.html