Do you struggle with morning sickness? Or afternoon or evening or all day sickness? Though coined “morning sickness,” nausea and vomiting in pregnancy can come at any point in the day, and can literally come out of nowhere. I have too many stories that come to mind! Maybe the most memorable is ruining a Costco size bag of trail mix…
What Is Morning Sickness?
"Morning sickness" is the term to describe nausea and vomiting associated with the hormones of pregnancy, particularly Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, or hCG. hCG is sometimes called the pregnancy hormone, because of it's important role in supporting and maintaining a pregnancy. It's produced by the cells of the placenta, and can be found in blood or urine 10 to 11 days after conception. hCG increases rapidly during the first 8-10 weeks of pregnancy and is a marker for your healthcare provider on how the pregnancy and fetus are developing. hCG peaks around 10 weeks and then gradually decreases throughout the remainder of the pregnancy. It is thought that this hormone is one of the main reasons women experience morning sickness. However, because hCG is a marker of placental function, nausea and vomting may be a reassuring sign that the placenta is growing appropriately, even though uncomfortable.
How Long Does Morning Sickness Last?
For most women, nausea and vomiting usually ceases by the second trimester, however, for some women it can last longer. If you’re like me, maybe you’ve just dealt with it, but the good news: you don't have to! There are MANY things you can do to help keep the nausea at bay.
What Helps Prevent Nausea and Vomiting?
Here are some quick tidbits to help you manage nausea and vomiting, however, if you are not able to keep food or water down at all, or are losing weight, please contact your provider, as you may need medication and/or IV fluids.
Eat small, frequent, low-fat, high-carb and protein meals every hour or couple of hours. This will keep your blood sugar more even, because when your blood sugar crashes, you’re more likely to feel nauseous.
Don’t skip meals or snacks, for the same reason mentioned above. Keep snacks everywhere! Your purse, your car, your office, anywhere you may be, and my go to, keep saltines by your bed, and eat a few before getting up in the morning.
Take sips of water rather than guzzle. I think ice cold water helps too, or even just chewing on some ice chips. Ice chips are literally how I survived nursing school and all of the smells accompanied with the hospital. Sips of club soda are also very helpful in settling the stomach.
If food smells are bothering you, try preparing your food with the windows open and the fan on, preparing your food outside, or asking for help from someone else. Or, avoiding triggering foods for a little while : )
Try a prenatal vitamin with ginger and peppermint in it. I’ve had other midwives swear by this! Also, if your prenatal is making you nauseous, try taking it at night right before you lay down for bed.
Ginger chews, mints and sipping on ginger or peppermint tea all help minimize feelings of nausea.
You can also try peppermint essential oil to settle your stomach- 4 or 5 drops in a diffuser or diluted in a roller ball and placed on your chest and/or wrists. Effective, smells amazing, and can help lift your mood and calm racing thoughts at the same time! Win, win!
Many practitioners will recommend a combination of Unisom, a sleep aid, and B6 for treatment of nausea and vomiting. The dosage is one tablet of Unisom (25mg) at night, and B6 (25mg) taken every 8 hours during the day. Studies have shown Unisom and B6 beneficial in managing symptoms both alone and in combination. But here’s the catch: don’t take one of these when you’re starting to feel nauseous, as that’s not how they work. They are more of a maintenance - take them at the recommended times every day, and you should start to see a noticeable decrease in the amount of nausea and vomiting after a few days of taking these consistently.
Conversely, sea bands are natural, drug-free, cotton wrist bands that use acupressure that can be worn when feelings of nausea begin, and can provide instant relief for some women. They cost about $8-10 dollars and can be found in most pharmacies.
If these tips and tricks don’t work for you, you likely need something a little stronger. Please contact your provider for other options and further support.
*The information on this page is not meant to replace medical advice or the quality of healthcare given from seeing a physician or midwife.
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