"Morning sickness" is a misnomer. In fact, according to BabyCenter.com, the medical term is "nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP)." Symptoms can occur at all hours and last throughout the day.
Dr. Shannon Clark, M.D., Associate Professor in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston said that symptoms range from persistent feelings of nausea to episodes of vomiting and retching. In addition, the intensity of symptoms can vary from woman to woman.
The American Pregnancy Association (APA) said that morning sickness usually begins around the sixth week of pregnancy. For most, it seems to stop at the twelfth week of pregnancy.
What causes morning sickness isn't entirely clear, wrote Mayo Clinic, but hormonal changes from pregnancy are thought to play a role.
Morning sickness isn’t harmful to the baby, but if a woman experiences excessive vomiting and can’t manage to keep food down, she may have hyperemesis gravidarum explained APA. BabyCenter.com said that if a situation is that severe, women may need to be treated with intravenous fluids and medications.
Most doctors advise women to make dietary and lifestyle changes to relieve morning sickness. If that doesn’t work there are safe and effective medications, said BabyCenter.com.
Dr. Clark recommended eating multiple small meals or grazing throughout the day. She said that it’s always better to keep something on the stomach and not just load the stomach three times a day.
BabyCenter.com cautioned pregnant women prone to morning sickness to avoid fatty foods, which take longer to digest. The site recommended that they steer clear of spicy, acidic and fried foods, which can irritate the digestive system.
In worst case scenarios, Dr. Clark has women go on a BRAT diet. It’s a bland diet consisting of bananas, rice, applesauce and toast.
APA said it’s good for women to drink fluids a half hour before or after a meal, but not with meals. Mayo Clinic advised sipping water or ginger ale. It may also help to suck on hard candy, ice chips or ice pops.
Avoid lying down after eating, as this can slow digestion, wrote BabyCenter.com.
Get plenty of rest, nap during the day and exercise, said APA. Mayo Clinic suggested that women get plenty of fresh air.
When you first wake up, nibble some crackers and then rest for 20 to 30 minutes before getting up, wrote BabyCenter.com.
Another thing to try to avoid morning sickness, said BabyCenter.com, is taking prenatal vitamins with food or just before bed. If the prenatal vitamins still cause nausea, ask if you can stop taking them until your nausea gets better.
If these dietary and lifestyle changes don’t work, there are other options. Recently the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted approval for Diclegis. Dr. Clark, a co-investigator in the Diclegis clinical trial, said these delayed-release tablets are effective in treating NVP in women who don’t respond to other methods.
Sources:
"Morning Sickness During Pregnancy | APA on Morning Sickness." American Pregnancy Association | Promoting Pregnancy Wellness . N.p., n.d. Web. 15 June 2013.
http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/morningsickness.html
Clark, M.D., MMS, Shannon. Phone interview. 12 June 2013.
Dewar, Gwen. "Morning sickness: Causes, concerns, treatments| BabyCenter." BabyCenter | Homepage - Pregnancy, Baby, Toddler, Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 June 2013.
http://www.babycenter.com/morning-sickness
"Morning sickness - MayoClinic.com." Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 June 2013.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/morning-sickness/DS01150
FDA approves Diclegis for pregnant women experiencing nausea and vomiting. Web. 15 June 2013.
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm347087.htm
Reviewed June 18, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith