How to Cope with Morning Sickness

QUESTION: What’s the best way to deal with morning sickness during pregnancy?

ANSWER: by Jon S. Matsunaga, M.D.

Nausea and vomiting are common complaints during pregnancy, affecting about 70 percent of all pregnant women during the first trimester. Morning sickness is unpleasant, but it doesn’t harm the woman’s or the baby’s health and it doesn’t mean the baby is sick.

The nausea and vomiting are thought to be caused by an increase in hormone levels during pregnancy. In general, morning sickness is considered to be a good sign because it means the afterbirth (the placenta and fetal membranes) is developing well.

Although morning sickness is more common in the morning, it can last all day. It usually starts during the first month of pregnancy and most often continues until the 14th to 16th week. There is no set time for it to end as each woman and each pregnancy is different. Some women never experience it at all.

Stress, traveling and/or some kinds of foods can aggravate the condition.

Following are a few suggested tips to help ease the symptoms of nausea and vomiting:

• Sit on the side of the bed for a few minutes before getting up slowly.
  
• Eat dry toast or crackers before getting out of bed or whenever you feel nauseated.
  
• Eat small meals throughout the day so you’re never too full or too hungry. An empty stomach may increase nausea.
  
• Avoid rich, fatty foods. Increase your intake of carbohydrates and choose easy-to-digest foods such as jello, potatoes and white rice.
  
• Avoid foods with smells that bother you. Many women find that specific smells trigger their morning sickness. Citrus juice, milk, coffee and caffeinated tea may make nausea worse.
  
• Drink fluids often during the day to avoid dehydration. I often recommend my patients carry a water bottle with them to sip during the day. Herbal teas and cold drinks that are bubbly or sweet may also help quell nausea.
  
• Get plenty of fresh air and try sleeping with the window open.
  
• Try wearing acupressure wristbands, which are sometimes used to prevent seasickness. They appear to help some women who have morning sickness.

Iron in prenatal vitamins may also cause nausea. A chewable vitamin with folic acid taken at the end of the day may be helpful.

Most women will find that following these tips will provide at least some relief from their symptoms.

In rare cases, the nausea and vomiting can be severe. The condition is called hyperemesis gravidarum, and can result in significant weight loss and dehydration. Your should contact your doctor or health professional if you vomit more than three times a day as medication or other treatment may be necessary.

Your doctor should be called immediately if vomiting is accompanied by pain and/or fever, as these symptoms may indicate an infection is present.

Morning sickness can cause a great deal of discomfort but is generally not harmful. Tell your doctor if you have morning sickness at your prenatal visits, as he or she may want to specifically monitor your morning sickness as your pregnancy continues. He or she may also have other suggestions to help you cope with this problem.

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Jon S. Matsunaga, M.D. is an Ob/Gyn specialist and chair of the Ob/Gyn department at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica. For more information on Saint John’s, please contact the health center at (310) 829-5511 or visit the hospital’s website at http://www.stjohns.org