About three-quarters of women suffer from it; nausea during pregnancy. After the fourth month of pregnancy, the nausea usually subsides. In this article, we will give you the ins and outs of morning sickness.
How does the nausea manifest itself?
From the moment you are a pregnant, you can suffer from nausea. For women, this is often the first clear signal that they’re pregnant. Around the fourth month of pregnancy, the symptoms disappear or are much less severe. In some cases, women suffer from morning sickness that persists throughout the entire pregnancy, but this is not very common.
What is the cause of nausea?
It is suspected that morning sickness is caused by hormones. The degree of nausea experienced, can often be compared to the amount of hCG in the body. The fact that there is an increased production of estrogen, also causes a different hormone balance. Nausea can be a consequence of this imbalance.
Is it bad to be nauseous or not?
Not feeling sick in the mornings? No worries! You’re one of the lucky women who doesn’t experience any feeling of nausea during pregnancy. If you do experience morning sickness, you don’t have anything to worry about either, it’s not harmful to you or your baby. However, if it gets too intense and you start to worry, you should consult your family doctor. This is recommended if, for example, you lose a lot of weight, can no longer hold down any food or if you feel faint or dizzy a lot.
If the pain really gets too intense, then you are probably one of the people who suffers from hyperemesis gravidarum. This is a serious form of morning sickness that can even get to the point where a doctor has to intervene to reduce the nausea.
Source: Shutterstock.comPregnancy nausea tips
When we look at food, it’s important not to eat too much. Eating or drinking reduces the acidity in the stomach, which can cause irritation. It is therefore preferable to eat in small quantities, and it is advisable to always take something to eat with you. This way, you will never run out of food and your stomach will not bother you because it is empty.
Also avoid sour, spicy, heavy and fatty foods. These are amplifiers that can cause extra irritation or nausea in the stomach. If you’re stomach is irritated, some easily digestable food, like bread, will be good for it. This works like a sponge in your stomach. It absorbs gastric juices, reducing the irritation.
In addition, keep drinking a lot. This prevents you from becoming dehydrated. However, avoid caffeine, which is mainly found in coffee, most teas, some painkillers, coke and, to a lesser extent, in chocolate.
Other tips
- Try walking around once in a while. Fresh air helps when you feel nauseous.
- Brush your teeth. A stale or dirty feeling in your mouth is not helpful when you want to combat nausea.
- Ginger tea is very helpful against nausea. Incorporating ginger in your food can also serve to counteract nausea.
- Above all, get a lot of rest. Feeling stressed out can intensify the nausea.
