What is Morning Sickness?
Morning sickness is a common condition that occurs in approximately 70% of pregnancies and typically starts around the 6-week mark. It can last for weeks or months depending on the person, but the symptoms usually subside around the second trimester. Although it’s called “morning” sickness, women can experience these symptoms throughout the entirety of the day. There’s no clear scientific reason why morning sickness occurs during pregnancy, but an increase in hormonal changes may heighten your sense of smell, causing you to become more sensitive to certain odors. These hormonal changes can also alter your sense of taste, so flavors may come across differently than they did before you were pregnant or you might experience sour or bitter tastes with certain foods. Furthermore, the symptoms of morning sickness can be exacerbated by stress, being overtired, eating certain foods, or motion sickness. It’s important to schedule your prenatal visits with your doctor and call them with any questions or concerns you may have about morning sickness or your pregnancy in general.
Symptoms of Morning Sickness
Morning sickness can be different for everyone and some women may experience some symptoms more often than others. The most common symptoms include:
- Nausea and vomiting, often triggered by certain odors or foods
- Dehydration
Rest assured that these symptoms don’t usually harm the fetus, but they can affect your life, including your ability to work or complete everyday tasks. There are safe treatments available that can protect you and keep your symptoms from worsening. If you feel as though you can’t keep any liquid or food down, you may want to go to the hospital and receive IV fluids and medication to alleviate the dehydration and nausea associated with morning sickness.
At-Home Treatments
There are things you can do on your own to help keep morning sickness in check. For example, start by eating a simple meal such as toast or crackers in the morning to help settle your stomach. Avoid fatty and spicy foods and stick with bland foods such as bananas, rice, applesauce, broth, or eggs. Get plenty of rest and increase your water intake throughout the day. Your healthcare providers may recommend that you take vitamin B6 to help process certain amino acids, which helps alleviate nausea. As always, talk to your health care provider before taking any vitamins.
Contact Us
At Connecticut Coastal OB/GYN, we’re here to answer your questions and treat you if you are experiencing any morning sickness symptoms. Our trained, experienced professionals will help you every step of the way – and we have pregnancy resources available online to guide you. To schedule an appointment, call us today (203) 562-5181 or visit our website.
Resources used:
https://www.acog.org/womens-health/experts-and-stories/ask-acog/what-causes-morning-sickness
https://www.babycentre.co.uk/x2519/can-vitamin-b6-relieve-morning-sickness
https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/morning-sickness-nausea-and-vomiting-of-pregnancy
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