Morning sickness is a common distressing feeling, which approximately 80% pregnant women have to experience. If they are having twins then the feeling may be exaggerated and prolonged too. Morning sickness is usually mild form of nausea and vomiting that affects them in the first trimester and early second trimester (i.e. 1-5 months of pregnancy). Morning sickness is more pronounced in the morning, but can happen at any time of the day and sometimes make you feel sick all day long. It affects different women with different intensities. Some experience only mild, some moderate, some severe and some none at all.
Do You Feel Better After Throwing Up Morning Sickness?
About 1% of women may experience severe form of morning sickness in pregnancy known as hyperemesis gravidarum. In this the vomiting is quite severe and pregnant women may lose fluid and electrolyte along with their body weight. They may need hospitalization to replenish hydration and electrolyte balance through IV infusion. Hyperemesis gravidarum can be life threatening if not treated; however, with treatment there is no harm to the mother or the baby.
Prolonged nausea can be so tiresome and ailing that when finally retched, it is relaxing and satisfactory. Nausea can be felt several times a day and for several hours per day. There is no counting to the amount of time or frequency of the ailment. It can disturb the tasks at hand. Although, you might feel better after throwing up, the nausea can return and there can be an urge to throw up once again. This can be a vicious cycle and some women can try forced vomiting, just to ease the sensation of nausea because that is what takes all the energy and peace of mind away. However, one should be wary of it, as it is pregnant women have hard time eating and drinking due to uncontrollable feeling of nausea that reduces ones appetite.
It is good to vomit after being hung-over to get all those toxins out of the body; but it is different in pregnant women. The food that is being vomited out in pregnant women is the nutrition for the fetus and repeated vomiting can lead to dehydration and malnourishment for both the mother and fetus. Therefore, instead of throwing up one should focus on averting and distracting oneself from this feeling. It is well documented that being distracted; i.e. working, exercising, reading and other activities that keep you busy help you ease morning sickness.
Other preventative measures for morning sickness can be adopted to avoid such a suffering. Firstly, all the triggers that exaggerate this feeling should be avoided. These triggers could be certain smells, such as coffee, hot food, spicy foods, fatty foods, chemicals, perfumes, smoke, etc. Each individual has different triggers and they will know it when they encounter it and they should be avoided. Avoiding hot foods that enhance the smells of foods can be avoided and instead cold foods and drinks should be preferred. If cooking worsens the symptoms due to odor of cooking then that should be avoided. Prenatal vitamins contain iron and sometimes that can worsen morning sickness, so it should be stopped and instead folic acid supplements should be started.
Staying hungry for too long or overeating can be another trigger, so even that should be avoided. Instead of 3 large meals per day, pregnant women can take 6 small meals with regular snacking. Drinks and juices are important to avoid dehydration. Lying down immediately after eating is a bad idea and changing sides and turning too quickly while sleeping is also not a very good idea.
There are many preventative measures and remedies for morning sickness in pregnancy all around the internet, but before trying any of those a woman should be wise enough to consult their obstetrician. If non-therapeutic measures fail, then anti-emetic medications can be prescribed, which will help get through the symptoms of morning sickness.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2018). Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/morning-sickness-nausea-and-vomiting-of-pregnancy
- Mayo Clinic. (2020). Morning sickness: Understand nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/expert-answers/morning-sickness/faq-20475284
- National Health Service. (2020). Nausea and morning sickness. https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/related-conditions/common-symptoms/nausea-morning-sickness/
- Women’s Health Concern. (2019). Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (morning sickness). https://www.womens-health-concern.org/help-and-advice/factsheets/nausea-vomiting-pregnancy-morning-sickness/
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