The feeling of sickness is part and parcel of pregnancy and no one can do anything about it, except just experience it. To what extent, no one knows. It could either be mild or severe. Most pregnant women experience only mild form known as morning sickness, while a very minute number of women (about 1%) experience the more severe form of it, known as hyperemesis gravidarum. While some endure this for the first few months of pregnancy, others may have to endure it for the entire lengths of their pregnancy. The common feeling of sickness is that annoying feeling of nausea and wanting to vomit, but unable to do so. Some women have to retch repeatedly and tire of it.
The affliction of a woman does not end here. Along with nausea and vomiting they may also have to frequently visit the washroom to urinate and feel those abdominal cramps. They may also have dizziness, body aches, muscle aches and weakness. But all these feelings surpass that experience of holding a newborn in their hands. While there are women for whom this experience is unbearable and want to terminate their pregnancy; there are still others who, after experiencing it once, would never want to get pregnant again; and still there are other brave-hearts for whom the joy of giving birth transcends all pain.
How Can I Stop Feeling Sick During Pregnancy?
The most important thing for a pregnant woman is to know her body completely and what things she is craving and what things her body rejects. Every woman’s body reacts differently to different foods and things. The first and foremost thing is to make lifestyle changes in diet. The diet you took before pregnancy may not be healthy for the baby; hence, the body is rejecting the food you are taking. You should keep a track of things that make you sick and from next time avoid those things. It is best to eat cold and bland diet, which includes toast, applesauce, bananas, chicken soup, rice, etc. Things those are easy to digest such as potatoes, soups, lean meats, fruits and fresh vegetables. Avoid foods that are rich in fat, fried foods, spicy foods or extremely sweet foods.
There are certain odors that may induce nausea and pregnant women should be wary of them and avoid such smells. The most common smells that may cause nausea are cooking foods, coffee, smoke, hot foods, certain perfumes, or soaps. Any particular smell can make a woman queasy, so she should avoid that smell. She can use fragrances of fresh lemon, orange or peppermint oil, and these are known to have calming effect.
Hydration is another important factor to keep that queasy feeling away, whether it is normal water, juices or ginger tea, ginger ale or non-caffeinated tea.
Distracting yourself from that nauseated feeling can also help. Some examples include writing, reading, watching TV, and swimming, walking, doing yoga or exercising. Deep breathing is another technique that helps with such a feeling while it calms those antsy nerves.
Other alternative therapies, such as acupressure and acupuncture, muscle relaxation, aromatherapy, hypnosis, reflexology have all been tried to some extent to prevent the feeling of sickness during pregnancy.
When everything fails to prevent that feeling then you can resort to anti-emetic medications, which are safe to take during pregnancy. These include vitamin B6 supplement alone or in addition to doxylamine. Other medications that can be used for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy are cyclizine, meclizine, promethazine, prochlorperazine, diphenhydramine, dimenhydrinate, or metoclopramide. Ondansetron is avoided in the first trimester of pregnancy and given when other antiemetics fail. Glucocorticoids are reserved for severe form of NVP, such as hyperemesis gravidarum.
Finally, what are most important things in pregnancy are lots of rest to the body, because lack of rest can aggravate fatigue and stress leading to that feeling of sickness during pregnancy.
Relevant Sources:
- “Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy.” American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/morning-sickness-nausea-and-vomiting-of-pregnancy
- “Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy.” American Pregnancy Association. https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/nausea-during-pregnancy/
- “Managing Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy.” The Royal Women’s Hospital. https://www.thewomens.org.au/health-information/pregnancy-and-birth/a-healthy-pregnancy/managing-nausea-and-vomiting-in-pregnancy
Also Read:
- Pregnancy and Back Pain: The “Why’s” and the Remedies
- What Causes Shortness of Breath during Early Pregnancy?
- Pregnancy Diet: Foods to Eat During 1st, 2nd and 3rd Trimester
- What Causes Pregnancy Headache & How is it Treated?
- 10 Changes in the Body during Pregnancy
- Causes of Muscle Cramps During Pregnancy
