How Do I Stop Vomiting During Pregnancy Naturally?
When not pregnant it would have been okay to go a day without any food when having nausea and vomiting; however, now it is not just about her, she needs to feed her baby too and that can only be done if she eats. So, a pregnant woman needs to eat right amount of healthy foods at regular intervals. Both, overeating and avoiding foods can exaggerate the feeling of NVP. To avoid this, instead of taking 3 large meals, you can eat 4-5 small meals along with snacks in between.
Along with regular meals, keeping hydrated is also important. Water, juices, ginger ale, ginger tea or any other drink that you do not find obnoxious during pregnancy is okay to consume. Lying down immediately after eating or drinking can also be a trigger, so that should be avoided.
Along with pregnancy comes the heightened sense of smell, which leads to nausea and vomiting to smells with which you were comfortable with when not pregnant. These smells may be odor of cooking, coffee, smoke, hot foods, spicy foods, breath odor or any odor that triggers nausea. It is different for every woman, so let your body lead the path as to which odor to avoid. This can be avoided by eating bland, cold foods with minimal odor. While spicy foods can be repellent to some, other may enjoy and crave it; the same can be said for sour or sweet foods. The body will know which foods to avoid so it is best to trust your body.
Inhaling or spraying fresh scents such as lemon, orange or peppermint can be relaxing and calming to the senses, thus avoiding nausea and vomiting.
The best way to avoid NVP is to distract yourself and engage in activities that give you pleasure such as reading, writing, light exercising, yoga, or taking short walks or anything that helps you keep your mind off this feeling of nausea.
Sometimes you feel nauseous when body is deficient of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). Pregnant women are found to be deficient of this vitamin and it is known to avoid nausea. Many women feel better with the above lifestyle changes; however, there are some women who still feel nauseous and sick. These women can consider taking antiemetic medications after consulting their obstetrician.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy is one of the most exquisite experiences of womanhood and bearing a child and nurturing it is what every woman desires in her lifetime. However, with great responsibility come great sacrifices and great changes. Likewise, pregnancy can also bring about many changes in a woman in all the spheres, physically, mentally and emotionally. While the most obvious changes are the physical changes that are perceptible to our eyes. These changes lead to certain symptoms that can be really distressing. Nausea and vomiting is one such symptom in pregnancy, which nearly 80% women feel.
The most probable cause leading to nausea is hormonal changes in a woman’s body, such as elevated levels of human chorionic gonadotropin hormone in the first trimester of pregnancy that coincides with feeling of nausea and vomiting (also known as morning sickness) during the first trimester and as the level of hCG begins to fall from second trimester onwards, the nausea and vomiting is also eased. Other probable causes are family history, and evolutionary protective mechanism. For some women nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP) does not subside throughout pregnancy and these women have no choice, but to bear with it.
There is no shortage of medicines to curb this feeling; however, neither the doctors nor the mothers are comfortable giving/taking medications and expose to unnecessary harm to babies. They are even more apprehensive after the thalidomide disaster in the 1960’s that led to many babies born with birth defects. Pregnant women want to abide by natural remedies until and unless taking medication is the only choice.
- American Pregnancy Association. (2021). Morning sickness relief, symptoms, and causes. https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/morning-sickness-relief-68909/
- Mayo Clinic. (2021). Morning sickness: Symptoms & causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/morning-sickness/symptoms-causes/syc-20375254
- National Health Service (NHS). (2022). Morning sickness. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/morning-sickness-nausea/
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). (2020). Morning sickness: nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. https://www.acog.org/patient-resources/faqs/pregnancy/morning-sickness-nausea-and-vomiting-of-pregnancy
Also Read:
- Emetophobia or Fear of Vomiting: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Recovery
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- What Should Be Done If Your Toddler Is Vomiting?
- Causes of Chronic Vomiting
- What Causes Vomiting During Pregnancy and How To Stop It?
- What To Take To Stop Vomiting?
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