Vomiting during Pregnency
Overview of Vomiting during pregnancy
First aid for Vomiting during pregnancy
Do’s and Don’ts to avoid Vomiting during pregnancy
Overview of Vomiting during pregnancy
Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP) is a common complaint during the first three months (first trimester) of pregnancy and may persist throughout pregnancy in some cases. Although NVP is also known as morning sickness, most women have symptoms throughout the day.1 Symptoms of NVP can range from mild to unbearable bouts of nausea and vomiting. For most women, NVP is a self-limited condition with no long-term negative outcome on their health or the health of their fetuses. Its severe form, hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), may result in dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and the need for hospitalization.2 The psychosocial consequences include decreased quality of life, time off work and secondary depression.3
The exact etiology and pathogenesis of NVP are poorly understood and are most likely multifactorial. Most evidence points to rapid fluctuations in hormone levels, which may cause changes in the gastrointestinal muscle contraction and relaxation patterns, thus leading to NVP. Other theories for the etiology of NVP include psychological predisposition, evolutionary adaptation and Helicobacter pylori infection.
The first choice in NVP treatment generally involves changes in diet or lifestyle. It had been proposed that early treatment of NVP might decrease the risk of HG. Pyridoxine and metoclopramide (category A) are first-line in treatment of HG followed by prochlorperazine (category C), prednisolone (category A), promethazine (category C) and ondansetron (category B1).3 When the nausea and vomiting is very severe and the patient is unable to tolerate oral fluids, she has to be admitted to the hospital and intravenous fluids and medications should be started.
First aid for Vomiting during pregnancy
The following approaches may be helpful in managing mild-to-moderate form of NVP:
- Eat small amounts of food frequently.
- Have few crackers in the morning before getting out of bed to prevent early morning nausea.
- Try eating simple carbohydrates such as plain toast, salty biscuits and white rice.
- Drink small amounts of fluids frequently during the day and drink between meals and not during meals.
- Try sniffing lemons or ginger.
- Rest adequately since nausea tends to worsen when a woman is tired.
- Get plenty of fresh air and avoid warm places, as this can aggravate the nausea.
- Try using acupressure wrist bands.
- Take pyridoxine (vitamin B6) supplements, after doctor’s consultation, as it help to reduce nausea and vomiting. The suggested dose is 25–50 mg every 8 h.
Do’s and Don’ts to avoid Vomiting during pregnancy
- Avoid spicy and fatty foods, and foods with odors that trigger NVP.
- Avoid being on an empty stomach. Nibble on light snacks between meals.
- Avoid drinking fluids during meals and immediately before or after a meal.
- Avoid stressful activities.
Written by: Healthplus24 team
Date last updated: March 22, 2012