Not Your Average Hangover
Nausea & Vomiting During Pregnancy
Disclaimer: This post is meant for informational purposes only and should not replace information or medical advice provided by your primary health provider.
Feeling nauseous is unpleasant during the best of times and is an unfortunate part of many women’s pregnancy. In fact, nausea is one of the most common symptoms during pregnancy and affects up to 80% percent of pregnant women. Normally nausea and vomiting is a symptom of being sick, but during pregnancy it’s a little different. While nausea and vomiting is a normal part of pregnancy, it is not a symptom of a healthy pregnancy. In other words, it’s perfectly normal to feel sick during pregnancy, but it’s also fine (and arguably much more pleasant) not to. Women can experience nausea and vomiting as early as 5 weeks pregnant and the feeling can continue up to the day they deliver. For many women symptoms are worse in the first trimester and start gradually improving at 12 weeks pregnant.
With all that said, there are both medicated and non-medicated options that can help with nausea during pregnancy. In addition, many women find symptoms improve overtime time or after the birth of the baby.
Here are some of your options for how to treat your nausea and vomiting:
Speak to your primary care provider about your nausea and vomiting to discuss options for symptom relief. It’s important to let your primary care provider know what other medications you’re taking and whether you have a history of heartburn (gastroesophageal reflux disorder). Your primary care provider may want to send you for bloodwork to look at your electrolytes, thyroid hormone level, kidney function and liver function if your nausea and vomiting is severe.
Please note that some women find that their prenatal vitamin increases their nausea. If this is the case, taking it at different times of the day, switching vitamin brands, or stopping the prenatal vitamin temporarily but continuing to take 1mg of Folic acid once daily could be helpful.
Every woman and every pregnancy are unique. Personally, I felt nauseous until 23 weeks pregnant. After that point, things slowly but gradually improved over time. I’ve found that eating small meals often instead of big meals and keeping hydrated helped. I also found that Gravol would just make me sleepy and I’d wake up just as nauseous. I did not try any prescribed medicated options because I never vomited. However, I know many women get relief from taking Diclectin as prescribed by their primary care provider.
What worked for me may not necessarily work for you. A good starting point for relief is trying a few non-medicated options to see if they help. However, don’t feel afraid to explore the medication route. At the end of the day, if you don’t feel well it’s going to impact other areas of your life such as work, exercise, and mental health. Don’t let your nausea take over your life. Acknowledge that you are experiencing this symptom and do your best to find a way to relieve it as best you can. You’ve got this!
References
https://www.themothersprogram.ca/during-pregnancy/nausea-and-vomiting
https://www.pregnancyinfo.ca/your-pregnancy/healthy-pregnancy/nausea-and-vomiting/
The Management of Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy. (2016). The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada. Retrieved from https://www.jogc.com