There are several types of nausea which can occur during pregnancy. Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy (NVP) has symptoms which are normal. The symptoms range from mild to severe nausea, gagging, and retching vomit.  Extreme NVP with unrelenting vomiting is hyperemesis gravitdarum (HG). HG is a medical condition. The symptoms of HG begin in the first about six weeks of pregnancy. They are nausea that does not let up, severe vomiting more than three or four times daily which causes dehydration, feeling dizzy or light-headed, the inability to have food stay in the digestive system, and losing more than ten pounds or more than five percent of body weight because of vomiting. HG is a serious condition. For NVP that happens after ten weeks gestation, testing is undertaken to rule out pathological causes that range from endocrine disorders to neoplastic conditions. The cause for continuous vomiting needs evaluating.

Pregnant women with NVP often look for ways to lessen their nausea so they can eat and get the needed nutrition needed for themselves and their unborn child.

Personal Story

I was in college when I was pregnant with our first child, I usually didn’t know when nausea would send me running to the restroom. It sometimes hit me when my husband was having his morning coffee. At other times, I was nauseous when I smelled the newspaper he was reading.  I remember one time that I always took a trip to the commode. Imagine walking into the Anatomy and Physiology Lab, preparing to dissect the specimen, opening the lid, and smelling the formaldehyde that preserved the cat. Formaldehyde has a very unpleasant odor! That smell made me sick every time!!

Dietary Recommendations

Nausea usually occurs during the first trimester. Here are some healthy endeavors to help you cope:

• Rather than three normal meals, eat small snacks which include protein throughout the day.
• Regular eating times help. Take a bite of protein every half hour or before getting nauseous.
• Sipping liquids every two hours is better than eating fatty or heavy carbohydrate meals.
• Drinking water is best accomplished by small sips at regular intervals.
• Try taking prenatal vitamins before bed.

Dietary Supplements

Ginger is the most commonly recommended herb for nausea. Precautions: do not use more than 1 gram per day in pregnancy. Women using hypoglycemic medications may need a dose adjustment. Women with gastric and duodenal ulcers should avoid using ginger other than culinary purposes. Women with allergy or hypersensitivity to members of the Zingiberacae family or those allergic to Balsam of Peru may have sensitivity or contact dermatitis with use.

Peppermint or chamomile tea may give some benefit.

Prescription anti-emetics are considered for some women.

Physical Recommendations

Acupuncture wristbands may decrease nausea and Sea-Bands placed on the forearm P6 pressure point.

The nausea of pregnancy is a bother. Let it remind you that you have a BABY coming, so now is the time to eat right!

May God bless your healthful endeavors!

Joni

P.S. Please encourage others by writing about how you reduce nausea the comment section above.