Morning Sickness in the First Trimester
Hey Mama!
If you have found this blog post then there is a good chance that you have been experiencing the unpleasant symptoms of morning sickness or pregnancy nausea. It is estimated that between 70-80% of pregnant women will experience nausea to some degree in the first trimester while around 50% may experience vomiting too.
It’s certainly not pleasant and if you are suffering with it, there are very few things that have been proven to take it away completely. Usually it just disappears by itself if left to run its course. But there are certainly things that you can do to lessen and manage the symptoms, which I am going to share with you in this blog post.
What is Morning Sickness?
Morning sickness, also known as pregnancy nausea, is a really common condition experienced by many expectant mothers during the early stages of pregnancy. And for most, this is probably the most unpleasant pregnancy symptom. For most women who experience symptoms, they tend to disappear by the end of the 1st Trimester.
The term “Pregnancy Nausea” encompasses a range of symptoms, with nausea and vomiting being the most prevalent. These symptoms often arise in the morning, hence the name, but can strike at any time of day. While morning sickness is generally considered a normal part of pregnancy, its severity and duration can vary widely among individuals.
As it stands, nobody has actually been able to pinpoint an exact reason or cause for morning sickness. It is thought to be primarily triggered by hormonal changes that occur during early pregnancy, particularly the increase in oestrogen levels. These hormonal fluctuations can irritate the stomach lining, leading to nausea and vomiting.
Heightened sensitivity to odours, certain foods, and stress can act as triggers for morning sickness, making pregnant women more prone to experiencing these symptoms, especially during the first trimester. Foods and scents that you ordinarily love, may suddenly make you want to dash to the bathroom!
Managing Morning Sickness
Eat Little and Often
Often, pregnancy nausea can be made worse by allowing your stomach to become completely empty. This is why nausea is often associated with morning, because your stomach is usually empty when you wake up first thing in the morning. By grazing on snacks and small meals throughout the day, you can avoid that empty stomach/sick feeling.
BONUS TIP
Keep an easy, plain snack on your bedside table so that when you wake up, you can have a little nibble first thing before you even step out of bed!
2. Stay Hydrated
Nausea symptoms can be made worse by allowing yourself to become dehydrated. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times and just keep sipping away.
3. Opt for Bland Foods
This doesn’t sound particularly fun I know! But you may find that your nausea is made worse by heavy, rich or flavoursome foods. So perhaps on those days when you’re struggling to take in anything, just opt for the simple things such as plain pasta, rice, crackers, bread, crisps etc. At this stage it doesn’t matter if your diet isn’t the healthiest, the important thing is that you’re able to take in ANYTHING.
Home Remedies
If you feel that you may need to take some extra steps to manage your nausea but you perhaps don’t like the idea of taking any anti-nausea medication, there are some well known home remedies that are safe for pregnant women.
Ginger
Ginger is a well known remedy for nausea (not just in pregnancy, but any time. Hello hangover cure!) It’s safe to use during pregnancy and readily available. There are lots of different ways you can take ginger to benefit from it’s effects. You can drink ginger tea, you can blend it into smoothies, you can eat ginger cookies just to name a few.
2. Peppermint
Peppermint again is something that’s well known for reducing nausea symptoms. Again, you can drink it as a tea. But another great way to use peppermint is through aromatherapy. Using a couple of drops of peppermint essential oil on a cloth and just waving it under your nose to be able to take a deep sniff can be very effective at reducing nausea.
3. Lemon
Lemon isn’t QUITE as effective as peppermint or ginger, but still has anti-nausea properties. It’s a good one to have up your sleeve just in case you develop a sudden aversion to ginger and peppermint which can sometimes happen. Infusing a jug of water with lemon wedges overnight in the fridge will create a lovely refreshing drink to wake up to and potentially relieve your morning sickness symptoms.
4. Acupressure Wristbands
These are readily available at pharmacists and online. Often used to relieve travel sickness symptoms, they are very effective. The are essentially cotton, elastic wristbands with a small button that presses inwards onto your wrist, stimulating a certain pressure point that relieves nausea.
When to seek medical advice for Morning Sickness
A few unlucky women experience an extreme form of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum. This may mean that you become dehydrated and weakened. In this case it would be advisable to seek medical advice from your midwife or doctor. You may be prescribed anti-nausea medication or in rare circumstances be admitted to hospital to be put onto a drip.
Additionally, if you are unable to keep any food or fluids down for an extended period, it's crucial to seek immediate medical attention. Other reasons to seek medical advice include the presence of blood in vomit, signs of urinary tract infection, or if you have a history of hyperemesis gravidarum or severe morning sickness in previous pregnancies. Timely medical intervention can help manage severe symptoms, provide relief, and ensure that any underlying issues are addressed to support a healthier pregnancy journey.
So there you have it, every thing you ever wanted to know (and some stuff you probably didn’t want to know!) about morning sickness.
This part of pregnancy can feel never ending and draining! But rest assured Mama, this storm shall pass!
All my love,
Ellie
xxx
