Morning Sickness in Pregnancy & Hyperemesis gravidarum

Even before you find two pink lines on the pregnancy strip, your body may start giving you signs of good news. The first and very common symptom that body signals in is the morning sickness.

Nausea (feel like vomiting) and occasional vomiting are categorized as morning sickness symptoms.

Unlike the name, morning sickness can make you feel uncomfortable at any time of the day.

Approx. 90% of pregnant women have encountered mild to moderate morning sickness whereas 0.5-2% of women face extreme one.

Most women develop this symptom as the first sign of pregnancy and experience it only in the first trimester (3-4 months) with mild to no symptom in the second trimester. 

Few have reported the symptom throughout pregnancy. If the symptom persists after the 4th month, it is better to consult the doctor and get prescribed for the discomfort.

Although the exact reason for morning sickness is unknown. There are certain theories or assumptions that can be correlated with the symptoms.

Causes of Morning Sickness

1. Hormonal changes in Morning Sickness

A. Estrogen in Morning Sickness

Estrogen levels are 100 times higher in a pregnant woman as compared to the non-pregnant. This high level could be a culprit for this uneasiness. There is no proof or evidence on this theory but can be a dotted reason.

B. Progesterone in Morning Sickness

High levels of progesterone during pregnancy can also be a probable cause of this symptom. The role of progesterone in pregnancy is to relax the uterine muscles in order to prevent premature birth. At the same time, it may relax the stomach and gastrointestinal tract that may result in acid reflux and thereby morning sickness.

3. hCG in Morning Sickness

Some researchers believe that morning sickness do have a correlation with hCG levels. hCG is a pregnancy hormone that is released after conception for embryo development and placental growth.

4. Some other Hormones in Morning Sickness

Different hormones can add to queasiness and disorder in pregnancy, potentially stress hormones, for example, cortisol.

2. Low blood sugar levels in Morning Sickness

This is not proved but is assumed that placental development depletes sugar levels in a body and in turn result in morning sickness.

Who are at risk of Morning Sickness

As mentioned, morning sickness is very common during pregnancy. But there are few risk factors that make sure that a woman is more prone to this symptom.

• Mother expecting multiples
• Mothers who had suffered morning sickness in the earlier pregnancy
• Mothers who have migraines or motion sickness 
• Mothers who have intense stress
• Mothers who are fatigued 

Treatment for Morning Sickness

Although mild morning sickness is not at all harmful, it is highly uneasy and discomfort feeling.

Few are the remedies to overcome morning sickness”.

Non-Medicinal Treatment for Morning Sickness

• Bed rest
• Ginger or peppermint drink
• Hypnosis
• Acupuncture
• Vitamin B6 supplements
• Prenatals

Medicinal Treatment for Morning Sickness

• Antihistamines that reduces nausea
• Phenothiazine that calms nausea and vomiting
• Metoclopramide that helps food to move through the stomach and reduces nausea and vomiting
• Antacids help against acid reflux

Hyperemesis gravidarum 

Mild to moderate morning sickness does not harm the mother or a baby. But if it gets intense and severe, the condition is termed as “Hyperemesis gravidarum”. 

This condition is experienced by 1-2 per cent of all pregnancy. In most of the cases, it passes away by 5th month of pregnancy.

Signs and symptom of Hyperemesis gravidarum:

Signs & symptoms include severe vomiting leading to: 

• Severe dehydration
• Weight Loss
• Alkalosis
• Low blood potassium levels
• Rapid heart rate
• Decreased urination
• Fainting
• Low blood pressure
• Headaches
• Severe anxiety or depression
• Intense or extreme fatigue
• Few may face jaundice

If the condition is very severe, it becomes important to seek medical advice. Doctors may suggest hospitalization and infusion of liquids via IV to keep you hydrated and restore vitamins, nutrients and essential electrolytes.

The condition may not harm your baby but the risk of delivering underweight baby increases.

Diagnosis of Morning Sickness

• This condition can be confirmed by doctors by looking at the symptoms a woman is facing.
• An ultrasound may also help to rule out the cause that is leading this condition.
• Urine test is also done to see the ketone levels. If the ketone level is high, it may make mother malnutrition
• A blood test is prescribed by the doctor to measure the electrolytes in the blood.

Prevention of Morning Sickness

• Take plenty of fluid
• Take water before and after meals
• Avoid spicy food
• Take small and frequent meals
• Stop junk food
• Take rest with small naps
• Do not overload yourself
• Keep yourself away from the odours that are aggravating your nausea
• Ventilate your workspace 
• Avoid smoke
• Take prenatal in the night just before you sleep

If none helps and still the severity is there beyond 3-4 months, please consult your doctor. Also please consult your doctor before taking any medications or remedies.

Don’t let this discomfort come in between during the beautiful phase of your life. It’s just a phase and will pass it out. 

Take ample rest and meditate; this will surely help.