You suddenly can’t stand the smell of your perfume anymore? Your usually beloved morning coffee is repulsive to you or even makes you want to vomit? Then you could be suffering from morning sickness, like about 50 to 70 percent of all pregnant women. This is often accompanied by vomiting. When does morning sickness start during pregnancy and when does it subside? Here you will find answers to the most important questions.
Why does morning sickness occur during pregnancy?
People often talk about “morning sickness” during pregnancy because the symptoms are often worst then. Even in early pregnancy, however, you can feel nauseous at any time of day or night. So even in the evening, morning sickness can occur during pregnancy. But why does morning sickness occur in the first place?
- The symptoms are thought to be caused by the pregnancy hormone hCG.
- It is produced by the developing placenta and helps maintain the pregnancy.
- However, other factors, such as low blood sugar, increased stomach acid, vitamin B deficiency, stress and fatigue may also play a role.
- In addition, a certain aversion to certain perishable foods (for example, meat and fish) is suspected to protect mother and child from infection.
Especially for women who work a lot during pregnancy or still care for one or more children at home, morning sickness can become a heavy burden in the evening as well as in the morning. Do not torment yourself unnecessarily with it! You can always consult your gynecologist and talk to him/her about a suitable therapy.
At what point is morning sickness dangerous during pregnancy?
- In general, morning sickness is a sign that everything is fine with you, your baby and your pregnancy.
- However, a small percentage of all pregnant women suffer from pathological morning sickness , known as hyperemesis gravidarum.
- Affected women vomit more often than average – that is, more than five times a day.
- As a consequence, there is a risk of weight loss and dehydration. The body then falls back on its natural reserves.
- This can become a heavy physical burden for the pregnant woman.
- If this is the case with you, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Only then can a sensible treatment take place.
But please do not worry if you do not experience morning sickness during pregnancy. Then you are simply one of the lucky ones who do not suffer from this typical pregnancy symptom during pregnancy.
What helps against morning sickness during pregnancy?
There are a few things you can do against morning sickness during pregnancy. However, there is no secret recipe and different remedies work for every woman. Just try the following for yourself:
- Keep crackers, rice crackers, or a piece of chocolate near your bed. Eat a bite when you wake up. This will get your blood sugar up before you get out of bed.
- Instead of eating three big meals a day, eat five to six small meals. This way you avoid an empty stomach and your blood sugar level stays constant.
- Eat enough protein (meat, fish, eggs, cheese) and complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, grains). This will give your unborn baby what it needs to develop well.
- Some nutrition experts recommend 50 to 100 milligrams of vitamin B6 as a supplement to prevent morning sickness . Take your regular pregnancy vitamins in addition.
- Avoid highly spiced or fatty foods.
- Some people swear by the positive effects of aromatherapy or acupuncture during pregnancy in the fight against morning sickness.
10 foods you should not eat while breastfeeding
Healthy nutrition during pregnancy
Dealing with morning sickness
Some days, no home remedy seems to work anymore. Wondering what else you can do for morning sickness? Since most medications are taboo during pregnancy, you could try the following, for example:
- Relax: Take slow, long breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth, focus on something pleasant or dream yourself away to a beautiful place. In addition, get inspired by our anti-stress techniques for pregnant women.
- Avoid the sight, smell, and taste of foods or other substances (such as cigarette smoke) that trigger morning sickness in you since the beginning of your pregnancy.
- Suck or chew pieces of ice or suck on a freshly cut lemon.
- If daily tooth brushing in the evening and morning triggers morning sickness, use a mouthwash instead once in a while (but only as an exception during pregnancy).
- Drink a glass of milk or take two calcium tablets to neutralize the acid in your stomach.
- Try ginger. It is a natural remedy for morning sickness. Rasp it on vegetables or other foods.
- The classic: drink chamomile or ginger tea.
- As a general rule, always make sure you drink enough fluids, even if you don’t feel like it. It can help if you eat solid and liquid foods separately, so you don’t drink during a meal.
- Are the morning sickness and vomiting symptoms persistent? Do they occur more than once or twice a day? And do they prevent you from eating or drinking, or do they persist after the first three months. In these cases, you should tell your doctor.
When does morning sickness start to subside during pregnancy?
It is surprising when some women start complaining about morning sickness in their pregnancy: it can be a common symptom as early as the first week.
- Most often, morning sickness accompanies affected women during the first trimester.
- The good news is that it actually often only lasts until the fourth month of pregnancy.
- After that, hormone levels drop again somewhat and your body has become accustomed to pregnancy.
- Sometimes, however, morning sickness in pregnancy can last longer.
- Only in very rare cases does it happen that it lasts until the 40th week of pregnancy – that is, until the end.
- It is also not certain that the symptoms will be the same in your second or next pregnancy. Here, everything can be completely different again.
More Arcticle :
