Pregnant and Vomiting
Being pregnant is one of the most amazing experiences that any woman can have. Unfortunately there are some side effects that often accompany pregnancy including vomiting and nausea. This condition, often referred to as morning sickness, is actually very common with an estimated 70-85% of all pregnant women likely to suffer some type of nausea during their pregnancy. Knowing this fact won’t make it any easier to suffer through, but hopefully it will put into perspective that vomiting while pregnant is not unusual and shouldn’t be a threat to your or your baby.
The condition known as morning sickness is actually defined by the medical community as “nausea and vomiting of pregnancy” (or abbreviated to NVP). Although the condition is more often felt in the mornings, it is actually something that could take hold at any time of the day or night. Being pregnant and vomiting is obviously not a pleasant experience. The problem can get particularly distressing if it happens regularly or lasts for a significant period of time. As the nausea can start around week 6 of your pregnancy, you may still be keeping it a secret from friends or work colleagues so this adds another type of stress.
The symptoms of morning sickness will normally last until about week 12 or so which takes you up to the end of your first trimester. Some women will continue to suffer nausea for another one or two months and a small percentage will even have it right through until they give birth. Not everyone suffers in the same way or has the same severity of symptoms. You might have the occasional queasy feeling or you could have regular vomiting that totally restricts your lifestyle.
There is no definitive cause although there have been numerous theories and studies done over the years. Despite there being no concrete or single cause, the studies all tend to indicate that morning sickness does not pose any threat to your long term health or to the health of your developing child. In fact, studies have indicated that women who suffered NPV will have babies of average or above average weight at birth.
So the bottom line is that for most women pregnant vomiting is not something to be too worried about. This doesn’t mean that you should just ignore it or put up with it indefinitely. There are various treatments, including some simple home remedies, that you can use to remove symptoms of NPV.
You should also make sure to consult a medical professional if you are worried or unsure about your condition. This is especially important if the morning sickness continues later into pregnancy as both you and the baby might start to miss vital nutrients that come from food and liquid intake. Your doctor will probably want to rule out other possible problems, like a virus or unrelated illness, that could be causing your nausea. They will also want to rule out a serious but relatively uncommon condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum which basically refers to excessive vomiting of pregnant women. Sufferers with this problem have severe vomiting and have lost more than 5% of their pre-pregnancy weight. There can be serious issues associated with this condition but keep in mind that this will only affect a very small percentage of pregnant women.
If you are pregnant and vomiting, or suffering any type of morning sickness, then this will clearly be unpleasant and distressing at the time. Just always try to keep in mind that your health should eventually improve and allow you to experience the real joys of pregnancy.
