Causes of nausea during pregnancy and methods of dealing with it

If a woman experiences discomfort in the morning, close people in most cases will suspect that she is in an interesting situation, because dizziness, nausea and vomiting are the first signs of pregnancy. Sometimes the painful condition bypasses the expectant mother, but some women are accompanied by nausea throughout the entire 9 months. Both mild and severe forms of toxicosis are not a harmless phenomenon and require constant monitoring by specialists in order to protect mother and child from negative consequences.

Causes of nausea during pregnancy

Most mothers know firsthand about toxicosis during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester. Sometimes nausea only occurs in the morning, but in some isolated cases, vomiting accompanies a woman around the clock and even becomes a reason for observation by specialists. The most difficult period occurs in the 4-15th week of pregnancy; with the beginning of the second trimester, attacks most often disappear. Toxicosis in the later stages is considered a complication of pregnancy and threatens dehydration of the body; if measures are not taken in time, this can affect the development of organs and systems of the fetus.

Experts cannot answer unequivocally what is the reason for such manifestations during pregnancy. Everyone knows that from the moment of conception a woman undergoes a powerful hormonal change, the body tries to adapt to new conditions, preserve the embryo, but at the same time perceives it as something foreign, which is when reactions appear in the form of nausea, indigestion and loss of appetite.

Nausea during early pregnancy

Doctors most often call early toxicosis a phenomenon that begins at 4-5 weeks and ends at 13-14 weeks, less often at 15-16. In this case, despite all the discomfort, the woman will have the opportunity to enjoy her wonderful condition, even if not from the very beginning of pregnancy. Be prepared that nausea can be tormented even from the smell of your favorite dishes or perfume; it is almost impossible to fight this; all you have to do is wait it out.

Doctors put forward the following theories about the occurrence of toxicosis in the first months:

• immunologists claim that toxicosis is a normal reaction to foreign chromosomes of the embryo;
• at the psychological level, a woman’s unpreparedness to bear a baby is expressed by fetal rejection;
• intensive production of hCG;
• genetic predisposition;
• sensitivity to odors and increased taste buds.

With a mild form of toxicosis, the pregnant woman feels sick during the day, but there is no vomiting, dizziness or malaise. If your stomach rejects more than 5 times a day, be sure to drink more water to stay hydrated and monitor your weight loss.

For moderate toxicosis vomiting occurs about 10 times a day and is accompanied by other unpleasant physical reactions, for example, general weakness, fever, hypotension, and weight loss.

A serious danger for women and children is vomiting more than 20 times a day; the condition is accompanied by dehydration and significant weight loss. In such cases, the patient is treated in a hospital setting.

Nausea during late pregnancy

The second and the beginning of the third trimester are considered a fertile time for a pregnant woman; most fears for the baby’s life are over, toxicosis and fading threats or miscarriage they are no longer worried, and discomfort about the rapidly growing belly is not yet bothering me. And here an unpleasant surprise may occur, everyone has heard about early toxicosis, but why does nausea and vomiting appear in the later stages?

If sensitivity to food and smells is quite tolerable, then most likely it is physiological, the baby is growing rapidly in the mother’s womb and pressure is occurring on the internal organs. If there are other signs of toxicosis, you should consult a doctor.

In the last weeks of gestation, a serious complication of pregnancy may occur, which is called late toxicosis or gestosis. It can manifest itself not only with vomiting, but also with swelling, increased blood pressure, loss of protein in the urine, extreme thirst, rapid weight gain, pain in the hypochondrium, as well as migraines, dizziness and tinnitus. Preeclampsia is very dangerous in the later stages, because the child may become deprived of oxygen; the condition requires observation and treatment.

What to do if you feel sick during pregnancy

A universal way to eliminate signs of toxicosis does not exist, but discomfort can be alleviated with the help of certain foods and leading a healthy lifestyle - getting proper rest, proper nutrition and drinking plenty of clean water. Bad habits and being in a stuffy, unventilated room can aggravate the situation and create a threat to pregnancy. Then, in addition to physiological nausea, headache and dizziness will be added, not to mention the fact that the child will suffer from a lack of oxygen.

If all the rules of a healthy lifestyle are followed, but your condition leaves much to be desired, try eating a piece of salty biscuit, a slice of lemon, a cracker, or holding ginger in your mouth on an empty stomach. Snacks with nuts and dried fruits, as well as folk recipes - herbal decoctions and teas that have a beneficial effect on the gastric mucosa, help to reduce the manifestations of toxicosis. Most often the composition includes mint, marigold flowers, valerian, and yarrow.

Most drug treatments for toxicosis are not suitable for pregnancy; in some cases, on the recommendation of a doctor, a woman takes drugs for the liver - Chofitol and Essentiale Forte.