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Morning Sickness - What to expect
and When to call the doctor?
Morning sickness is normal throughout a whole pregnancy.
You can also experience it all day long. Up to 80% of women experience
morning sickness at some point during their pregnancy.
Morning sickness usually begins in the 1st trimester right around
4-8 weeks of pregnancy. It tends to end in the early part of
the fourth month but can last throughout 9 months of pregnancy.
You may become light headed, experience headaches, heartburn,
mood changes and fatigue due to your pregnancy.
Some
experts think morning sickness is caused by the rapid increase
of hCG, estrogen, and other hormones
that occur during your pregnancy.
It also can be caused by a pregnant woman’s sensitivity
to smells or their tricky stomachs (a tendency for women to have
a more sensitive stomach during pregnancy).
Although,
there is no way to tell if you are going to have morning sickness
you may be more susceptible
to morning sickness if you…
› If
you are pregnant with twins.
› You have a history of nausea or vomiting.
› You have motion sickness.
› Your mother or sister had morning sickness.
› You have a history of migraines.
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You
know your body and pregnancy the best so if you feel like something
is wrong or too severe it is
best to call your doctor.
It is better to call earlier then have a problem later. Some
other reasons to go to the doctor are: if your morning sickness
causes you to become dehydrated, you can’t hold down food,
vomit has a yellow-green color or has blood in it, or if you
are losing weight.
There
are some ways to help with morning sickness. Make sure you talk
to your doctor before changing
or adding anything to
your diet during pregnancy. Some of the more common remedies
are…
› Eating
small bland meals throughout the day, so you are not
too full or
hungry.
› Avoid rich, fatty, or spicy foods.
› Avoid foods or smells that bother you (it helps to eat cooler foods
because it
doesn’t have as strong of a smell).
› Eat saltine crackers and other bland foods when you feel nauseous.
› Avoid iron in prenatal vitamins, ask your doctor for a vitamins without
iron.
› Drink liquids between meals not during meals. It is important to keep
hydrated
but you don’t want to drink too much or your stomach will
become
full.
› Make sure to stay rested, take naps if need be.
› Try ginger.
› Try acupressure bands.
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Morning
sickness can be unpleasant but it will all be worth it when you
see your baby. Just remember
to trust your instincts
and call the doctor when you know something is not right.
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