Morning sickness is nausea and vomiting that occurs during pregnancy. Although called morning sickness, this condition does not only occur in the morning, but also in the afternoon, evening, or night.
Most pregnant women experience morning sickness in the first trimester of pregnancy. Although it does not harm the mother and fetus, morning sickness can affect daily activities. In some women, severe morning sickness may progress to hyperemesis gravidarium.
Hyperemesis gravidarum is severe nausea and vomiting experienced by pregnant women. This condition is prone to causing dehydration and drastic weight loss. If pregnant women experience hyperemesis gravidarum, intensive treatment needs to be done to prevent complications.
Symptoms of Morning Sickness
The main symptoms of morning sickness are nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. These symptoms are often triggered by several things, such as certain smells, spicy foods, or hot temperatures. If you vomit excessively, pregnant women who experience morning sickness may also feel chest pain.
Morning sickness most often occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy or around month 2 and month 3 of pregnancy, but there are also pregnant women who experience it since the first month of pregnancy. Usually the symptoms of morning sickness will begin to subside in the middle of the second trimester. However, there are also pregnant women who still experience morning sickness until the end of the second trimester.
When to go to the doctor
Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy is normal. This is one of the signs of a normal pregnancy. During pregnancy, do regular check-ups to the doctor to monitor the condition of the pregnancy.
You are also advised to see a doctor more often, if nausea and vomiting during pregnancy gets worse or is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Experiencing vomiting that contains blood or is brown in color
- Can't eat and drink at all
- Experiencing weight loss
- Headaches that appear many times
- Stomach ache
- Body feels very tired
- Dizzy or want to faint
- Heart pounding
To maintain a healthy pregnancy, pregnant women also need regular check-ups with the doctor. Below is a breakdown of the times of regular visits that need to be done during pregnancy:
- Weeks 4-28: once a month.
- Weeks 28-36: Every 2 weeks.
- Weeks 36-40: once a week.
If deemed necessary, pregnant women will be asked by doctors to undergo more frequent examinations to monitor pregnancy and prevent pregnancy complications.
Causes and Risk Factors of Morning Sickness
The exact cause of morning sickness is not known. However, hormonal changes in the early trimester of pregnancy are thought to play a role in triggering this condition.
In addition to hormonal changes, there are several factors that can increase a pregnant woman's risk of experiencing morning sickness, including:
- Pregnant or pregnant with their first child
- Experiencing morning sickness in a previous pregnancy
- Pregnant with twins
- Have family members who experience morning sickness during pregnancy
- Frequent motion sickness
- Pregnant with twins
In addition to these factors, morning sickness can also be caused by other diseases and conditions, such as stress, obesity, liver disease, and thyroid gland disorders.
Diagnosis of Morning Sickness
To diagnose morning sickness, the doctor will ask for complaints experienced by pregnant women, medical history before pregnancy, and previous use of drugs. Next, the doctor will perform a physical examination to determine the condition of the pregnant woman.
No further tests are needed to diagnose morning sickness. Follow-up examinations may be needed if the doctor suspects that there are other causes or diseases that underlie the appearance of morning sickness.
Morning Sickness Prevention and Treatment
Morning sickness can be prevented by avoiding foods that can trigger nausea, such as foods that are too spicy, hot, or contain a lot of sugar.
In addition, pregnant women are encouraged to eat slowly, in smaller portions but more often. When feeling nauseous, pregnant women can eat salty foods, toast, bananas, corn, biscuits, lemon juice, or drink and food products that contain ginger.
How to deal with morning sickness at home
Pregnant women can also do the following ways to relieve morning sickness complaints:
- Drink water or soup. Avoid caffeinated drinks.
- Enough rest. In some pregnant women, lack of rest can also trigger nausea and vomiting.
- When you wake up, eat snacks before getting out of bed.
- If nausea occurs after taking a pregnancy supplement, such as iron, take the supplement right before bed.
- Breathe fresh air and calm the mind.
- Loosen your bra and always wear comfortable clothes.
- Use air freshener, perfume, or scented clothes deodorizer to distract from nausea.
If the complaints of nausea and vomiting do not decrease or even get worse, consult a doctor for treatment.
Medicines and vitamins to deal with morning sickness
New drugs and vitamins will be given by the doctor if pregnant women experience severe symptoms of morning sickness. Doctors may provide vitamin B6 supplements and anti-nausea drugs that are safe for pregnant women.
Pregnant women with severe morning sickness or hyperemesis gravidarum need to be hospitalized to avoid complications.
Complications of Morning Sickness
Morning sickness does not cause complications. However, severe morning sickness can signal that a pregnant woman has hyperemesis gravidarum. This condition can cause complications, such as dehydration, electrolyte disturbances, and nutritional deficiencies, which can harm the fetus.