Your skin is glowing. You are eating everything you need to and exercising safely so that you maintain a healthy pregnancy. You feel prepared and confident that your baby will not only arrive safe and sound, but also act as a blessing for his or her prospective adoptive family. The future feels bright and optimistic.
But then, something changes in your body. You feel a tornado churning in your stomach, much like that of a bad hangover or irritable seasickness. Rushing to the bathroom, you lean over the toilet bowl as the sensation worsens. Your first encounter with morning sickness has begun.
Almost every pregnant woman experiences morning sickness — or nausea in general — in the beginning stages of pregnancy. Your body is undergoing many physical and hormonal changes. How long morning sickness lasts varies per woman. For some, this phase passes after the first trimester. Other women battle it until the final stages of pregnancy.
Understanding what causes morning sickness and learning the most helpful remedies are beneficial in making your pregnancy and adoption journey a little bit easier. Don’t worry, you are not alone on this journey. Our adoption experts at Adoption Choices of New York will help you prepare for the dizzying times ahead. Here’s what to know about nausea during pregnancy.
What is Morning Sickness and When Will it Start?
As you are moving through your pregnancy, your body will go through a plethora of changes. The increase in production of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is one of the reasons why you are experiencing morning sickness. Another reason is the reduction of your blood sugar. Other factors include, but are not limited to: experiencing high stress, having twins and traveling constantly.
Despite what its name suggests, morning sickness isn’t limited exclusively to morning time. In fact, it can happen at any time throughout the day and only a small percentage of women experience nausea during pregnancy in the morning. Feelings of nausea will usually start around the sixth week of pregnancy and continue into the third month. Whether it abates or progresses from there is individual to each woman and pregnancy. Many expectant mothers experience morning sickness throughout their entire pregnancy. However, if your morning sickness lingers past the fourth month and you are concerned, consult with your doctor right away.
Near the end of your pregnancy, as your baby receives more nutrients from the placenta, your body will slow down its production of hCG and your morning sickness should decrease.
What are Some Complications?
Some other important considerations regarding nausea during pregnancy are its potential complications. Usually, morning sickness is not harmful to your health or to the development of your baby. However, constant feelings of nausea and acts of vomiting can cause you to lose your appetite. As an expecting mother, this can be worrisome for you because eating is the way you and your baby receive enough nutrients.
In some cases, pregnant women have experienced extreme vomiting, resulting in weight loss. This condition is known as hyperemesis gravidarum, which can potentially harm your baby if you don’t get treatment. Some symptoms of hyperemesis gravidarum include:
- Not being able to keep food down
- Losing more than 2 pounds
- High fever
- Blood in vomit
- Frequent vomiting
- Feeling faint or dizzy
If you are experiencing any of these, contact your doctor right away. Not addressing these in time might lead to further complications for both you and your baby. Make sure to stay hydrated and eat small meals, so you don’t overwhelm your body.
What are the Remedies?
While morning sickness might seem scary, there are remedies that help make symptoms more manageable. If your body is more sensitive to medication, and you aren’t sure which one to try first, talk with your doctor and get his or her recommendation. Here are a few natural remedies for you to try when experiencing nausea during pregnancy:
- Don’t forget your supplements – If you can’t get enough nutrients from food, you will need to take extra supplements. Prenatal vitamins are a good place to start. You can purchase them in either pill or gummy form, whichever you feel is most suited to your stomach. Ask your doctor to recommend other types of vitamins to make up for the ones you are missing. Your prenatal vitamins can increase feelings of nausea, especially first thing in the morning, so try taking them just before eating or right before bed.
- Eat a healthy diet – You might get bored with the food you’re eating, but when it comes to keeping nutrients in your stomach, sticking to the meal items you know you can eat is the best option. This way you’ll learn what foods to avoid and what ones cause your stomach to react negatively. It is important to maintain a balanced diet. This way, you will have a healthy pregnancy. Check out our blog on What to Eat When You’re Expecting to see the food types you should consume.
- Have ginger on hand – Ginger is a substance known for helping alleviate feelings of nausea and vomiting. There are many forms you can enjoy ginger in, such as snaps, ale (as long as it’s made with real ginger), candy, tea and biscuits. You can also sprinkle a little bit of ginger on your home cooking for extra flavor.
- Try lemon and lime – Similar to ginger, lemon and lime are also known to help with morning sickness. The sourness helps aid in gaining your appetite back. Try adding lemon to your tea or eating lemon candies!
- Don’t rush – When you rush to get up in the morning and move too quickly, you can trigger morning sickness. To prevent this, before making sudden movements, take a deep breath. Then, slowly sit or stand to lessen the dizziness or nausea. You can also try eating a few crackers before getting out of bed in the morning.
Nausea during Pregnancy – You’ll get through it
It might seem as if the nauseousness you’re feeling may never go away, but don’t worry. You can get through it.
We hope that we answered your questions on what to know about nausea during pregnancy. Remember to take care of your health first and foremost! Adoption Choices of New York has your back.
Adoption Choices of New York
Over the past seventeen (17) years, Adoption Choices of New York has helped many individuals and couples make adoption plans and complete their families through the miracle of adoption. Our staff has well-established relationships with agencies and attorneys across the nation, as well as Adoption Choices agencies in many other states. As a leader in the adoption community, we have a genuine commitment to a sensitive, comprehensive and supportive experience for all involved in the adoption journey. We are dedicated to ensuring that your adoption is processed in a professional, competent and caring manner and would be delighted to answer your questions.
For more information on adoption or if you are currently in the process of adopting a baby and have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us.
Support Adoption Choices
Adoption Choices, Inc. is partnering with Crowdrise, a fundraising website for nonprofits, to help our adoptive parents and birth parents with much needed financial assistance. We understand that expenses keep clients from fulfilling their dreams. Both with birth parents making a plan for adoption, and with adoptive parents growing their family. It is our mission to provide financial assistance through grants and scholarships, awarded annually in November, in honor of National Adoption Month. Funds assist adoptive parents with matching and placements, adoption finalization and helping birth mothers improve their lives through higher education — and much more.
However, we can’t do it alone. Please read up on our programs and donate money where you are able. Your donation will make a huge impact.
About the Author
Lisa Truong is an undergraduate journalism major at the University of Denver. She is minoring in writing and Chemistry. She has been commended by professors for her news stories as well as creative writing.
During her freshman year, her essay “See Ya on the Other Side” was displayed at a writing exhibition sponsored by the University of Denver. That essay later went on to be published in Many Voices One DU, a book also sponsored by the university.
Lisa frequently volunteers to be a leader at the Daniels School of Business for their quarterly Ethics Boot Camp where students learn about the importance of character in business. In her free time, Lisa enjoys watching animated movies with her mother, listening to music, going for bike rides, and eating breakfast food.
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Sources:
Adoption Choices of Arizona. “Nausea and Pregnancy: What You Need to Know.” Adoption Choices of Arizona, August 1, 2019. https://www.adoptionchoicesofarizona.org/blog/2019/08/nausea-and-pregnancy-what-you-need-to-know/
Bellefonds, Colleen de. “Morning Sickness and Nausea During Pregnancy.” What to Expect, January 21, 2020. https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/morning-sickness/.
Nwadike, Valinda. “Everything You Need to Know About Morning Sickness.” Healthline Parenthood, August 25, 2019. https://www.healthline.com/health/morning-sickness.
