Nausea in pregnancy

Nausea is the feeling of sickness but also includes episodes of vomiting. When talking about nausea in pregnancy it might be referred to as morning sickness but can occur at any time of day. Symptoms are usually mild.

When sickness is severe then it is referred to as hyperemesis gravidarum, this form of sickness needs addressing by a healthcare professional.

Causes:

• Changes in hormones.

• Pregnant with more than 1 baby.

• Genetics

• Previous history of vomiting or nausea – i.e. travel sickness / motion sickness.

• Evidence suggests that tiredness and stress can also make nausea worse.

Here is what the evidence says about the treatment options for mild to moderate nausea and sickness:

 

Ginger

Evidence suggests that ginger is safe and effective in treating mild to moderate nausea. However, it is not clear in what form the ginger should be taken (from the evidence available).

Based on this evidence, we would recommend the tablet form from Mobu (link to buy here)

and the ‘tea’ form from HOTTEA MAMA.

                         

 

Acupressure

Evidence suggests that acupressure can be effective in treating nausea. Acupressure involves putting pressure over a point on the wrist.

This study  found that both acupressure and ginger were the most effective in treating nausea compared to other complementary medicines.

One option for simple acupressure application are bands like these (linked here).

We also really like this ‘package’ by Myrtl and Maude (linked here) which contains wrist bands and tea.

Also worth looking at is an app created by Sense Relief which provides acupressure via your Smart Watch. You need an Apple smart watch (linked here) to use it but they are talking about branching out to other smart watches in the not so distant future so watch this space.

 

Vitamin B6

Evidence is slightly more limited for B6 when it comes to nausea in pregnancy. Results for B6 intake when looking at chemotherapy induced nausea are promising. B6 isn’t something that is recommended to be taken on it’s own during pregnancy but often prenatal supplements will contain B6 or ginger tablets will contain it also.

These packages from ‘My Expert Midwife’ and ‘Myrtle and Maude’ are great examples of this.

               

Linked here                                 Linked here

Aromatherapy

Evidence isn’t quite as strong for aromatherapy but it is out there. Studies are mainly aimed at the effects on chemotherapy-induced nausea, but results are promising.

You can buy a pregnancy specific spray from My Expert Midwife (linked here).

Yoga

Stress and tiredness has been linked to increased nausea in pregnancy and Yoga is a great way to tackle stress, anxiety and tension (leading to a better nights sleep). There are lots of Online Yoga programmes available, have a look at our Top 5 here (and why we love them)!  You can also read our blog on how yoga can help in other ways and the benefits of exercise blog here.

 

What symptoms to watch for:

(read more from babycenter here)

Talk to your doctor or midwife immediately if:

• You lose 2 pounds or more.

• You develop nausea and vomiting after 9 weeks of pregnancy.

• You have nausea and vomiting after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

• You vomit blood.

• You feel dizzy when you stand.

• You have signs of dehydration, including dark urine or infrequent urination.

• You have abdominal pain, fever, headache, or swelling in the front of the neck.

• You can’t keep down any liquids for 12 hours or any solids for 24 hours.