What Causes Nausea During Pregnancy?

Its not enough that you body is beginning to change and now you are beginning to feel nausea and you may have even vomited. Relax, this is not unusual and before long it will be gone. This feeling, common known as morning sickness, usually begins in the middle of the first trimester and is gone by the beginning of the second trimester.

The main thing you need to worry about is dehydration. Due to the vomiting you may lose enough fluids that you will also be losing nutrition and minerals. This will throw your electrolytes off and create a dehydration that may require hospitalization this excessive vomiting is called hyperemesis gravidarum. Symptoms of dehydration may include headaches, excessive thirst, dizziness, small urine flow, and dark urine. The darker the urine the more minerals you are losing. If any of the symptoms listed above occur see your physician immediately.

A urine test is usually all the doctor will need to perform to check for signs of dehydration.

A positive note: Nausea during pregnancy can be a good sign. It usually means that there are adequate levels of hormones needed during the first trimester. That is why the nausea usually stops after the first trimester. The hormone levels have risen to the correct level and have stopped climbing. If you do not experience morning sickness that is okay, some women tolerate nausea better than others and some women experience it with one birth and not another. Scientist has never been able to pinpoint exactly why morning sickness occurs.

Remember, with morning sickness you are treating the symptoms and not the underlying issue. So keep plenty of ginger ale and saltine crackers around. This is an old standby.

There are many other remedies available as well. Each individual case is different, so there is no standard rule of treating these symptoms. My wife was able to eat spicy food such her favorite enchiladas, but was unable to eat bland foods such as cereal. Certain smells may bother you and not others.

Since some researchers believe that morning sickness is caused due to a drop in blood sugar they recommend a diet filled more with protein. Many remedies suggest a protein snack just before bedtime will reduce the potential of nausea as you rise from bed. Peanut butter is suggested since it is high in protein and is slow in digesting as well as being easy on the stomach and sense of smell.

Many women have gone to some none food related therapies such as acupuncture, acupressure and hypnotherapy. There are also a number of vitamins and supplements that may help treat morning sickness and best of all help maintain the proper hydration.

Your body is changing and your lifestyle may need to change with it. Monitor when you get sick and try and determine the trigger for the event. Knowing this will help you come up with a long-term game plan on keeping these symptoms in check. Be patient, be persistent and be positive. The remedy that you need is right around the corner waiting for you. I wish you the best of luck with a beautiful pregnancy.