Pregnancy: What Helps with Morning Sickness?

Why do pregnant women feel nauseous?

Up to 90% of all pregnant women suffer from nausea and vomiting. While most of them are plagued by the unpleasant symptoms in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, pregnancy nausea persists throughout the entire pregnancy for up to 20% of these women. But why do most pregnant women feel nauseous in the first place?

Triggers for pregnancy nausea could be:

• Change in hormone levels

• Psychological fears & stress

• Poor nutrition and resulting deficiencies

• Chronic Helicobacter pylori infection (or gastritis)

It may sound unusual that the reasons for such a widespread phenomenon like pregnancy nausea are not yet fully understood. While science primarily blames the change in hormone levels for any form of pregnancy nausea, this has not been proven yet. One theory discusses the increased production of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG, also known colloquially as the pregnancy hormone), whose levels rapidly rise after the implantation of the egg and are also responsible for a positive pregnancy test. However, despite elevated hCG levels (e.g. in a multiple pregnancy), some women do not experience increased nausea, so this theory has not been confirmed. The same applies to the changes in the hormones estrogen and progesterone during pregnancy, which could also be related to pregnancy nausea - but this is not considered conclusive either.

On the other hand, fears and stress are also linked to increased nausea during pregnancy. Various studies have shown that women who suffer from anxiety during pregnancy are more likely to experience pregnancy nausea. Similarly, an improper diet during pregnancy and resulting deficiencies can trigger symptoms of nausea.

When does nausea occur during pregnancy and when does it stop?

Most women start feeling the first queasy sensation in their stomach two to four weeks after fertilization. After that, the symptoms of pregnancy nausea steadily increase, reaching their peak between the 10th and 16th week of pregnancy. During this time, many pregnant women report that the pregnancy nausea is at its worst. From the 20th week of pregnancy onwards, nausea subsides for many pregnant women or is experienced much less intensely.

Morning sickness or evening sickness during pregnancy?

Pregnant women often report feeling nauseous at specific times. This includes the commonly referred to morning sickness. It may be surprising, but only 2% of pregnant women suffer from isolated pregnancy-related nausea such as morning sickness, while 80% of women experience nausea throughout the day or in waves. One explanation for the phenomenon of morning sickness could be low blood sugar levels in the morning. A small breakfast can work wonders here - at least temporarily. There is no real explanation for evening or nighttime pregnancy-related nausea, with stress and emotions of the pregnant woman being suspected factors, which are often felt during quiet times - for example, in the evening and at night.

What does pregnancy nausea feel like?

Just as the question of how long morning sickness lasts can only be answered imprecisely, as it varies from case to case, many women also report different experiences of how morning sickness feels: While some affected individuals compare the symptoms of morning sickness to those of a severe stomach flu and often have to vomit several times a day, other women perceive the nausea only as a vague feeling of discomfort. However, what unites all pregnant women is the joy when morning sickness finally stops.

Does vomiting during pregnancy harm the baby?

As uncomfortable as nausea and vomiting during pregnancy may be, the baby remains protected in your belly and is also adequately nourished by you. Because: In the first few months, your body relies on its nutrient reserves to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Nevertheless, it is important to eat healthily and balanced during this time to support the body as best as possible in its strenuous task.

Furthermore, studies now indicate that women experiencing morning sickness during pregnancy have a reduced risk of miscarriage. Of course, this does not provide absolute certainty, but it allows us to view this unpleasant experience from a more positive perspective. Therefore, morning sickness is also a good sign.

What to do for pregnancy nausea?

Whether with or without vomiting, nausea during pregnancy is often described as very distressing. In addition to some home remedies that promise relief, there are now various medical treatment approaches to alleviate nausea symptoms. However, it must be emphasized at this point that reaching for common remedies or tablets for pregnancy nausea should always be discussed first with the treating gynecologist in order to weigh the pros and cons of using such medications against nausea during pregnancy. Your midwife is also a good point of contact for questions about specific home remedies (such as ginger) or homeopathic approaches (such as nux vomica) or teas for pregnancy nausea.

However, there are some tips against pregnancy nausea that you can try yourself:

• Small meals spread throughout the day: The recommendation to eat small, carbohydrate-rich meals throughout the day has proven to be very effective for many pregnant women. Many women report that, for example, nuts or whole grain crackers, which are always on hand, work wonders as a secret weapon against nausea at any time of day and in any location.

• Choose your dishes and snacks wisely: Avoid fatty, overly sweet, heavily spiced, fried, and spicy dishes. Healthy and especially tasty special recipes for pregnant women will give you good guidance for your meal plan during pregnancy. Also, do not forget to avoid the foods that you should not eat during pregnancy.

• Home remedies for morning sickness: To balance blood sugar levels directly in the morning, many pregnant women recommend having a snack such as rusks on the nightstand before getting up, drinking a glass of orange juice, or having a lightly sweetened tea to combat morning sickness.

• Avoid perfume: Many pregnant women are sensitive to smells and react to supposed "feel-good scents" such as coffee or perfume with nausea. The simple advice here is to completely avoid perfume to prevent a possible trigger for nausea.

• Always have a cold drink at hand: Chilled water with lemon or cucumber slices - for example, kept chilled in a thermos flask during the summer - is also considered one of the popular tips for morning sickness during pregnancy.

• Involve your environment: There are pregnant women who seem to manage their everyday life without any complaints and full of energy. However, this does not mean that you have to or can do the same. If you simply need more rest, it is your right to do so. Therefore, involve your partner and family and actively ask for help in your daily life. Allow yourself enough rest and relaxation and try to avoid pressure and stress as much as possible.

• Please consult your doctor: The nausea is so distressing that you can hardly carry out your daily routine, let alone your profession? In this case, the doctor is always your first point of contact to discuss possible treatment approaches and, if necessary, to initiate a sick leave.