When does pregnancy nausea start? Why does it occur and how to fight?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The topic of our article is one of the frequent and unpleasant states of the expectant mother. Nausea during pregnancy is inevitable, because this is a consequence of toxicosis - the impact on the mother's body of the waste products of the child. The reasons for its occurrence at different stages of gestation are different. In addition, this state is not necessarily tolerated. Nausea can and should be de alt with. How? We will definitely tell you more!

What is toxicosis?

Toxicosis (Greek toxikon - "poison") is an internal poisoning, intoxication of the body. This condition can cause a number of diseases. Therefore, there are many reasons for nausea other than pregnancy. But still, most of all, toxicosis is characteristic of women who are carrying a fetus. According to statistics, every third expectant mother experiences a similar condition in the early stages of pregnancy.

The most common manifestation of toxicosis is nausea in the morning. However, this is too broad a concept - nausea can periodically be found duringdays, and in especially severe cases, do not stop at all.

When does the state of toxicosis begin?

When should I expect nausea during pregnancy? Most often, the condition occurs 6 weeks after the last menstrual cycle and ends at the 12-13th week of gestation. If the expectant mother has twins, then she may experience dizziness until the 14th-15th week of pregnancy.

Why do you feel sick during pregnancy?

There is no specific cause of nausea during pregnancy. Only a number of the most reasonable assumptions can be named:

• Increase in the level of hormones in the body of the expectant mother, hormonal storms. The main reason is progesterone. The influence of prolactin and human chorionic gonadotropin is also felt.
• Mom's problems with the digestive tract can also be attributed to the most likely reasons. In particular, increased or decreased acidity.
• Improper nutrition before pregnancy.
• Inflammatory processes in the genitals.
• Diseases of a neurological or endocrine nature.
• Emotional factors. Nausea during pregnancy is aggravated in minutes when a woman is nervous and worried. The general mood also has a big impact. If pregnancy is desirable for a woman, pleasant, then toxicosis torments her much less often. And if such news took the mother by surprise, she is worried about the future, her own and the child, then nausea will overcome her more often.
• Factors that weaken the body. Lack of sleep, colds, overwork exacerbate the condition.
• Mint smell or taste. Surprisingly,many pregnant women feel sick from this rather pleasant and common scent.
• The sense of smell of pregnant women is aggravated to a critical level. Therefore, a woman can feel sick from a barely noticeable unpleasant odor. There are two ways out - eliminate its source or carry a handkerchief scented with an aroma that soothes you.
• There is a version that vomiting helps to cleanse the mother's body of harmful substances, protecting her from miscarriage. This explains the fact that nausea is typical for the first months of pregnancy, when the main systems of the fetus are developing. It is important that during this period the woman's body is free from harmful substances.

Let's also remember the popular belief that severe nausea in a woman appears only when she is pregnant with a boy. But medical practice denies such a statement. The studies of Canadian scientists are also interesting: they claim that the nausea experienced by the mother is a sign that she is carrying a child with high intellectual abilities.

Degrees of toxicosis

Nausea during early pregnancy is not a disease or pathological condition, except in particularly severe cases. Therefore, medications are not prescribed - only the selection of an individual diet, general recommendations. Treatment is thought out with very frequent vomiting - the woman's body is severely dehydrated, which is dangerous for both her and the child.

Nausea during early pregnancy is divided into three main degrees:

• Slight toxicosis. Vomiting up to 4-5 times a day. There is a slight weight loss of the woman, which does not affect the weight of the child. Medical assistance, hospitalization is not required here.
• Moderate toxicosis. Vomiting up to 10 times a day. A woman feels weakness, apathy, she noticeably loses weight. At the same time, the pressure decreases, the temperature rises and the pulse speeds up. It requires hospitalization and treatment under medical supervision.
• Severe toxicosis. A very rare condition. With it, food is practically not retained in the body - a woman can vomit up to 20 times a day. There is severe dehydration of the body, the expectant mother loses up to 2-3 kg of weight per week. This condition requires immediate hospitalization!

Early toxicosis

Speaking of nausea during pregnancy, it is important to note that this phenomenon is typical only for the first 15 weeks. And 70% of all expectant mothers go through it.

This is a very important period for your baby - the laying of the main systems of his life, the main organs. In response to this, the mother's body responds with resistance - immune cells "think" that an "invader" has invaded the system. What to do, at the biological level, the embryo is perceived that way. The fetus actively resists them, fighting for its life.

Of course, for the mother's body such "battles" cannot pass without a trace - hence the toxicosis, debilitating nausea in the morning. In fact, this is a natural and even somewhat useful reaction.organism. Therefore, a mother needs to remain calm and not worry once again, without losing a peaceful state - both her own and her child's.

But do not add here a severe degree of toxicosis. This condition is already pathologically dangerous for a woman and for her child. One good thing is that it is extremely rare.

Dangerous signs of early toxicosis

Nausea in the first trimester of pregnancy should alarm the expectant mother if toxicosis is accompanied by:

• Frequent vomiting.
• Speedy weight loss.
• Dry and flaky skin.
• Dark urine with an unpleasant odor.
• High temperature.
• High heart rate (more than 100 beats per minute).

Toxicosis in later stages

Nausea is usually early in pregnancy. Why do women wonder why this condition occurs in the third trimester. The explanation here is purely physiological - the overgrown uterus puts pressure on the internal digestive organs of the mother. The liver "resents" this with mild nausea.

But don't ignore this symptom if you feel otherwise unwell. Just the same in the third trimester, there is a high risk of developing the so-called preeclampsia. Such late toxicosis, unlike early, is already a real threat to pregnancy, as it is fraught with the development of oxygen deficiency for the child.

Alarming symptoms of preeclampsia, in addition to vomiting and nausea, are usually the following:

• Tinnitus, dizziness, headache.
• Weight gain.
• Unceasing thirst.
• Periodic swelling.
• Pain under the ribs.
• The appearance of protein in the urine.

In the later weeks of pregnancy, nausea is dangerous in the following cases:

• Mom over 35.
• Woman has a history of miscarriages and abortions.
• When the Rh-conflict of the child's parents.
• Mom has systematic and chronic diseases. In particular, associated with the endocrine, cardiovascular system, pyelonephritis.

Important about toxicosis

Nausea during early pregnancy has a number of important features. For example:

• If a mother is sick, it does not mean that a child who is carrying is experiencing a similar state.
• Most often the condition is observed on an empty stomach. Often, a pregnant woman simply turns back from food.
• The most useful methods to control vomiting will be those that help to fill the stomach a little.
• Worrying signs are nausea from sudden movements, chronic dry skin, a sharp drop in pressure, dizziness.

How to get rid of nausea during pregnancy

We note right away that there is no universal remedy. Only a comprehensive individual diet, he althier lifestyle will help you. Do not get tired of trying and choosing products that make you feel better.

If nausea during pregnancy, what to do? Here are some widely accepted recommendations:

• Morespend time outdoors - at least two hours a day.
• In the first trimester, try to minimize physical activity.
• Switch to fractional meals - frequent, but in small portions.
• Ventilate your home regularly, especially before going to bed.
• Eat breakfast in bed before getting up. Eat yogurt, an apple, and then lie down some more. You will feel much less sick.
• Build your breakfast with protein-rich foods. It's dairy, cheese, eggs. Fruit will also help.
• Large portions, fatty, spicy and spicy foods cause nausea during pregnancy.
• Get in the habit of having he althy little snacks between meals.
• Take special prenatal vitamins. In particular, group B supplements help fight nausea.
• Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Synthetic, caffeinated, carbonated drinks replace with herbal teas, infusions, compotes, decoctions.
• Try to cut down on sugary foods.
• "Provocateurs" are also sudden movements, especially in the morning.
• Try to avoid hot food and switch to moderately warm food.
• Keep yourself away from sources of bad smells.
• Try to give up soups, just like drinking food. Replenish water balance between meals.
• Learn to deal with stress, nervous shocks and their consequences.
• Sometimes mineral water or tea with lemon helps with mild nausea.
• Stop smoking! This bad habit is not only detrimental to the unborn baby, but also contributes to the secretion of gastric juice, which aggravates nausea.
• Give up the habit of going to bed immediately after eating. Remember that the work of the digestive tract in a pregnant woman is already slow. Therefore, if possible, it is worth moving more.
• Try to trust your intuition - eat what you like.

Nausea products

As we said, there is no universal cure for nausea. However, for many pregnant women, the following products help to cope with this condition:

• Citruses.
• Quince.
• Green tea.
• Mint.
• Seeds.
• Grenades.
• Dried fruits.
• Ginger root.
• Sauerkraut.
• Crackers.
• Pickled cucumbers.

Folk remedy

For some women, herbal preparations help to avoid the negative effects of toxicosis. Share this recipe:

• Valerian root - 1 teaspoon.
• Mint leaves - 2 tsp.
• Marigold flowers - 2 tsp.
• Yarrow herb - 2 tsp.

The herbal mixture is poured with 400 ml of boiling water. Then infused for half an hour, after which it is filtered. The infusion is used six times a day, 50 ml. Phytotherapy course - 25 days with 2-week breaks.

Whatwhat to do?

If toxicosis began to torment you, first of all, contact your doctor who will determine the severity of the problem, prescribe the necessary recommendations and, possibly, treatment. If severe toxicosis suddenly stops, this is also a reason to consult a doctor. It is necessary to do an ultrasound of the uterus to exclude the fact of a missed pregnancy.

Don't hesitate to see a doctor if you're experiencing headaches, stomach discomfort, or a fever in addition to nausea.

Thus, nausea for many women is an inseparable and unpleasant companion of pregnancy. Someone experiences strong effects of toxicosis, someone is light and almost imperceptible. There are many reasons for it, and all of them are more conjectural. It is impossible to say something unambiguous that would help you get rid of nausea. There are general recommendations about lifestyle, diet, trying which you can find that individual remedy that will reduce the unpleasant consequences of toxicosis for you.