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Morning Sickness for Dummies

also available as a PDF

• You’re not alone.  50-80% of pregnant women suffer from nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. 

• Dispel the myth.  Morning sickness can and does occur at any time of day or night—not just the morning.

• You won’t suffer forever.  Usually the worst morning sickness occurs during the first 12-14 wks of pregnancy.  (For a few women it can last throughout the whole pregnancy or disappear then return in the third trimester.)

• Why????? While the exact cause is not known, often morning sickness is caused by the major hormonal changes going on in your body. 

• What helps?  Keeping your stomach from being completely empty can help.  Eat small meals and eat them often.  Protein helps a lot, so make sure you’re eating plenty.  Peanut butter, cheese and crackers, yogurt with granola, and cottage cheese are all excellent snack choices.  Ginger (e.g. ale, tea, snaps, etc.) and peppermint are known to soothe the stomach.  Vitamin B6 50mg and 1 pill of Unisom taken together can also ease your queasiness.  We recommend taking this at night, but you can take it as often as every 8 hrs.  Talk to your doctor about temporarily stopping or switching your prenatal vitamin.  Avoid unpleasant odors.

• What if nothing is working?  Contact your provider.  Medication can be prescribed if your morning sickness is out of control.  Your provider may ask you if you’ve been gaining or losing weight.  Some weight loss is okay, but talk with your doctor if you are concerned about your weight at all.

• Is my baby okay if I’m vomiting a lot?  Your baby’s well-being is not affected as long as you are able to keep some food down and as long as you are drinking plenty of fluids.  Don’t worry too much if your diet is not as healthy as you’d like it to be at this point.  Eat what your body can keep down.  Again, if you have any concerns about the health of your baby, don’t hesitate to call the office.

If you have additional questions, please ask to speak with a nurse.  Our triage nurse phone number is 703-273-9440 ext. 118. 

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