Nausea and vomiting can be common during pregnancy. Most people call it 'morning sickness'. But feeling sick or vomiting can happen at any time of the day or night. Some people find it lasts all day.
Nausea and vomiting happens because of hormonal changes in your body. It can be very common during the first 3 months.
It can be unpleasant and exhausting. But it does not mean that there is anything wrong with your pregnancy. It usually clears up by 16 to 20 weeks.
Non-urgent advice: Contact your GP, midwife or obstetrician if:
- your morning sickness is affecting your day-to-day life
They may recommend some safe medicine to ease the symptoms. You may have to go to hospital if your sickness is severe.
Symptoms of morning sickness
Symptoms of morning sickness include:
- nausea (the feeling that you need to be sick)
- vomiting (being sick)
- losing weight
- dehydration - if your sickness is severe
Dehydration
If you are losing fluids through vomiting you may become dehydrated. This can happen with morning sickness and severe morning sickness.
Signs of dehydration include:
- having dark pee or peeing less often than normal
- dry mouth and lips
- feeling faint, dizzy or unwell
- your heart beating faster than usual
Staying hydrated
It's important to stay hydrated when you are feeling unwell.
Aim to drink 1 glass (200ml) of fluid every hour for 10 hours. Take small sips continuously rather than drinking it all at once. Drinking large amounts in one go can make you feel sick.
If you find it hard to drink liquids, try:
- drinking through a straw
- adding ice cubes to drinks
- sucking ice cubes or ice pops
- flavoured drinks like watered-down fruit juice, milk, flavoured milk or fruit cordials
- eating foods with a high water content such as fruit, yogurt, jelly, soup, custard and ice pops
Urgent advice: Contact your GP, obstetrician or midwife immediately if:
- you have lost weight or have any symptoms of dehydration
If you are unable to keep fluids down at any stage, go to the emergency department (ED) in your maternity hospital.
Severe morning sickness
Severe morning sickness is also known as hyperemesis gravidarum.
Symptoms of severe morning sickness can include:
- severe sickness
- vomiting forcefully and often
- tiredness
- extra saliva
- weight loss
About 2 out of every 100 women get severe morning sickness.
You're more likely to have severe morning sickness if you:
- have a family history of bad morning sickness
- had severe morning sickness during a previous pregnancy
- are expecting twins, triplets or more
- suffer from migraines
- get bad motion sickness
- used to get sick if you took contraception containing oestrogen
- are having a molar pregnancy
Find a support group for severe morning sickness - hyperemesis.ie
How to cope with morning sickness
The following things can help reduce symptoms of morning sickness.
Rest
- Get plenty of rest - being tired can make you feel worse.
- If you have children at home, try to go to bed when they do.
- Give yourself time to get out of bed - moving very quickly can make you feel sick and dizzy.
Loud noises and bright lights can trigger sickness in some women.
Eat little and often
It can be hard to eat a healthy diet when you are not feeling well.
Do not worry if your diet is not the healthiest when you are sick.
Aim to eat little and often throughout the day. Eat enough to keep your energy levels up and prevent weight loss.
Dry, plain foods are often easiest to eat. For example, dry toast, biscuits, crackers, pasta, rice, dry cereal and cereal bars.
Do
-
nibble your favourite foods every 2 hours - long gaps without food will make nausea worse
-
bring some dry crackers to bed with you to eat when you wake
-
wait about 15 to 20 minutes before slowly getting up after eating the crackers
-
keep your meals simple
-
have easy-to-prepare foods in the house, such as beans or pre-prepared meals
-
eat foods that have lots of energy in a small amount, such as nuts, cheese, hummus, full-fat yogurt and avocado
-
eat more when you are hungry - do not wait for mealtimes
Avoid food smells
Some cooking smells may make you feel sick. Having ready-made or easily prepared foods in the house is useful so that you can avoid cooking.
When food is being cooked you could go out for a short walk, or sit in a different room with a window open.
To block out smells, try putting a scented handkerchief to your nose. Use a scent that you find soothing, like essential oil or freshly cut lemons.
Try ginger
Eating foods or sipping drinks that contain ginger may help to reduce mild nausea and vomiting.
Check with your pharmacist before taking a ginger supplement to make sure it's safe for your pregnancy.
Take folic acid
Folic acid is best taken at a time of day when you feel your best.
Some women choose to take a multivitamin throughout their pregnancy. This can be difficult to take for some women while they are not feeling well.
Some brands have a liquid form of antenatal multivitamins. Sometimes this can be easier to take.
Rinse your mouth after being sick
If you vomit, rinse your mouth out with water. Your teeth enamel will be softened by your stomach acid, so do not brush straight away. Wait about 1 hour to brush your teeth.
Oral hygiene can be difficult when you have severe morning sickness. But it's important to look after your teeth and gums.
