morning sickness in pregnant women

Morning sickness is a common thing for pregnant women. Most pregnant women experience morning sickness although there are also some women who do not experience it during pregnancy.

Are you one of the pregnant women who experience morning sickness? If yes, then see an explanation of what morning sickness is, its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and how to deal with morning sickness.

 

What is morning sickness?

Morning sickness is a condition of nausea and vomiting that occurs during pregnancy. In general, morning sickness occurs during the early trimester, from the 6th to the 12th week of pregnancy.

Even though the name is 'morning sickness', this condition can occur at any time other than in the morning. Generally, morning sickness will decrease and disappear when your gestational age reaches the second trimester.

Pregnant women who are experiencing it need not worry because morning sickness which is still normal will not harm your health and that of the fetus. Many doctors say that women who experience morning sickness (normal) are positive things.

The reason is, morning sickness means that your placenta is developing properly. The thing to worry about is when you experience excess morning sickness, which is too often nausea and vomiting, so that it makes your body very weak.

If the condition of morning sickness is like that, then it can harm you and the condition of the fetus. The medical term for this abnormal morning sickness is hyperemesis gravidarum.

Pregnant women who experience severe morning sickness need to consult a doctor immediately. This is because hyperemesis gravidarum can make you dehydrated and lack nutrition, thereby affecting the growth and development of the fetus.

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Causes of morning sickness

The cause of morning sickness is still not known with certainty. However, there are several things that play a role in causing morning sickness.

The following are some of the things that play a role in causing morning sickness:

 

1. Changes in pregnancy hormones

During pregnancy, women experience several types of hormonal changes. These hormones are known as pregnancy hormones, namely the hormone estrogen, the hormone progesterone, and the hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin).

Estrogen and progesterone hormones in pregnant women will increase up to 100 times. The increase in this hormone is suspected to have contributed to the production of stomach acid which stimulates the appearance of nausea.

The presence of the hCG hormone, which is a sign of the appearance of the embryo in the uterus, has a role in morning sickness. Changes in pregnancy hormones also usually affect the sensitivity of the sense of smell of pregnant women, so they can trigger nausea.

 

2. Physiological changes during pregnancy

In addition, physiological changes during pregnancy also play a role. Several physiological changes during pregnancy such as blood pressure, carbohydrate metabolism, and physical changes.

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3. Health problems (in severe morning sickness)

Health problems can exacerbate morning sickness. Liver disease or thyroid problems are associated with the incidence of hyperemesis gravidarum.

 

4. The body's response to protect the fetus

There is an opinion that says that morning sickness is the body's response to protect the fetus from toxic substances. Exposure to dangerous poisons can sneak into the body unnoticed.

Of course this can interfere with the growth and development of your fetus. Moreover, the first trimester is a period of pregnancy that is quite vulnerable for the growth and development of the fetus. By feeling nausea and vomiting, the exposure to these toxic substances can be wasted immediately. Your fetus and pregnancy are still in good condition.

The following are some of the risk factors for morning sickness

• Using birth control pills

• History of nausea and vomiting due to certain smells or tastes before pregnancy

• Experiencing migraines before pregnancy

• Mothers who are carrying twins

• History of morning sickness in previous pregnancies

 

Symptoms of morning sickness

There are characteristics of morning sickness that women who are pregnant need to know. Symptoms of morning sickness can vary between pregnant women.

The following are some of the symptoms of morning sickness:

• Nausea and vomiting especially in the morning

• Feeling nauseous every time you smell a certain smell

• Change in urine color

• Change in urination habits (little, infrequent, or even large)

• Frequent dizziness

• Feeling weak

• Heart beating fast

• Faint

 

When to see a doctor?

Immediately go to the nearest obstetrician or midwife if you experience some of the characteristics of morning sickness above. It is also important to make sure that the morning sickness you are experiencing is normal or severe.

 

Diagnosis of morning sickness

Diagnosis of morning sickness is usually done by knowing the characteristics or symptoms. If you still don't know if you are pregnant or not, the doctor will check with a test pack.

An ultrasound examination (USG) is also carried out to see if there are fetuses and their numbers in your uterus. If the doctor suspects that your morning sickness is leading to hyperemesis gravidarum, the doctor will do a urine test and blood test.

 

Morning sickness complications

Normal morning sickness usually doesn't cause complications to the fetus or yourself. However, severe morning sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum) often causes several complications if left untreated.

The following are some of the complications of morning sickness that can be severe if left untreated:

• Little or rarely eats

• Often hungry

• Lack of nutritional intake

• Lack of fluids

• Hypokalemia

• Unbalanced electrolytes

• Urination disorders

• Weight loss

• Fetus at risk for LBW (low birth weight, ie <2500 grams)

• Babies tend to have low immunity

 

How to deal with morning sickness

While normal morning sickness doesn't cause complications, the symptoms can be overwhelming. Therefore, you need to do a number of things to reduce the symptoms of morning sickness, so you don't suffer too much.

Here are some ways to deal with normal morning sickness:

• Increase fluid intake

• Consuming ginger (wedang, candy, and other processed forms)

•Rest

• Regulating thoughts and emotions

• Consuming food according to the nutritional adequacy of pregnant women

• Always have snacks ready if you suddenly feel hungry

• Avoid nausea triggers (aroma, taste, etc.)

• Taking prenatal vitamins and supplements

• Using nausea relievers that are safe for pregnant women (as prescribed by a doctor)

• Massage for pregnant women

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If you experience severe morning sickness, you can treat it by receiving medical treatment, namely hospitalization. You will be given parenteral fluids (infusions) and some medicines to improve your condition.

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