“Why would they call it morning sickness when it happens all day and night!“
Nausea and vomiting affects 7 in 10 pregnant women. In about 1% of women it’s severe and we call it hyperemesis gravidarum.
It can be relentless and exhausting. What makes it worse is there’s no magic bullet. Women sadly report feeling unsupported and stigmatised when asking for help.
Some useful tips:
- “Eat like a toddler” they say. Have smaller meals and graze through the day
- The prenatal multivitamin is a common culprit. Switch your prenatal multivitamin brand. Remember, the only essential micronutrients with any evidence in pregnancy are iodine (150mcg) and folic acid (400mcg) daily
- Daily ginger and vitamin B6 combined help. It’s best to buy ginger in its pure form as supplements (600mg twice a day). Vitamin B6 should be taken in split doses through the day to a maximum daily dose of 200mg.
- See a doctor to guide you on safe medications
- Use to the meds regularly (not ‘as needed’ or after symptoms) and time them to prevent your symptoms
- Which med works is trial and error and usually you need more than two meds. There’s no quick and easy fix yet unfortunately.
- Over-the-counter and prescription anti-histamines are effective but can be sedating.
- ‘Maxalon’ is an affordable prescription medication that is effective and best used in combination with the others.
- ‘Zofran’ is an effective and comes in wafer form so need to swallow medication. The drawback is that it’s expensive, safer after the first trimester and also can cause constipation.
If you are feeling very dehydrated, it’s important attend hospital for IV fluids and stronger medications.
Stay strong,and remember it will get better! Reach out to family and others online experiencing the same to keep you supported.
Dr Kiran is highly trained and passionate Obstetrician & Gynaecologist with a holistic approach. He is patient and caring. Dr Kiran is based in South East Melbourne. He consults in the Casey and Frankston areas, with his main rooms in Berwick.
Contact our rooms to arrange an appointment.