Morning sickness can be brutal. During the first few weeks (or months) of pregnancy, many women struggle with nausea, fatigue, sensitivity to smells or touch, and emotional stress. If nausea is your most prominent symptom, you may be wondering how much vomiting is too much during your pregnancy. Whether you're dealing with "severe morning sickness" (called hyperemesis gravidarum), or mild nausea, it's a good idea to read up on what's causing your nausea and what to do if it gets out of hand.
Although What To Expect noted that no one is entirely sure what causes morning sickness, most experts agree it's more or less due to the amount of hormonal changes that occur in your body during the early weeks of pregnancy. Namely, the "pregnancy hormone" itself, hCG, peaks during the time morning sickness is at its worst, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Also, Parents noted that hormones like estrogen and progesterone relax parts of your body, making digestion less efficient. To make things even more fun, your heightened sense of smell, and lack of appetite aren't doing you any favors, according to The Bump.
Although not every pregnant woman experiences morning sickness, many do and, no matter it's severity, it's never pleasant. Vomiting is a normal side effect of morning sickness, although at times it can get out of hand and come with some potentially dangerous outcomes for both mom and baby.
According to Baby Center, only one percent of women suffer from hyperemesis gravidarum, so if you are throwing up occasionally, you have nothing to worry about. However, The Bumpe noted that if you're unable to keep food or fluids down for 12 hours or are throwing up more than four times a day, you should seek medical help.
If left untreated, severe morning sickness can cause the pregnant woman to loose weight, become very dehydrated, and even go into preterm labor, according to American Pregnancy. Luckily, there are treatment options available if you're unable to keep any food down and think you may be suffering from HG.
Common treatment for HG according to Medscape is giving the patient fluids and vitamins like B-6 through an IV drip, prescribing anti-nausea medication or ginger tablets, bed rest, and eating bland foods.
As horrible as morning sickness, severe or not, sounds, one thing you can take comfort in is the knowledge that morning sickness (yes, even the severe kind) is usually equal to a healthy pregnancy, according to the Mayo Clinic. It may be because of the normal rise in hormones, or the way nausea encourages you to eat healthier foods and expose yourself to less harmful substances, but either way, it's one small upside to a not-so-great aspect of pregnancy.
