Pregnancy is perhaps one of the most pleasant and certainly one of the most creative periods of a woman.
Of course, every woman perceives differently the way her body changes, which usually has as its first symptoms an increase in weight, swelling of the breast, cessation of menstruation, and among these is sometimes included morning sickness and vomiting.
This condition usually happens every morning and most of the time it ends after the first trimester ie after the 12th week of pregnancy.
But there are women who experience this otherwise normal "dysfunction" differently, such as feeling nauseous and even vomiting at various times during the day when they smell cooked food, on public transport or during physical exercise.
Also, a group of women can have these symptoms prolong even up to 16 weeks or in extreme cases until the end of pregnancy.
According to the conclusions of various studies, nausea and vomiting affects 70% to 85% of pregnant women.
Half of women have both symptoms, while a third have only nausea.
Severe nausea and vomiting, a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum, occurs in 1%- 2% percent of pregnant women
The causes are not completely known, the change in hormones such as B-hcg has been blamed, but also causes related to stress and the psychological mood of the woman.
Newer theories include an evolutionary theory by two Cornell scientists—Paul W. Sherman, an evolutionary biologist, and Samuel M. Flaxman—who argue that nausea and vomiting of pregnancy develop to prevent exposure of the fetus to potentially harmful infections and toxic organisms found in food, especially during that period of pregnancy during which his systems are developing.
Also, the likelihood that a pregnant woman will experience these symptoms is partly determined by heredity.
If, for example, the pregnant woman's mother or sister had the same problem, then she most likely has it too.
Other factors that increase the risk are twin pregnancies, the occurrence of the problem in a previous pregnancy and the prospective mother's history of gastrointestinal disorders.
Finally, there are also pathological causes which are thyroid disease, pancreatitis, ulcer, appendicitis, kidney stones, diabetes, etc.
What we need to point out is that if the hyperemesis gravidarum is severe then the woman should be admitted to the hospital for extensive laboratory testing and fluid intake to avoid possible dehydration and other complications.
So what should a woman do to better cope with this otherwise normal reaction of her body.
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- To inform her doctor so that the corresponding laboratory and clinical test can be performed (blood tests – ultrasound)
- To eat small meals and especially not "heavy" food. Ideally, she would eat some toast in the morning and consult with her doctor about the correct intake of medication.
- Limit unnecessary trips outside the home and intense physical exercise.
- To reduce stress as much as possible and to limit her needs
- Finally, if she is working, she should stop her work for a period of time until she feels better and of course take the corresponding antiemetic drugs suitable for her and the fetus.
The memory of the pregnancy period should be pleasant, painted in bright colors and nowadays science and especially modern obstetricians have the way to offer every pregnant woman this reality.
With price
Ioannis D. Kalogirou DRCOG,DFFP
Obstetrician – Surgeon Gynecologist
