Hyperemesis

Nausea and vomiting are common complaints during pregnancy, especially during the early months. These symptoms are often called "morning sickness", though they can occur at any time.

In most women, symptoms of nausea and vomiting are mild and go away during the second trimester. But in some cases, the nausea and vomiting are severe and persist throughout most of the pregnancy. This leads to a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum. Women suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum are unable to compensate for the ongoing vomiting and lose valuable body salts (electrolytes) and body fluids. They often need medical treatment.

What You Can Do

There is no guaranteed way to prevent morning sickness; however, studies have shown that if you are taking a multivitamin regularly at the time you become pregnant, you are less likely to have a severe case of morning sickness.

There are also some things you can do to relieve mild morning sickness:

• Get plenty of rest.
• Avoid smells that bother you.
• Eat five or six small meals a day instead of three large ones.
• Avoid spicy and fatty foods.
• Eat crackers before you get out of bed in the morning.

Medical Treatment

If your nausea and vomiting become severe, you may need medical treatment. Your doctor can give you anti-nausea medications to help relieve your symptoms. In cases of hyperemesis gravidarum, you may need to be hospitalized so that you can be monitored and receive fluids through an intravenous (IV) line.

Be sure and call your doctor if:

• You have a small amount of urine and it is dark in color.
• You cannot keep down liquids.
• You are dizzy or faint when you stand up.
• You have a racing or pounding heart.
• You vomit blood.