Info/thoughts about 'morning' sickness?

[elleng]

The GOOD news, my younger daughter, age 25, has announced she is pregnant, due mid-July. I've known for a while, but its public now, and she had sonogram yesterday. (Her older sister, 29 yesterday, had a baby boy, my first grandbaby, December 12.)

'New' doc is and will be looking into this, but I thought I'd ask, she is sick virtually all the time, and just told me she has LOST 1 pound. When, if ever, is this considered a real problem? And can anything be done to mitigate it?

Her attitude is great, says even tho she is 'puking' all the time, she loves being pregnant.

Thanks

[bravenak]

1. I had the same problem.

She needs crackers by the bed, eat a few before she gets up. She can make a ginger tea, and sweeten it with honey, ginger is great for settling the stomach. I had a hippy for a doctor and I was told to take two puffs and put it out before every meal. I had had problems with a previous pregnancy and couldn't gain a pound, my child had a disorder and failure to thrive, she didn't make it. I didn't want to smoke it but he told I need to get nutrients to my child by any mean necessary or he'd put a feeding tube in me. After the second trimester I was not sick anymore and didn't need it anymore. It was the only thing that worked for me and I gained back that 20 pounds I lost from hyperemesis.

[elleng]

2. Thanks.

I think she does crackers, but will tell her about ginger, which I've known about. Don't think she can 'puff' as baby's Dad is a deputy sheriff. Too bad, tho.

[Warpy]

3. Saltine crackers are the panacea

but they don't work for everyone.

There's "morning sickness," which most women who have had it will tell you it is all day sickness, and hyperemesis gravidarum, which is the more serious form and which can dehydrate the woman fairly quickly. Her doc is probably trying to decide which one she has. In extreme cases, they can be admitted to the hospital and kept on tube feedings and IV hydration until the first trimester is well over and they can try solid foods.

The good news is that it generally only lasts the first trimester and doesn't predict any other disease process. For most people, noshing on saltines keeps it under control.

Weight loss early in the pregnancy is fairly common. Those pounds will soon pile on.

[elleng]

6. Thanks, Warpy.

She does crackers. Nurse practitioners have told her to beware of dehydration but she just told me even sipping causes 'barf.' She'll see doc on the 30th.

Appears she can keep down cold fruit, veggies, unsalted nuts + cheeses.

'Funny' that both my daughters have had 'sickness,' and I had NONE of it, EVER!

[dem in texas]

4. I had morning sickness for 4 months in my third pregnancy

I lived on oranges and cream of wheat, that is all I wanted. But it did pass and I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Here is thing that might prove helpful. I got some small cavities in my perfect teeth from this pregnancy. The dentist told me that it was probably caused by the acid from my stomach when I was throwing up. When you finish throwing up, all you want to do is go lay down. But stop and rinse your mouth with lots of water to wash away the stomach acid.

[elleng]

8. Thanks. She sure won't want trips to dentist

after all this!!!

[LiberalEsto]

5. Lavender tea

Tea made from dried lavender flowers - nothing else. It calms the stomach.

It was a lifesaver for me during my second pregnancy, when I had morning sickness for 6 or 7 months.

http://www.joys-of-lavender.com/nausea.html

I did some looking online and the above website warns against lavender in the first trimester because it can cause miscarriage. Other websites say not enough is known about the effects of lavender in pregnancy and advise against its use.

However the above link offers a variety of other anti-nausea remedies.

[elleng]

7. THANKS, LibEst!

Am telling her that consulting with y'all, and we appreciate it hugely!

[LiberalEsto]

9. I updated my post - please re-read it.

[elleng]

10. Thanks again.

Will send it to her.

[cbayer]

11. Morning sickness is a good sign, up to a point.

It's an indication of high levels of certain hormones.

However, some women become sick to the point that it places them at risk. These women may need medical attention.

Good news, it generally clears up in the 2nd trimester, which she should be entering.

[elleng]

13. Thanks and YES, cbayer,

she should be entering!

[SheilaT]

12. I had fairly bad morning sickness with my first,

and early on lost a little weight. But it went away after three or four months (that baby is now 31 so a lot of specifics are lost to time and memory), I gained what I should have and give birth to a wonderful, healthy, boy.

I have also read that a certain amount of morning sickness is a good thing, because it means the hormones are kicking in correctly. Women who have no morning sickness at all are, I read once upon a time, somewhat more prone to miscarriages. It's highly possible that information is not correct. Even if it is, morning sickness is no fun whatsoever.

I think it's a very good sign that she does love being pregnant. I did also.

Congratulations. Hopefully this is the "normal" sort of morning sickness and will pass.

[elleng]

14. Thanks, SheilaT.

I've heard that 'some' is good too. As to those who have NONE, I had NONE, and had no miscarriages, fortunately.

Funny that my pregnancies were very different from those of my daughters. Older daughter just gave birth, Dec 12, had morning sickness for quite a while tho not sure as bad as this, younger one, and older also had what I'll call 'complications,' not bad enough for alarm by docs but several 'not good' according to me, and I had NONE!

I don't know that I 'loved' it, but surely didn't mind, and had a great job during both, encouraged by colleagues and supervisors, and worked all the way through. For the first, whose 29th birthday was yesterday, a colleague sat beside me at a hearing while I was timing contractions! He looked over my shoulder and said, 'I know what you're doing!' We're in touch every January 22 now!

[SheilaT]

17. It is amazing how very different

the pregnancies and childbirths can go, even for mothers and daughters.

[elleng]

18. and rumor had/has it

that the best way to know how it will go for one is to know how it went for her mother! Not in THIS family!!!

[WhiteTara]

15. I ate soda crackers

like it was manna from heaven. For some reason, they helped. I kept them with me at all times. ate them before I got up in the morning and I stayed away from smells.

[elleng]

16. Thanks.

She uses crackers, don't know about smells as she cooks (and then if she eats what she cooked, she's sorry!)

[WhiteTara]

19. There is ama medicine

that she can take, but if possible, the best thing is to rest, sleep and then rest some more. The body changes are so immense. I hope she feels better soon. I was fine by my second trimester, but it sure was miserable for awhile.

[elleng]

20. Thanks. She's been doing a lot of resting and sleeping,

and she's aware that her body is going through lots of changes. Second trimester may be just about upon her, and she'll see her doc in a few days. We do have an important, and emotionally challenging family event scheduled for Feb 3, so I hope she (and the weather) permit.

[WhiteTara]

21. Good luck with it all!

And you're going to be a grandmother! Will this be your first?

[elleng]

22. Thanks and my first was born December 12

to her sister, in NJ, and I made it up there for the birth, and visited again. She, the younger, lives near me!!! so I'll have someone new to play with within 30 minutes!!!

[WhiteTara]

23. Oh my! You are really in baby heaven!

Their newness. That smell. It could almost drive one insane with its beauty! Sometimes I feel like a vampire sniffing up all their newness. Innocence may even have a scent! I don't know but their very presence can change your life. Enjoy. You have years of "ahas" to come!

[elleng]

24. Yes, I expect so,

and family relationships 'evolving,' hope for the good. Fingers crossed.

[kdmorris]

25. I had "morning" sickness for 5 months with my second pregnancy

It only becomes a problem if she can literally keep nothing down ever. The only thing I could ever do to mitigate it was NEVER let my stomach get empty. I'd eat a tiny amount about once per hour. Same thing with my 7 month old twins.

Despite the morning sickness, I want to assure you that my babies were all healthy and BIG. I had the worst morning sickness with my second pregnancy and she was 9lbs 11oz, 23.5 inches long.

My twins were 8+ lbs each, born at almost 38 weeks. I "only" gained 60 lbs with them but the morning sickness didn't harm them.

[elleng]

27. You are a CHAMP, kdmorris!

Quite something you went through!

Will let her know about NEVER letting her stomach get empty, actually, I think I'll copy and paste your reply to her!

Baby's dad is very tall and was also 23 inches long. Tune in in July!

[abelenkpe]

26. I had the same problem

when pregnant with twins. When pregnant with one....not so much. Got so used to being sick that it was routine. Lost weight at first too. Saltines help a lot. I basically only ate saltines and drank milk during the day and went for a more balanced meal in the evening when the nausea would subside. Congratulations!

[elleng]

28. Thanks, abelenkpe.

She drinks milk too. Astonishes me, cause I've always hated milk!

Even her later in the day/evening meals have 'come up,' poor kid.

[Ilsa]

29. ginger ale, crackers, rest, simple diet.

The weight she lost was from her stores of body fat. No worries.
It usually subsides in a few weeks.
Morning sickness is a good sign that her body has the hormones (testosterone) necessary for the pregnancy. I'd be more worried if she wasn't sick. I bet she's sleepy, too.

[elleng]

30. Thanks. Yes, she's very sleepy.

I wasn't sick at all, twice, and all went well.

[Laffy Kat]

31. Even women who throw-up a lot during the first trimester

seem to do fine and thrive. I lost 12 pounds during the first semester of my last pregnancy and gained it back plus twenty-five more pounds in the second and third trimester. Every thing will be fine. If the vomiting becomes pathological it's called hyperemesis and is miserable but uncommon. Congrats, too!!

[elleng]

36. Thanks, and doc will be monitoring.

She's looking smallish to me these days. We'll see how it goes.

[demigoddess]

32. I threw up 8 months of my 1st

pregnancy baby was almost 8 lbs. got better with my later pregnancies. And in many of them I lost a pound or so a week at the end. Then had a 8 lb or 9 lb baby.

[elleng]

35. Oh my, 8 months!

How courageous to continue with 'later' pregnancies!

[Th1onein]

33. It really helped me to eat bananas and oranges.

I was sick ALL day long, not just in the mornings.

[elleng]

34. Same with her, all day long.

She is eating fresh fruit, and WILL do so after she receives gift of Honeybells I sent her, due to arrive any day!

[Th1onein]

39. I think it's something to do with the potassium. Not sure.

[2theleft]

37. My friend at work just went through a rough pregnancy

in terms of morning sickness.

Same things as above - crackers, ginger ale. I would bring her care packages her at work - peppermints, peppermint tea, crackers, candied ginger...anything I could think of to help.

She LOVED the peppermints - the soft ones that kind of melt in your mouth? For her, those helped probably more than anything, but they did nothing for another girl at work. Worth a try though. I couldn't convince her to try the peppermint tea I bought...I love it, but the "herby" smell of it was off-putting to her.

[elleng]

38. She liked peppermint candies recently,

and I bought her ginger candies; hope they help.

Thanks

[rocktivity]

40. I don't think there's a universal cure. They say every pregnancy is unique

beginning with morning sickness.

A friend had it so bad she had to take a month of sick leave from work. My sister found she could control it by not eating after 7PM. But my OTHER sister found that she could control it by eating something just before she went to bed!


rocktivity

[Nay]

41. My DIL had the same problem, but later in her pregnancy. She did nothing but

puke. I believe they gave her some meds to keep at least some food down, but they didn't work well and I have no idea whether they would have been appropriate for early in a pregnancy.

My grandson popped out perfectly healthy. Supposedly, the baby takes what it needs from mom, sometimes to the detriment of mom, in order to come out OK. Frankly, my DIL is a 'picky eater' -- she can only eat a few common foods (chicken, french fries, candy and cookies, has never once eaten a green/red/orange vegetable, etc.) so she's no paragon of virtue as far as fueling her own body correctly. And little grandbaby still came out OK, so far.