Pregnancy and nausea

1. Nausea during pregnancy is a very common ailment. Three quarters of pregnant women suffer from this and one third of all pregnant women vomit occasionally or regularly. Nausea can occur as early as the first weeks of pregnancy and often lasts until the end of the first trimester. But in a fifth of pregnant women it continues to play up to a greater or lesser extent throughout the pregnancy. How can you prevent nausea during pregnancy? And how can you relieve it so that you don't suffer too much from this common ailment?

What can you do about morning sickness?

1. Although morning sickness is often not completely preventable, there are a number of things you can try to make it more bearable.

What to avoid?

1. Avoid salt, fat and hard to digest foods. You know the feeling of a "brick" on your stomach when the food is heavy. If you already suffer from morning sickness, it is better to focus on easily digestible and not too fatty food. Don't drink caffeinated drinks. Do not overeat foods that are baked or fried. Boiled and steamed is better. Avoid getting very hungry. You can do this by always having something with you that you can eat at any time, such as a league or a banana. Do not eat too much spicy food or foods that contain a lot of flavor enhancers. When you are pregnant, your body perceives all odors and flavors much more strongly than normal and this can cause nausea. Smoking (or passive smoking) is not good for an unborn child anyway, but it also appears to induce nausea. Do not smoke yourself and try to avoid places where people smoke a lot.

Medicines that can reduce nausea

1. If the nausea gets too bad or if you have to vomit too much, a doctor can prescribe Emesafene, Cyclizine or Primparan. Emesafine is often the first choice and has been successfully prescribed for decades. It blocks the stimulation of the vomiting center, often works within 2 hours and the effectiveness lasts for about 8 hours. A disadvantage is that it can make you a bit sleepy. Cyclizine works in the same way, but the effectiveness is noticeable more quickly (within half an hour after taking it), but the effect is shorter (4 to 6 hours). It has the same side effect as Emesafene. Primperan works by stimulating the metabolism so that food can be absorbed more quickly. In addition, it also prevents the vomiting center from quickly becoming over-stimulated. In addition to causing drowsiness, it can also lead to constipation.

The influence of acupuncture

1. Acupuncture has been used for a long time as a treatment for morning sickness. While not all studies can show the effect of acupuncture, some studies show that women who have had acupuncture treatment feel better than the women in the same study who have not had these treatments. Since many women benefit from acupuncture treatments, this may still be worth considering. Most health insurance companies (partially) reimburse the treatments of acupuncturists affiliated with the Dutch Association for Acupuncture (NVA). More information about this can be obtained from your health insurance company.

2. Acupuncture has been used for a long time as a treatment for morning sickness. While not all studies can show the effect of acupuncture, some studies show that women who have had acupuncture treatment feel better than the women in the same study who have not had these treatments. Since many women benefit from acupuncture treatments, this could still be worth considering. Most health insurers (partially) reimburse the treatments of acupuncturists affiliated with the Dutch Association for Acupuncture (NVA). More information about this can be obtained from your health insurance company.