Nausea in pregnancy: tips and strategies

By Cristiano Antonino On Mar 21, 2023

Nausea in pregnancy has an above all evolutionary and phylogenetic motivation: it helps to keep away from those foods that could be harmful during the most delicate period of embryogenesis (i.e. the formation of the organs of the embryo)

Think back to the old days, when women also and above all fed and cured themselves with herbs, it is clear that bitter or intensely flavoured substances could risk being poisonous.

Today this is no longer the case, foods are super-controlled, but nausea remains.

When does nausea begin in pregnancy?

Nausea in most cases corresponds to the first trimester and seems to be correlated with beta-HCG hormone levels.

Some attribute reasons for nausea to vitamin deficiencies or thyroid changes.

Usually nausea subsides and disappears towards the end of the first trimester, but this is not the case for everyone.

Remedies against nausea in pregnancy

Generally speaking, in such a delicate period, the less medication one takes the better.

To combat nausea in pregnancy it is advisable to

eat small, frequent meals
eat dry, easily digestible food (such as crackers) in order to never leave your stomach empty
drink liquids in small sips to avoid filling the stomach too quickly.

In case of incoercible vomiting, the doctor may assess the need to take antiemetics (metoclopramide) and more powerful neurotropic drugs such as chlorpromazine, which acts centrally (it is a psychopharmaceutical).

Hospitalisation is a necessary condition in those situations where dehydration is feared, and usually lasts a few days.

In most cases, however, although annoying, nausea is a symptom that poses no risk to the continuation of gestation.

On the contrary, in the early stages, when the mother does not yet feel the baby, the presence of nausea reassures her that the pregnancy itself is going well (it means that there are plenty of hormones in circulation).

This does not apply if, on the contrary, nausea has never been felt. In such cases other symptoms, such as breast tension, are evidence of a regular progression.

Nausea in pregnancy: natural remedies under medical supervision

Ginger-based phytotherapeutic remedies are widespread, but it must be borne in mind that herbal extracts are mostly contraindicated during pregnancy and, even for ginger, possible harmful effects cannot be ruled out with certainty (spices, in particular, can create uterine contractile activity).

Other effective solutions may be acupuncture and acupressure bracelets, such as those used for seasickness.

The AOGOI (Association of Italian Hospital Obstetricians and Gynaecologists) has also tested the efficacy of products administered in the form of popsicles, and some testimonies report that the effect of reducing nausea, being ice-related, could also be reproduced with cheaper methods, such as do-it-yourself popsicles, always paying attention to the ingredients.

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