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If pregnancy could be described in just one word, that word would be change. Everything in life changes, your body, your habits, your feelings, your day to day, your whole life changes and you are never the same.
This is the most characteristic feature of having a child, it is a turning point in life, but it is not possible to say that this change occurs in a smooth and calm way. On the contrary, the most common is that, as much as the pregnancy is considered peaceful, this period is one of the most agitated of your life.
And all this agitation and turbulence of information can end up bringing some unwanted consequences, like hyperemesis gravidarum , for example. If you don’t know what it is, let’s talk about this condition that affects so many women in Brazil and that can be a real disorder for your pregnancy.
What is Hyperemesis Gravidarum?
This condition can be classified as a pregnancy complication that occurs when there is an excess of nausea and vomiting, the so-called pregnancy emesis. Such excess ends up disrupting the woman’s routine in her daily life and can also harm the pregnancy, since the woman’s health ends up being compromised.
This is not a very common complication in pregnancy, happening to only about 1.5% of women , but it can become a disorder. Both common nausea and hyperemesis gravidarum are much more common in the first trimester of pregnancy, although it can also occur in other periods of pregnancy.
What Causes Hyperemesis Gravidarum?
The entire pregnancy is characterized by drastic changes in the woman’s body, however, the first three months are the most impactful for certain parts of the body because that is when this transition begins to happen.
The hormone HCG , which is produced by the placenta during pregnancy is the major cause of nausea and vomiting exactly because the woman’s body is not used to so many hormones at once. Once the body begins to get used to these changes, the symptoms tend to subside.
Hyperemesis happens when excess hormone is already produced by the placenta. But this is not the only cause of this complication. Women who are genetically more sensitive to hormonal changes may also suffer from hyperemesis gravidarum, in addition to women who have some psychological disorder such as depression, for example.
How to Differentiate a Simple Sickness from Hyperemesis?
Feeling sick during pregnancy, especially in the first three months, is very common. However, it is necessary to know when these symptoms start to interfere with your life in some way. Therefore, the time to seek help is when the woman is no longer able to carry out her daily tasks because of these vomiting and malaise.
An example of this is when the pregnant woman vomits whenever she eats something. This ends up harming your health, as food is not absorbed in the correct way by the body, which can also be a problem for the baby.
There is also another side to be discussed, which is that of women who think they have hyperemesis gravidarum, but are just experiencing common nausea. Again, what will measure this is how much these symptoms are affecting a woman’s life and health. When in doubt, it is always good to see a doctor to get more concrete answers.
Treatment of Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Once diagnosed, hyperemesis gravidarum has treatments so that the symptoms are reduced and the woman can return to live her pregnancy with more tranquility. The treatment for this condition consists of taking serum in the vein to prevent the pregnant woman from having dehydration, in addition to also receiving medication through the vein, so that the symptoms of hyperemesis gravidarum are relieved.
Rest is also a great way to make women less stressed, which can also reduce nausea and malaise. In some cases, psychological counseling can also be of great help.
Is the Baby Affected?
The greatest evils of hyperemesis gravidarum are for the mother, who can become dehydrated and even slightly malnourished in more serious cases. However, when we are talking about a pregnancy, we are talking about two beings at the same time, and invariably the baby can be affected in some way.
However, even though vomiting occurs very constantly and causes pain in the abdomen, the maximum that can occur with babies is to be born a little smaller than expected, which can be quickly recovered with good breastfeeding. Therefore, in cases like this the biggest concern must be with the mother’s health so that she can have a good pregnancy.
Feeling sick, unfortunately, is part of the process of raising a child. There are rare cases of women who have had a pregnancy and have not had problems with vomiting. But in spite of that, it is also true that most of these nausea are usually transient, especially when the body gets used to the new load of hormones. The cases of hyperemesis gravidarum are more delicate and require a doctor to give the correct diagnosis so that the woman can feel better.
In either case, it is necessary that the woman has a pregnancy where she feels well and that, despite the hectic moments, be calm for both her and the baby. So if seasickness starts to disrupt your life, it may be time to see a doctor and get treatment.
See Also: Is Diarrhea in Early Pregnancy Normal?
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
