When It’s Serious Enough to Call a Doctor

Posted on Jan 31, 2013 | About Morning Sickness Category | | Print This Article
 

Three out of four pregnant women experience morning sickness, usually in the first two trimesters of the pregnancy. Most of the time, it isn’t a serious condition. Many doctors believe it is a sign that your pregnancy is healthy and progressing normally. It isn’t one of the more pleasant features of the average pregnancy, but it is one of the more normal ones.

Don’t be Shy about Calling Your Doctor

Unfortunately, the fact that morning sickness is normal can mislead women who have a similar but more serious condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum to go untreated. Any pregnancy can result in hyperemesis gravidarum, but the following conditions increase the risk:

  • First pregnancy
  • Family history of severe morning sickness
  • Having a history of morning sickness
  • Pregnancies involving twins or multiples
  • History of migraines, especially those which cause vomiting or nausea

When You should Absolutely Call the Doctor

If you’re experiencing morning sickness, it’s important to know when the symptoms are normal and when they’re serious enough that you should call your health care provider. Call your doctor if your morning sickness:

  • Causes you to lose weight
  • Makes it impossible for you to keep down food for more than a day
  • Makes it impossible for you to hold down clear fluids for any significant amount of time
  • Causes you to vomit more than twice per day
  • Causes you to have brown vomit or vomit with bloody streaks
  • Causes severe dizziness or fainting
  • Causes your heartbeat to race
  • Causes recurring headaches
  • Causes a fruity taste in your mouth
  • Causes you to have a fruit body odor
  • Causes confusion or disorientation
  • Causes extreme, lasting fatigue

Many of these symptoms are simply more severe versions of typical morning sickness. Experiencing them does not necessarily mean you have hyperemesis gravidarum, but you will want your doctor to make that determination. Your doctor will also have a wide array or treatment possibilities, ranging from a change in your prenatal vitamins to intravenous feeding. In some cases, doctors might also recommend therapy to deal with pregnancy-related stress, which can aggravate hyperemesis gravidarum.

Natural Treatments

Most of the natural treatments for morning sickness are also helpful with hyperemesis gravidarum. You should absolutely continue to use whatever natural remedies are working for you and get plenty of rest. Most importantly, make sure you are getting enough to eat and plenty of fluids. If you’ve been diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum, contact your doctor right away if you have trouble keeping down food or fluids for more than one or two meals.




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