Pregnancy – Nausea Can Start In The First Week
All women’s bodies act differently during pregnancy. Nausea can start as early as the first week in some women. Most women get morning sickness four to six weeks into their pregnancy. And then again, some women never have any signs of vomiting and nausea associated with morning sickness.
The length of time of a pregnant woman’s morning sickness can also vary. Most women are finished by the end of their first trimester, and some don’t stop until their baby is born.
These women who get nauseated and vomit for the duration of their pregnancy need to take note because their situation can become extremely dangerous for them. Hyperemesis gravidarum is a condition suffered by one in three hundred pregnant women. Even though this is also known as extreme morning sickness, these pregnant women don’t just vomit in the morning; in these cases, they vomit all day long.
If a woman is experiencing weight loss (more than 5%), and signs of dehydration (extreme fatigue, decreased urination, muscle cramps, headaches), she should consult a physician immediately. But don’t those symptoms sound a lot like the symptoms of pregnancy? They do, but combined with the weight loss, she should get to a doctor.
For any of those women suffering from mild to moderate symptoms, there are options they can explore to relieve them.
Medication is the first option, and it can be prescribed by her doctor. It used to be called Benedictin, which is a combination of the vitamin B6 and doxylamine. The manufacturer stopped producing it because it was thought to cause birth defects in babies.
Don’t think medication is the right thing for you? Why not try an unconventional treatment called acupuncture.
Acupuncture is one of the most effective alternative treatments in fighting the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Acupuncture is considered “alternative” because it is practiced by those who study Eastern medicine philosophy.
It isn’t a form of treatment that’s currently endorsed by the American Medical Association (AMA), but the benefits of it treating pain and sickness are slowly becoming accepted.
In an acupuncture session, the acupuncturist will ask you questions about your symptoms, what you’ve done so far to help them. She will also give you a brief lesson (and perhaps history) on acupuncture, so you know what she will be doing with the needles.
At that point, she will have you lie down. Depending on where she needs to place the needles, you may have to remove your clothes. Think of it like a massage, with needles. Of course, there is a sheet to cover the needle-free parts so you stay warm. Sometimes, the acupuncturist will have a heat lamp available to also keep you warm.
There is only a little pain when the needles are inserted into your skin. The sensation that moves throughout your body is hard to describe because it’s different for everyone, but it can feel very good.
Don’t like needles? Then you might be better off trying acupressure, which is acupuncture, without the inserting needles into your skin. It works by applying continuous pressure to points similar to those where you’d have needles inserted.
Because your pregnancy nausea can start as early as the first week of your pregnancy, and can continue all the way through until your baby is born, it’s a good idea to seek treatment as soon as possible. Whether you decide to go with medication, acupuncture, or acupressure, just make sure you try something to relieve your morning sickness symptoms because a pregnancy is a time to enjoy, not a time to be sick.
