[Medical Q&A] How to deal with morning sickness during pregnancy scientifically?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Zhao Jie, Chief Pharmacist Professor of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University

Morning sickness is very common in early pregnancy (first three months of pregnancy). Generally, morning sickness symptoms will disappear naturally after 12 weeks of pregnancy, and the pregnant woman's appetite will gradually return to normal. Generally, morning sickness is not serious and does not require medical treatment. The following methods can help relieve morning sickness.

1. Choose foods rich in carbohydrates. The harder the food is to digest, the longer it stays in the stomach, and the stomach needs to work harder to contract and relax, secreting more digestive juices to digest the food. Therefore, you can choose foods rich in carbohydrates, such as porridge, dry bread, steamed buns, soda crackers, etc., and try to avoid high-fat foods that are difficult to digest, such as potato chips, lotus root dumplings or braised eggplant and other oily dishes.

2. Eat more foods with high water content. Foods with high water content can pass through the stomach quickly, are not easy to cause morning sickness, and can also reduce the burden on the intestines, so that food can be better absorbed and provide nutrition for pregnant mothers. Therefore, you can make some light porridge such as vegetable and lean meat porridge or whole grain porridge for pregnant mothers, and try to eat less dry food. Maintain the frequency of eating small meals frequently, otherwise eating too much for three meals a day will slow down the emptying of food in the stomach and easily cause morning sickness.

3. Do some exercise after meals. Doing some exercise after meals helps food enter the small intestine faster and reduces gastric reflux. So it is recommended to walk around after meals, or at least sit down, instead of lying down. In addition, doing some exercise after meals can relax your body and mind and divert attention from vomiting.

4. Other life tips. For example, keep the indoor air fresh and the temperature cool; try to avoid contact with odors, high temperatures, humidity, foods or additives that can easily induce vomiting; lemon or ginger have natural antiemetic effects, so it is recommended to always have them on hand, you can smell them, or boil ginger soup, which also has an antiemetic effect; wearing loose clothes and keeping a good mood can also help relieve morning sickness symptoms.

If morning sickness is so severe that you can't eat a single bite, or even vomit when you drink water, and you vomit more than 4 times a day, you should seek medical attention immediately and receive treatment according to the doctor's advice. Otherwise, the body will use fat for energy due to insufficient energy intake, which may affect the normal development of the fetal brain.