Pregnancy Hyperemesis

What You Need to Know About Pregnancy Hyperemesis

Morning sickness affects many pregnant women during the first stages of pregnancy and for most sufferers it's a temporary annoyance which can be easily controlled. For some women though a cure for morning sickness is hard to find as they experience severe symptoms which can last throughout their pregnancy. Below we take a look at pregnancy hyperemesis and the ways in which you can help relieve the symptoms.

What is pregnancy hyperemesis?

If ladies suffer from hyperemesis when they are pregnant their vomiting is often so severe that little or no food and water can be kept down. Unlike regular morning sickness, hyperemesis (or hyperemesis gravidarum to give it its full name) can go on well into the pregnancy whereas most morning sickness subsides after the first trimester. The cause of hyperemesis is not known but there are a number of theories including hormone imbalances and nutritional deficiencies which can occur during pregnancy.

What are the symptoms of hyperemesis?

There is a full range of symptoms associated with hyperemesis including dizziness, fatigue and headaches. The most common and severe symptom is often excessive vomiting and nausea which can be so bad that in some cases no food or liquid can be kept down which can lead to dehydration and weight loss. Although many sufferers of hyperemesis find that the symptoms improve towards the end of their second trimester, in some ladies the symptoms can continue right up until the birth.

How can pregnancy hyperemesis be treated? 

Thankfully there are ways that the symptoms of pregnancy hyperemesis can be alleviated. Having plenty of rest rather than rushing around is a good way to ease the symptoms and also a great excuse to put your feet up. If you are having real trouble keeping food down then stick to small, regular meals with bite size snacks in between so you don't overload your stomach. Another cure for morning sickness which many ladies find useful is sucking on ice lollies such as the specially formulated soothies from Lillipops. Iced lollies can make taking on liquids less of a daunting task especially if you try the tasty flavours from Lillipops which include Lemon and Mint and Lime and Vanilla.