When you find out that you are pregnant, the first thing you usually do is embark on the ocean of information that exists about everything you should do during that period in which you are gestating the life of your baby: the ideal diet for pregnant women, exercises to find you perfect, the yoga postures that will help you in labor …
However, when you face reality, sometimes you find that your body cannot follow these recommendations because “it goes its own way” : you cannot exercise because the doctor has instructed you to do relative rest or absolute rest, you cannot being in zen mode all day because hormones have thrown a party in your body and you can hardly even eat because your stomach has decided that suddenly, it hates 99% of the foods that you once loved : nausea has come into your life , but not in the subtle and delicate way that they are shown in the ads, but rather resembling a tsunami that destroys everything in its path.
Why does nausea occur in pregnancy?
It is not known for sure why they feel nauseous (there has even been talk that they could be psychological), but the most widespread theory is that they are due to the rapid rise in levels of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin secreted by the placenta.
These are usually accompanied by intolerance and aversion to certain foods, as well as rejection of some smells that increase the feeling of discomfort. They can appear at any time of the day, although they are more common in the morning after a long fast . In fact, in some women they persist throughout pregnancy, but they tend to disappear or at least remit towards the beginning of the second trimester.
I can’t eat and I feel very bad physically and psychologically
When I got pregnant with my first daughter, it happened to me: I could hardly stand any odors, and directly those of the chicken and fish made me gag (although I generally did not vomit), so I could not even go through the supermarket aisle where they were. So much so that there was a season in which I survived on cooked rice, French omelette, oranges, jelly and sometimes a little cooked ham. Nothing more.
The worst thing of all was not that constant nausea feeling, but the feeling of guilt that was already beginning to surface in me for not being a “normal pregnant woman” and for the fear of not giving my baby what he needed to grow strong. The gynecologist prescribed a medication but it did not work and no home trick worked, so I was doing tests frequently to be controlled, but nothing more.
Unfortunately little is said about this . You keep reading millions of recommendations for “balanced and varied diets that every pregnant woman should follow”, and you barely keep three bites in your stomach. Even your social life deteriorates, since it is unthinkable to meet for lunch because you can hardly even leave the house! In fact, there are times when you go out of your way to appear happy , but in reality you are not, and you think that pregnancy is not as beautiful as you thought.
The key: patience and understanding
Looking back, I realize that I was stronger than I thought , although I had the tireless support of my husband, who served as a bastion for me not to feel worse than I already was. However from the outside I tried to seem that the situation was not so serious, beyond “the typical discomfort of pregnancy.”
Handling this situation is not an easy task, so the most important thing is to ensure your peace of mind. On the physical front , this is provided by your doctor ensuring that you do not get dehydrated, that your body does not decompose and that the baby grows properly. On the psychological front , don’t be afraid to talk (mainly with those closest to you), or seek professional help. Nothing happens if you feel fatal, because you do not have to prove anything to anyone: your emotional well-being is very important for both you and your child, so do not feel guilty (because in this situation there are none), and look for those alternatives that give you relief (a short walk, drink cold water, rest, entertain yourself by designing the baby’s room …).
What to do if I vomit almost everything I eat during pregnancy?
Obviously the most important thing is to be controlled by your doctor, since if vomiting is very frequent, it is possible that you suffer from hyperemesis gravidarum , a disease that generally requires hospital admission.
If the situation can be managed at home, there are some keys that can help you to cope better: eat a small amount but several times throughout the day, be calm, drink liquids constantly and avoid fatty foods. In the end, it is your own body that gives you the guideline of what you can eat , so don’t worry … listen to him and arm yourself with patience, because in the end everything will return to normal and you and your baby will feel fine.
In Babies and More | That terrible pregnancy where you are nauseous until the day of delivery
Image | gpointstudio
