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Green to the Gills

Navigating a Flu-like Pregnancy

By Laurie Dove

Before she even knew she was pregnant, Susan Younan Attiyah of Glendora, Calif., started throwing up.

"It lasted all nine months and anything set it off – scents like soap, perfume, chicken – absolutely anything," she says. "I was still throwing up when I went into labor."

Like more than 70 percent of all pregnant women, Attiyah experienced morning sickness. Morning sickness, unlike its name suggests, can occur at any time of day or night and is caused by sudden increases or changes in hormone and fluid levels.

For most women, morning sickness ceases as pregnancy enters its fourth month. Some, like Attiyah, however, struggle with nausea and vomiting throughout a pregnancy's duration. This is a more severe condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum, which, if not treated, can cause weight loss, dehydration, liver damage and even death.

As countless women struggle to shake the queasiness that plagues their every move, obstetricians dispense prevention advice: Frequent snacking on bland foods such as whole grain crackers or broth, coupled with plenty of water to ward off dehydration. Avoiding sugary and fatty foods can help, too, because they are difficult to digest. Steer clear of caffeinated beverages that can further irritate nausea.

Sometimes, however, morning sickness requires more intensive relief, prompting pregnant women to try the once shrugged-off cures suggested by grandmothers and well-meaning neighbors, to delve into alternative treatments or ask their doctors for medication.

"The use of any medication during pregnancy involves weighing the risks of the medication against the risks associated with maternal disease," says Dr. Jennifer R. Niebyl, who heads the obstetrics and gynecology department at the University of Iowa hospitals and clinics. "Nausea and vomiting can pose a serious risk to the health of the mother and the developing fetus."

Currently, the safest and most effective prescription drug for morning sickness is available only to women in Canada, she says. The drug, Diclectin, is a combination of a sedative-antihistamine and vitamin B6. It was manufactured in the United States under the name Bendectin until the early 1980s when it was taken off the market under suspicion that it caused birth defects.

According to Niebyl, for many pregnant women the next best remedy may be found in prescription drugs that fight nausea and vomiting, such as Thorazine and Phenergan. Over-the-counter antihistamines such as Benadryl and the motion sickness drug Dramamine also have been shown to reduce the feelings of morning sickness without harming Baby.

Want to see more?

• Hyperemesis Gravidarum: Surviving Extreme Morning Sickness
• Overcoming Morning Sickness
• Herbs for Pregnancy: Natural Medicine in the Modern Age
• Talk about it!

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