Dehydration During Pregnancy
The Risks of Dehydration During Pregnancy
Although morning sickness is common, the risks of dehydration during pregnancy are very real. While most women will suffer from at least some amount of morning sickness, other women will suffer from extreme morning sickness which can affect their electrolytes, fluid, and overall health. So what are the risks of dehydration during pregnancy?
For the most part, morning sickness consists of nausea. Unlike its name suggests it can happen at any time during the day and not just in the morning. It may or may not be accompanied by vomiting. By the second trimester, it generally clears up.
However, for some women, morning sickness involves more than just nausea and the occasional bouts of vomiting. It can include vomiting 5-10 times per day, dizziness, confusion, low blood pressure, trouble urinating, headaches, and shaking. If the woman is unable to keep down any liquids for more than 72 hours, she runs the risk of facing dehydration during pregnancy and it needs to be taken very seriously.
Extreme morning sickness is often referred to as Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG). Only about 2% of women who are pregnant will experience it, but it is still a very real condition that needs to be treated by a doctor. If a woman becomes too dehydrated, there is a risk to the unborn baby, as well as to the woman herself. Actually, the harm would first affect the pregnant woman since the fetus acts like a parasite and will typically consume the nutrients and vitamins that a woman consumes before they go into the woman’s own system.
There are many morning sickness remedies that are used to treat the occasional bouts of nausea and vomiting, but treating extreme morning sickness which can lead to dehydration usually requires more than what these remedies are able to achieve. Eating a cracker before getting out of bed in the morning, for example, will not help a woman who is unable to keep any food or drink down.
For the most part, in extreme morning sickness, the only way that the sickness can be treated is through the use of medication. Common anti-nausea medications that are frequently prescribed are Zofran and Phenegran. They work differently for different women, however, and what works for one might not work for another.
If the woman is already dehydrated then a stay at the hospital might be required. During the hospital stay, the pregnant woman will most likely be hooked up to an IV and fed fluids and possibly anti-nausea medication. Her blood pressure and urine will be monitored and she will continue to receive fluids until her electrolytes have been restored.
Once released from the hospital, more than likely she will be prescribed more anti-nausea medication and told to stick to a bland diet consisting of clear broths and jello until the nausea and vomiting subside.
Unfortunately, some women who experience Hyperemesis Gravidarum have it through most of their pregnancy. Although it can go away for days, or even weeks, at a time it can also return. It is very important the woman try to keep fluids down, even if she is unable to keep down any foods. A lack of fluid is what will cause dehydration. If more than 48 hours go by and no fluids are able to be kept down then she should consult her physician immediately.
There is no real way to control extreme morning sickness. It isn’t caused by anything that the pregnant woman is doing wrong and therefore there is little that she can do to control it. Physicians aren’t quite sure why some women have it and some women don’t, but understanding the symptoms of dehydration is important and should be taken seriously.