How to Stop Nausea When Taking Prenatal Vitamins
Nausea and vomiting affect an estimated 80 percent of pregnant women. Most commonly due to morning sickness, the symptoms reach their peak during the first trimester of pregnancy. Worse, the symptoms can be aggravated by prenatal vitamins. Excessive vomiting and the inability to take your vitamins have to be addressed, because they provide you with the nutrients necessary to keep you and the baby in your womb healthy.
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Instructions
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Talk to your doctor about which prenatal vitamins you need to take daily. During the first trimester of pregnancy, it is reasonable for your doctor to withhold your intake of iron, if prenatal vitamins are determined to be the cause of your symptoms. Iron is the nutritional supplement most often linked to nausea and vomiting.
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During the first trimester, you should not stop taking at least 0.4 mg of folic acid, which prevents congenital malformations on your baby's brain and spinal cord. If you previously had a baby with brain or spinal cord defect, a higher dose of 4 mg daily is recommended.
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Resume your iron supplementation during the second trimester of your pregnancy, when symptoms of morning sickness are expected to subside. You need at least 30 mg of elemental iron daily.
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To avoid triggering symptoms, take your prenatal vitamins at bedtime. You may sleep through the worst of the nausea.
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Whether you choose to take your prenatal vitamins after breakfast, lunch or dinner, make sure that you don't eat a heavy meal ahead of time. A full meal distends your stomach, making you more prone to nausea and vomiting when you take your iron.
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Don't take your prenatal vitamins on an empty stomach, either. Without food, iron can irritate the lining of your stomach. When taking prenatal vitamins, eating more frequent meals with smaller servings is recommended.
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Take your prenatal vitamins with a meal that is high in carbohydrates and low in fat. Carbonated and sour beverages also reduce nausea and vomiting.
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Take your iron with vitamin C. Vitamin C increases the absorption rate of iron in your stomach. This decreases the likelihood of stomach irritation.
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When taking your prenatal vitamins, avoid nausea triggers as much as possible. Some triggers include strong smells, food textures, motion, noise, heat, humidity and fatigue.
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If your nausea and vomiting still persist when taking your prenatal vitamins, consult with your obstetrician. She may prescribe vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), metoclopramide, meclizine or diphenhydramine to alleviate the symptoms. These drugs can safely be given to pregnant women.
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Tips & Warnings
Emotional support during pregnancy reduces anxiety and depression, which may cause nausea and vomiting.
When you begin to experience nausea and vomiting, tell your obstetrician. Although the symptoms are expected, your doctor has to make sure that your nausea does not occur more frequently or last longer than it should. She has to rule out hyperemesis gravidarum, which is severe nausea and vomiting that may lead to dehydration and poor weight gain. Don't take medications or herbal supplements without the knowledge of your obstetrician. Not all drugs are safe for pregnant women. Even vitamin A, when taken in excess, has been shown to cause birth defects.
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- Photo Credit Bianca de Blok
