Sickness in pregnancy – Avoiding Pregnancy Illnesses

Nausea and morning sickness in pregnancy is among the most common ailments in the world and a majority of pregnant women experience this. Falling ill is another problem for pregnant women for several reasons and we look at how to deal with pregnancy illnesses.

When morning sickness in pregnancy can be a concern

For the most part, morning sickness doesn’t cause any major problems either for the mother or the child even if the mother to be does feel quite ill and uncomfortable.

In fact there is evidence to show that women who do have some amount of morning sickness go on to have healthier pregnancies and babies.

It is only a condition known as Hyperemesis gravidarum, a very severe form of morning sickness that may occur in 1% of births that needs medical attention.

Why illness or sickness in pregnancy can be problematic

Pregnant women are known to be immune compromised and therefore prone to infection and disease during those nine months.

There is the natural impulse of the body and the immune system to eject the fetus as a foreign element. So as to prevent this there is a natural inhibition of the body’s immune system at this time to allow the pregnancy to continue.

Not only are pregnant women more vulnerable to illness there is another reason why pregnancy illnesses are problematic. This is because there are only some medications that are proven to be safe for women to take during pregnancy, whereas a great majority of medications may be iffy to take during pregnancy.

Preventing sickness in pregnancy

The fact that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, is never truer than during pregnancy. The following tips can help prevent pregnancy illnesses-

1. It is recommended that women should be vaccinated against flu during pregnancy. Hepatitis B (but not hepatitis A) and the diphtheria/tetanus vaccines are also recommend if they are not current.

2. Women should observe strict hygiene during pregnancy, keeping the surrounding clean, not handling toxic or unclean items, scrupulously and frequently washing hands and so on.

3. Pregnant women should steer clear of toxoplasmosis risk by not handling cat litter. Food borne sickness in pregnancy such as Listeria and other infections should be avoided by avoiding eating raw eggs, undercooked meat, unpasteurized poultry, soft cheeses, and deli meats and so on.

4. It is best to stay out of the way of people who are ill or have any kind of infections while pregnant. Women who work in health care or otherwise come into contact with sick people should consider a sabbatical or negotiate change in duties for the time being.

5. Eat healthy and take any prescribed prenatal vitamins or supplements regularly to decrease risk of pregnancy sickness.

6. Get plenty of good quality rest to allow the body to avoid illness and to heal itself.

7. If sickness in pregnancy does occur make sure that any unusual symptoms are promptly reported. Try natural home remedies first and if those don’t work, use medication only after it is cleared with the doctor for use.