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There are a number of medicines that can be used safely so that pregnant women with nausea and vomiting can feel well enough to carry out their day-to-day activities.
Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy
Pregnancy sickness affects about nine out of every 10 pregnant women. For most women, symptoms get better by week 20. About one in every 10 women with nausea and vomiting has symptoms that continue after 16 weeks of pregnancy.
Up to three in every 100 pregnant women experience a very severe form of pregnancy sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum. This prevents affected women from eating and drinking normally and stops them from carrying out their daily activities. It may also affect a woman’s mental health. For further details, see the Bump leaflet on Hyperemesis gravidarum.
What should I do if I have nausea and vomiting in pregnancy?
If you feel that you can carry on your daily life despite having pregnancy sickness, you can try certain lifestyle changes to improve symptoms. These include getting plenty of rest and eating what you fancy. Some women find that instead of larger meals, it is better to eat smaller, regular amounts of food with high carbohydrate and low-fat content (like potato, bread, rice, and pasta). It can be helpful to avoid foods with a strong smell. It is also recommended to try and keep up a normal daily fluid intake (8 cups or glasses).
If your symptoms are stopping you from living your normal life, ask your doctor for advice as you might need an anti-sickness medicine.
What medicines can be used for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy?
Your doctor will usually offer you an antihistamine to try first. Antihistamines that can help with sickness include cyclizine, prochlorperazine (Stemetil®), chlorpromazine, and promethazine (Phenergan®, Sominex®). A drug called Xonvea® is also available, which combines an antihistamine (doxylamine) with vitamin B6.
If an antihistamine doesn’t help, your doctor can talk to you about using other medicines. These include ondansetron (Zofran®), metoclopramide (Maxolon®), and domperidone. Some women may need to use a combination of medicines to feel better.
Benefits
What are the benefits of using a medicine to treat nausea and vomiting in pregnancy?
Using an anti-sickness medicine in pregnancy can improve your symptoms to allow you to carry on with your normal daily activities.
Risks
Are there any risks of using a medicine to treat nausea and vomiting in pregnancy?
Overall, these medicines are considered safe for your baby.
Although ondansetron has been linked to a small increase in the risk of cleft palate and some heart defects in babies who were exposed in the womb, this is very rare. It is important to balance this small risk against the benefits to you, your unborn baby, and your wider family of your pregnancy sickness being well-treated. For more details, see the Bump leaflet on Ondansetron.
Alternatives
Are there any alternatives to using a medicine to treat nausea and vomiting in pregnancy?
Possibly. Some women with milder nausea and vomiting may feel that they can manage their symptoms with lifestyle changes.
However, if pregnancy sickness is stopping you from eating and drinking normally, you are vomiting up medicines that you need to take, and/or you cannot carry out your normal activities, it is important to get the correct anti-sickness treatment.
No treatment
What if I prefer not to use a medicine to treat nausea and vomiting in pregnancy?
While some women may feel they do not need treatment for milder nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, if symptoms are severe, there is no need to suffer.
Using a medicine to treat pregnancy sickness can improve your quality of life and help to prevent complications caused by not being able to eat and drink properly and/or continual vomiting. This can include severe dehydration which might need treatment in hospital.
Will my baby need extra monitoring?
As part of their routine antenatal care, most women will be offered a scan at around 20 weeks of pregnancy to look for birth defects. Using anti-sickness treatments does not mean that you need any extra monitoring during pregnancy.
If you have severe pregnancy sickness that carries on after week 20, you might be offered extra scans in later pregnancy to keep an eye on your baby’s growth.
Who can I talk to if I have questions?
If you have any questions relating to the information in this leaflet, please discuss them with your health care provider. They can access more detailed medical and scientific information from www.uktis.org.
The charity Pregnancy Sickness Support provides resources, information and advice for women experiencing hyperemesis gravidarum.