Obstetrics FAQ's

Questions

 

Nausea

Unfortunately, 70-85% of pregnant women experience nausea. The cause of this symptom is not really understood. Interestingly, women who have nausea during pregnancy tend to have fewer miscarriages or stillborns than women without this symptom.

Nausea and vomiting typically begin early in pregnancy and usually resolve by 10-12 weeks. Ten percent of women may still have symptoms after 16 weeks. Here are some treatment suggestions:

  • Eat small frequent meals (every 2-3 hours).
  • Eat as soon as you get hungry.
  • Drink liquids between meals, not with them.
  • Try liquids at room temperature, rather than cold or hot.
  • Try lemonade or ginger ale.
  • Avoid greasy or high fat foods (yet some women tolerate potato chips).
  • Eat high carbohydrate foods (crackers, rice, pasta, fruits).
  • Eat high protein foods (eggs, beans, chicken).
  • Change position slowly.
  • Do not take iron supplements.
  • Do not brush your teeth after eating.
  • Take vitamin B6 25 mg three to four times a day.
  • Take one half of a Unisom tablet (over the counter sleep aid) with the vitamin B6 three to four times a day.
  • Try Sea-Band or Relief Band (devices that apply pressure on the inner wrist and use acupressure to relieve nausea).

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Travel during pregnancy

You may travel by car, bus, airplane, train or ship until 36 weeks. A seat belt, worn on the hip bones and under the abdomen, is always recommended. If your trip lasts more than 1-2 hours, periodically walk around to avoid stiffness (and possibly decrease the risk of blood clots in your legs).

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When to go to the hospital

If you are 37 weeks or more, go to Labor Assessment on the third floor at North Memorial Medical Center if:

  • Your bag of waters breaks
  • This pregnancy is your first and you are having painful contractions 3-4 minutes apart for 1-2 hours
  • This pregnancy is not your first and you are having painful contractions 5 minutes apart for 1-2 hours

You do not need to call us before you go to the hospital.

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Eating Fish During Pregnancy

Fish is a healthy food, but environmental contaminants such as mercury and PCBs have created health risks associated with eating fish. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) distributes brochures with recommendations for eating fish caught in Minnesota and obtained commercially. The brochures are a simplified, streamlined version of the department’s traditional spring fish advisory publication, which lists site-specific recommendations for hundreds of lakes and rivers across Minnesota.

Pregnant women, women who may become pregnant in the near future and children under age 15 face more stringent guidelines than the general public. MDH recommends that children and pregnant women eat only one meal a week of panfish and one meal a month of certain sizes of walleye, northern pike and other species. Children and pregnant women shouldn’t eat any commercially sold shark, swordfish, tile fish or king mackerel.

The guidelines are available online at Site-specific Meal Advice for Tested Lakes and Rivers or in print from the department itself (651-201-4911). More detailed, site-specific recommendations can be found online at Safe Eating Guidelines for Pregnant Women.

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Over the counter medications

You may take the following over the counter medications without contacting us:

Heartburn:

Tums, Maalox, Mylanta, Riopan, Zantac, Pepcid AC
Nausea/vomiting:       Vitamin B6, Unisom, Emetrol
Constipation: Fibercon, Metamucil, Citrucel, Senokot

Headaches:

 Tylenol, Extra Strength Tylenol, acetominophen, ibuprofen (ibuprofen may be used between 13 and 27 weeks)
Colds/Allergies: Sudafed, Actifed, Tylenol Sinus, Drixoral, Robitussen DM cough syrup
Insomnia: Tylenol PM, Unisom, Benadryl

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Exercise during pregnancy

Unless you are told you have a medical or an obstetric complication, you may exercise throughout pregnancy.  Contact sports and scuba diving should be avoided.  Exercise at a pace where you can talk comfortably without gasping for air.  After 20 weeks, avoid sit-ups and other activities in which you lie flat on your back.

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