Nausea during labor is a very common occurrence. There are very many reasons that a woman may get nausea during her labor. Dehydration is one of the most common reasons that laboring women experience nausea and possibly vomiting. Making sure that she drinks plenty of fluids in the days proceeding labor and during the labor itself is the way to avoid this. Even ice chips will help in this situation during labor. Many doctors and hospitals try to make a woman avoid drinking water during the labor. One reason most doctors do not want the woman to drink much during labor is because IF the woman has an emergency situation, which necessitates surgery (a cesarean section), they are worried that the woman could vomit when under anesthesia, and then aspirate the vomit. They try to keep a woman’s stomach empty, which is generally not a good idea. The number of laboring women who actually end up having a c-section does not warrant having this policy. If the woman is a suspected c-section risk, it makes sense for HER, but that should not be a general policy. A pregnant woman and her partner may want to discuss this situation with her doctor and ask what the doctor’s and the hospital that you will be using policy is on this subject. If the doctor or hospital do not wish the woman in labor to intake fluids, she may want to explain to the doctor her views and wishes on this, and ask that exception be made. If the doctor is not willing to accommodate the woman’s wishes, she and her partner may choose to change doctors, finding a doctor or midwife who is willing to accept this change.
Not eating is another reason for nausea during pregnancy. During labor, a woman’s blood glucose levels drop, both because of hormones which occur naturally during labor and also because of the energy spent by her body while in labor. Especially during a long labor, (some labors can last up to 18 hours or more) this is especially important. Not eating for long periods of time while a woman is pregnant, whether in labor or not is not good for mother or baby. Keeping up her energy levels and keeping up her blood glucose levels can help to eliminate or avoid this cause of nausea. As in the problems associated with intake of fluids during labor, many doctors and hospitals also have a policy of not allowing food intake during labor. As with the fluid issue, a woman and her partner may want to discuss this practice with her doctor and see if he and/or hospital are willing to accept the changes in her case. If the doctor and/or hospital is not willing to allow intake of foods during labor, the woman and her partner may wish to find a doctor or midwife who is willing to allow the intake of food during labor. In this case we are not talking about large meals, just small amounts of high protein snacks. Of course most women who are in labor are not going to feel like eating a large meal while in labor, and this is not usually a worry. Of course over-eating during labor can cause nausea as well, but this is usually not a concern.
Blood glucose levels also fall during transition, due to an increase in stomach acids because of changes in breathing and also natural changes in hormones the occur during transition. Once again the best way to avoid this is to make sure that the laboring woman keep her levels up by eating. High protein foods are best because the proteins breakdown and last longer in the body than carbohydrates do. Carbohydrates break down faster, but burn faster and do not last as long in the body.
If a woman’s doctor or midwife decides to induce labor, this is another reason that she could become nauseous. The medication that is regularly and frequently used to start the woman’s labor is called Pitocin or progesterone. This medication commonly causes nausea in woman who are in labor. There is not really a way to avoid the nausea from this, since if your doctor uses this to begin your labor contractions it is necessary. In some cases, an anti-nausea medication can be given in order to stop the nausea.
Some medications given for pre-eclampsia (a complication of some pregnancies), or used to treat other conditions during labor, can also cause nausea. Again, if a doctor uses a medication it is necessary for the health of the woman or the baby to treat the condition. In some cases a doctor can order some anti-nausea medication for the woman, in order to help the nausea to subside, and make her more comfortable.
Extreme pain is another reason that some laboring women experience nausea. Some people have higher pain tolerances than others. Labor is a very painful process to go through and some women just cannot tolerate it as well as others. The extreme pain can cause anxiety as well and that can also can cause nausea as well. The doctor may be able to help the nausea by giving some pain medication, which will probable also help the level of anxiety as well. This should be able to ease the nausea for either reason for the nausea the woman may experience.
During labor a woman goes through different stages of labor. During each stage, the body releases different hormones in order to help the body go through the different changes that it needs to in order to deliver the baby. When these hormones are released into the body by the different organs to assist with the birth, the hormonal changes in the body can also cause nausea, because the woman does not normally have these hormones in these levels in her body and can cause the woman to become nauseous. If this occurs, the doctor may order an anti-nausea medication which should help make the woman more comfortable during her labor.
Some pain medications can cause nausea. If a woman and her partner should choose for her to use some pain medication during her labor. She should be aware that some of the pain medications used can cause nausea. However, usually the doctors use anti-nausea medication in conjunction with the medication to avoid this cause. The reason the doctors do this is because some medications commonly cause nausea. If the doctor uses some of the anti-nausea medication with the pain medication, the possibility of getting nauseous should be lessened considerably.
Anxiety can also cause a woman to be nauseous. Especially if it is the woman’s first pregnancy, she may be very nervous. There is an intense amount of pain involved in labor and delivery. A woman’s friends or relatives may have been well meaning, but may have caused her to be very anxious about labor, and this anxiety could also make her nauseous. It is best that a woman and her partner tell well meaning friends or relatives that they do not wish to hear the bad parts of labor or their bad experiences with it. In this way, a woman is less likely to have a much more relaxed labor and delivery if she is not expecting horrible things to happen to her and her baby. Well meaning friends can be told something like, “We know you are trying to help, but, we would like to be able to form our own opinions about labor and delivery.” In this way they will not be hurting anyone’s feelings, but will not be worrying needlessly. If a woman does experience nausea during labor caused by anxiety, the doctor may decide to give her some anti-nausea medication to ease the nausea. In addition, this may also ease the anxiety as well.
Nausea may also be caused by psychological problems. This situation is one that really can’t be explained in detail here. If a doctor believes that this could be the problem, the doctor may opt to give an anti-nausea medication or other medication depending on the situation. Either one of these situations should be able to make the nausea subside. There may be other treatment the doctor may recommend to the woman and her partner for after the birth of the child.
Nausea during labor can be resolved or avoided all together in most situations. The many reasons for nausea during labor are the body’s natural way of dealing with the stress of labor and delivery. Even very healthy women can experience nausea during labor, and it does not mean that something is wrong in any way. With a little planning ahead and knowledge, dealing with nausea during labor need not be a major concern and may be able to be easily treated or avoided all together.
