If there was one thing about pregnancy that expectant mom Melody Ariza couldn’t stomach, it had to be morning sickness.

“It was horrible. Horrible. From I mean the moment I would walk up until when I was going to bed,” Ariza says.

A common complaint from soontobe moms between 70 and 90% will get a taste. For some, it gets much worse.

“There is a small percentage of women, anywhere from about 13% of women, who have excessive amounts of nausea and vomiting called hyperemesis gravid arum,” explains Tammy Luettich. She is a certified nurse midwife with Lee Memorial Health System.

Hyperemesis gravid arum or severe morning sickness recently got the royal treatment when Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, was hospitalized for the condition. The extreme symptoms can be dangerous.

“Especially if they start having a significant amount of weight loss, changes in the electrolytes in their blood counts, then we might want to consider hospitalization,” says Luettich

In most women, morning sickness subsides after the first trimester. That’s not the case with hyperemesis. It typically lasts throughout. The challenge is to stay hydrated and maintain proper weight. Last year the FDA approved a drug that may allow severe sufferers to stay home.

“It’s called Diclegis. It’s actually considered a category A, meaning there have been studies to show that it is safe to take for the baby during pregnancy. It’s simply vitamin B6 and an overthecounter antihistamine.”

Part of a conservative management plan that includes eating several small meals and avoiding smells that bring on nausea and consuming lowfat, easy to digest foods. Diet tips many moms try.

“If it wasn’t like a piece of bread, some toast or something I was just scared to eat it.,” says Ariza.

Likely linked to hormones, severe morning sickness seems to run in families. And once you have the title, you own it.

“It has about an 80% recurrence with every pregnancy. So there’s a small chance they might not have it the next time but most likely they are going to,” says Luettich.

While you may not be a future queen, it’s possible to spend your pregnancy like a royal.

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Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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