Why do I Vomit after drinking Water during Pregnancy?
Some women experience a severe form of morning sickness during pregnancy, and even drinking water can make them nauseous. Find out why you vomit after drinking water during pregnancy and what you can do to prevent dehydration.
Pregnancy can be hard for some women. And if you experience severe morning sickness, it can wear you out.
I had terrible morning sickness during my pregnancy that I could not even keep the water down for the first 4 months of pregnancy. Even one sip of water made me feel nauseated and vomit. I ended up in an emergency room for dehydration and had to go on IV fluid twice in the first 3 months of pregnancy. It was one of the not-so-happy side effects of being pregnant. But fortunately, vomiting reduced significantly after 4th month of pregnancy.
If you are vomiting even after drinking water, it can cause fluid loss and dehydration during pregnancy which is not good for you and your baby.
The possible reasons why you vomit after drinking water could be as simple as you may not like the taste of the plain water during pregnancy, you may be drinking water only after eating a meal, drinking water empty stomach, or in extreme cases, you might have a severe form of morning sickness known as hyperemesis gravidarum.
However, in most cases, simple lifestyle changes can help you keep water down, and for the majority of women, nausea and vomiting significantly reduce after the first 3 trimesters.
If you are one of those pregnant women and even drinking water makes you vomit during pregnancy, this article is for you. Here we talk about why you may be vomiting after drinking water and what you can do to prevent dehydration during pregnancy.
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Reasons why you Vomit after Drinking Water during Pregnancy?
Nausea and vomiting, also known as morning sickness, are common in pregnant women in the first trimester. Hormonal changes (higher HCG levels) are responsible for morning sickness.
For some women, morning sickness becomes a whole day sickness where you can’t even keep water in your stomach. Here are several reasons why you vomit after drinking water during pregnancy.
Don’t like the taste of plain water
Hormonal changes can cause a change in the sense of taste in many pregnant women, and it is a common occurrence that you develop an aversion to food or drink that you used to enjoy. Water can be one of them. You may not like how plain water tastes during pregnancy, and it may be making you vomit even after one sip of water during early pregnancy.
That was the case for me. I developed an aversion to drinking plain water for the first 3 months, and whenever I took a sip of water, whether cold or warm water, it made me vomit.
Drinking water after eating a meal
If you only drink water after eating a meal, it can lead to nausea or vomiting. This is mainly because you ate a meal and drinking water on top can make you full.
Experts recommend eating a small portion throughout the day to reduce the episode of nausea or vomiting during pregnancy.
So, eating a big meal and drinking water at the end will make you overfull and induce vomit.
Drinking water when Hungry
Drinking water when you are hungry for food can also make you vomit. This may be caused by stomach acid buildup due to no food.
Hydrochloric acid is produced to help break down food. And if you don’t eat for a long time, hydrochloric acid can build up in your stomach. When you drink water empty stomach, it can cause water to come out because of acid reflux.
So, skipping meals during pregnancy is not a good idea. Even when you are vomiting after each meal, keep eating a small portion throughout the day.
Dehydration can lead to vomit
Vomiting is a major cause of fluid loss, which can cause dehydration. And same is true the other way around. If you are dehydrated and start gulping water, it can increase nausea, which then causes vomiting.
Hyperemesis Gravidarum
A severe form of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy is a disorder known as hyperemesis gravindarum (HG). Pregnant women unable to keep anything in their stomach or frequent vomiting are at risk of dehydration, nutrition deficiency, and weight loss. According to research, the appetite hormone plays an important role in causing hyperemesis gravindarum during pregnancy.
So, your reason for vomiting after 1 sip of water can be due to hyperemesis gravindarum. If you cannot keep anything down your stomach and lose weight during pregnancy, talk to your doctor. Pregnant women diagnosed with HG are hospitalized immediately to restore fluid in their body through IV.
What happens if you don’t drink enough water during pregnancy?
Pregnant women should drink 8-9 glasses of water per day, but it may seem too much when they vomit after drinking water. On the other hand, not drinking water can become dangerous for you and your baby.
Not drinking water can cause dehydration and dehydration, leading to serious pregnancy complications.
According to American Pregnancy Association, dehydration can cause neural tube defects, low amniotic fluid, premature labor, and even birth defect.
Also, you need to remember that your growing baby is dependent on you for optimal notional support. So not drinking enough water and eating food can affect their growth and development.
Why is drinking water essential during pregnancy?
Pregnant women should drink 8-9 glasses of water per day. Drinking enough water keeps your body hydrated.
Dryness during pregnancy is a significant issue for most women. And drinking enough water while pregnancy also helps keep a check on itching, dryness, tightness, and stretch marks.
Drinking water can help the heart pump blood easier, oxygenating the organs and muscles and reducing aches and pain that are common during pregnancy.
Also, remember that your baby’s growth and development inside utero depends entirely on you. The amount of water you drink directly impacts the volume of amniotic fluid that protects your baby while they are growing.
As your baby grows, the amount of amniotic fluid should increase too. Low amniotic fluid can lead to severe pregnancy complications.
Related: How much water should you drink while breastfeeding?
Things to do when you vomit after drinking water during pregnancy
So, how do you hydrate when you vomit after drinking water during pregnancy? I would say take a deep breath and make a small adjustment to your lifestyle during pregnancy.
Drink 1 sip of water at a time
If drinking a glass of water seems overwhelming during pregnancy, do not force yourself to do so. Instead, keep a water bottle with your all the time and take 1 sip of water at a time.
Drinking in a small quantity will reduce the vomiting significantly. You still might feel nauseated, but it will not lead to vomiting.
Drink water throughout your meal
Rather than drinking water at the end of your meal, drink a small quantity throughout. Drinking water during meals helps your body break down food and absorb nutrients. It also keeps you in check for food intake and fullness.
Try flavored water
Many women develop an aversion to food and drink when they are pregnant. I was one of them. I usually love drinking plain water, but during pregnancy, I hated drinking plain water, and even 1 sip of plain water would make me vomit.
If that is the case of you vomiting after drinking water, try drinking flavored water. There are wide varieties of flavor water available to purchase, but my favorite was homemade flavor water. I loved fruit-infused homemade flavors of water. Just add a slice of fruit you like and turn your boring, plain water into flavored water.
Here are some of the flavored water ideas that you can make at home
- Lemon water
- Strawberry water
- Nectarine, Clementine infused water
- Basit water
- Raspberry and lemon water
- Peach, orange, and lime water
- Apple, cinnamon water
If you do not want to make your own, I loved Hint flavored water. It has no added sugar, no calories, and no artificial additives and is available in many flavors. It was my grab-and-go water during pregnancy.
Seltzer Water
Seltzer water is another refreshing and healthy alternative without added sugar or sweetener to replace plain water. It is also known as carbonated water or sparkling water. Seltzer water is infused with carbon dioxide gas, and the bubble may add a zing that you need to keep water down in your stomach.
For some pregnant women, sparkling water or carbonated water help with their nausea significantly. In addition, the carbonation in sparkling water decreases the acidity of the stomach, thereby reducing nausea in some pregnant women.
Herbal Tea
Herbal tea can also help in your daily need for hydration. In addition, certain herbal teas have medicinal properties that can help reduce nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
Ginger is well known for its health benefit. The active ingredients in ginger are gingerol and shogaol. The anti-inflammatory property of these compounds helps reduce inflammation and soothes the lining of the muscles, thereby reducing nausea and vomiting.
The randomized control trial published in 2001 showed that ginger significantly reduced episodes and severity of vomiting in 70 pregnant women.
Sip ginger tea all day long to get relief from nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
Other herbal teas that might help reduce nausea include
However, talk to your doctor before adding herbal tea to your diet, as some herbs should be avoided during pregnancy.
Fruit Juice
Fresh fruit juice is a healthy option for hydration during pregnancy. However, store-bought fruit juices are high in sugar, so you want to invest in a good juicer for juicing fresh fruits at home.
You can also make your favorite smoothies and enjoy in small quantities.
Related: Hydrating Beverages (Other than Water) for Breastfeeding Mothers (that you can drink during pregnancy too!)
Sports Drinks
Sports drinks can boost energy and satisfy your thirst when water makes you vomit during pregnancy. You can drink Pedialyte, Body Armor Sports drink, and any other you like.
Added vitamins and electrolytes can keep you energized, but they have lots of sugar and additives, so it is not recommended that you rely on them for your daily need for hydration when water makes you vomit.
Coconut water
Frequent vomiting can cause loss of electrolytes. And drinking plain water does not compensate for the need for electrolytes in your body. Many sports drinks contain electrolytes, but added sugar and artificial additive make them less favorable to drink during pregnancy.
Coconut water is a naturally sweetened and rich source of electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, and lauric acid. Fresh coconut water can replace plain water during pregnancy.
But you should go easy on store-bought coconut water as they have added sugar. But you can still drink 2-3 of Vita Coco Organics Coconut Water to save you from dehydration when you vomit after drinking water during pregnancy.
Related: Benefits of Drinking Coconut Water during Breastfeeding
Eat Water-rich fruits and vegetables
Your daily hydration needs during pregnancy do not have to be from liquid only. You can also eat water-rich fruits and vegetables if water makes you vomit.
Juicy fruits like watermelon, orange, and berries can also keep you hydrated and replace electrolytes in your body. Here are some of the foods that help you restore hydration, including
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Spinach
- Kale
- Milk
- Yogurt
- Buttermilk
- Tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Cantaloupe
- Peach
- Lettuce
Include these foods/fruits in your diet to compensate for your total daily fluid and electrolyte needs during pregnancy.
Related: Craving for Junk food during Pregnancy (What should you do?)
Conclusion
It can be hard when you vomit after drinking water during pregnancy. I know how you feel, mama! I have been there. Just try to find a healthy, alternate source of hydration and electrolytes. This phase of pregnancy will pass too.
After trying everything, if you still think you are dehydrated, and losing weight, talk to your health care provider. Meanwhile, drink coconut water or other fluid in small quantities at a time, including lots of water-rich fruits and food in your diet.
Good Luc, Mama!
