Nausea is not common in the third trimester. Only 20% of pregnant women suffer from nausea in the last three months of pregnancy. During this time, you may get nauseous once in a while due to gastrointestinal tract issues. However, if you find yourself vomiting or feeling nauseous often in the third trimester, get in touch with your doctor.
Increasing HCG hormone is the primary reason for nausea in the first trimester. In the third trimester, hormones cannot be blamed for nausea and vomiting. There are other reasons why you may feel nauseous in the last phase of your pregnancy. Some of them are:
- Your growing baby can exert a lot of pressure on your digestive system. As your baby grows, it takes up space making the stomach squeeze. As the abdomen doesn’t get enough space, it becomes difficult for it to perform optimally. This may cause symptoms like heartburn, nausea, and even vomiting.
- Preeclampsia is a serious condition. It is pregnancy-induced high blood pressure. If you have preeclampsia and are suffering from nausea and vomiting, immediately get in touch with your doctor. It could mean that you are having issues with kidney function, or something as serious. Untreated preeclampsia can be fatal for the mother and child.
- Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy (AFLP) is a rare but acute condition that can make you feel sick in the third trimester.
- HELLP syndrome is another serious condition that can make you sick in the third trimester. Hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count are referred to as HELLP. If you also have preeclampsia then HELLP can make you sick.
- Sometimes your diet can make you nauseous. If you eat spicy, fatty, or acidic food in your third trimester, it can make you sick.
Treatment
Unless you have a serious condition like preeclampsia or HELLP, nausea will not need treatment and go away on its own. To prevent nausea in the third trimester, avoid spicy food, take ample rest, drink enough water, exercise, and avoid going directly to bed after eating meals.
Usually, nausea is harmless. However, if you experience severe nausea and vomiting, it could indicate a serious complication. If your nausea is accompanied by reduced fetal movement, immediately rush to the ER.
