Dr Oz: Royal Baby Watch Morning Sickness
Kate Middleton is pregnant once again, and even Dr Oz is on Royal Baby Watch. She suffers from extreme morning sickness, which could become so serious that she may end up in the hospital, as she was during her pregnancy with Prince George.
Dr Oz: Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Royal watchers are excited for another baby on the way, but Middleton’s condition of Hyperemesis Gravidarum is potentially troubling for her health during the pregnancy. Symptoms include severe and persistent nausea and vomiting.
Dr Oz talked about Kate Middleton’s second pregnancy, and why her diagnosis of Hyperemesis Gravidarum (extreme morning sickness) could be so dangerous. (Maks Narodenko / Shutterstock.com)
Gynecologist Dr Lauren Streicher joined Dr Oz to discuss how her case is different from the average bout of Morning Sickness, which occurs in about 2/3 of pregnant women. This is more extreme and dangerous, and it only affects one to two percent of pregnancies.
Dr Oz: Hyperemesis Gravidarum Symptoms
- Vomiting more than 3 times per day
- Weight loss of more than 10 pounds
- Dehydration
- Dizziness & Lightheadedness
Dr Streicher said that Ketosis (starvation toxins) could build up in the body of a patient with this. The condition is known to be connected to hormones, and there may be a genetic component.
Dr Oz: Dangers of Dehydration
How do you know whether your pregnancy symptoms are severe enough that you should go to a hospital and get checked out? Dr Streicher said if you are not keeping anything down or are losing weight, you should call your doctor early on, before symptoms advance, because “you can get really sick, really fast.”
Dr Oz also spoke about the importance of hydration during pregnancy. When you feel thirsty, you drink and the body uses that water as it needs it. But if you don’t or cannot replenish the water you are losing, your blood will become thicker as your blood pressure drops.
That means the heart is trying to pump thicker blood to your organs. That’s dangerous for anyone, especially someone who is pregnant. It may require treatment with intravenous fluids.
Dr Oz: Morning Sickness Wives’ Tales
However, Dr Streicher said that babies are incredibly resilient, and patients with Hyperemesis Gravidarum have a lower likelihood of miscarriage than the average pregnancy. That means taking care of mother will be good for baby as well. Back in the 1800s, Charlotte Bronte died of Hyperemesis, before modern medical advances could address this problem.
Is this type of Morning Sickness going to be worse during a second pregnancy? A wives’ tale claims that it will be. Dr Streicher said that at least 20% of women will see a repeat performance. About 37% of women who have this condition decide not to have another child.
Does morning sickness predict gender? Dr Streicher said she thinks it can be a predictor of twins, so she suspected Kate may deliver a boy and a girl.
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