Throwing Up Blood During Pregnancy – All You Need To Know

Introduction

Expecting a baby is one of the most important changes in a woman’s life. You look different, you feel different, and no matter how much you have heard about what being pregnant is going to be like, you are still going to experience things you have never heard of. Common features of pregnancy are morning sickness, cramps, swollen hands and feet, and constipation.

In case you are throwing up bile during morning sickness, read our article HOW TO STOP THROWING UP BILE AND VOMITING IT EFFECTIVELY to know everything about this topic.

There is a symptom that is less known for mothers-to-be, that is throwing up blood during pregnancy. Not everyone experiences this, but you shouldn’t freak out. However, it can mean something is wrong. Let’s find out!

Fast Facts about Throwing up Blood During Pregnancy

• Vomiting blood, also known as hematemesis, usually happens in the first months when you are pregnant.
• The cause of the bleeding will determine the color and consistency of the blood you throw up.
• If the throwing up keeps occurring for a long time, you are at risk of Melaena, a situation in which you have grayish-black color stools.
• You will experience dizziness and abdominal pain when you are throwing up blood during pregnancy.

Indications of the Color of Your Blood

When you vomit blood, you will see the color of it. Different colors indicate different issues and causes of throwing up blood during pregnancy.

• If your blood is of bright red, you are bleeding from the lower esophageal sphincter.
• If it has the color dark brown, there might be injuries in your stomach or the duodenum.
• If the color is similar to dark ground coffee, it is the jejunum or the middle part of the small intestine that cause you to vomit. This is the most common occurrence for pregnant women.

Symptoms of Throwing Up Blood During Pregnancy

Other than vomiting, there are some typical symptoms that you are likely to encounter when you are throwing up blood during pregnancy that you should know. Let’s see if you have them!

• Nausea
• Discomfort in the abdominal area
• Puking out what you have eaten before

If you have the symptoms mentioned above, there is no need to panic. However, these following symptoms can mean that your situation is severe and you should go to the doctor immediately!

• Blurry vision
• Dizziness
• Racing heartbeat
• Cold and pale skin
• Difficult breathing
• Fainting
• Severe abdominal pain [1]

Causes of Throwing Up Blood During Pregnancy

When you vomit blood, it seems like an alarming condition. Unless you go to the doctor, you cannot know for sure what is causing it. There are some potential reasons to this that you should know to alter your daily activities and diet.

Dehydration

If you have already know how essential water is to your body, you should know how crucial it is to keep yourself hydrated during pregnancy. When your body lacks fluids, you feel nauseous and will feel like throwing up a lot. As a result, you will throw up bile and blood.

Food Poisoning

If you eat foods that are toxic or on the verge of being rotten when you are expecting a child, it is likely that you will vomit blood. You should always be careful with what you eat, not to mention when you are pregnant, the stage where your body needs extra care. Pay attention to your diet and sanitation by eating healthy clean foods and say no to foods that you are allergic to!

If you are suffering from food poisoning and need to vomit, check out our complete guide at HOW TO MAKE YOURSELF THROW UP SAFELY!

Inadequate Diet

Make sure your diet is healthy and balanced between many groups of foods. If your body’s nutritional needs are not meet, you will feel fatigue and puke when you just eat, or even when your stomach is empty.

Starvation

Starving yourself is not good for your body, especially when you are carrying a child. All mothers know this. It is better for you to eat small meals regularly than eating less big meals. You should keep a healthy snack with you like apples, yogurt, or crackers, so that your body does not feel hungry, leading to throwing up blood during pregnancy.

Read more about this topic at CAN YOU THROW UP FROM NOT EATING.

Gastritis

Gastritis is a condition in which the lining of your stomach is inflamed, resulting from the infection in the stomach. Two types of gastritis are acute gastritis and chronic gastritis, the former causes small inflammation and the latter causes chronic inflammation. This illness makes you vomit blood when you are pregnant.

Hypertension

When you are pregnant, you temporarily have high blood pressure, and it is mostly caused by too much stress or tension in life. This could lead to throwing up blood during pregnancy. Try to keep a positive outlook, get enough sleep and keep yourself away from stressful situations.

Esophagus Injury

Esophagus, or gullet, is the tube through which food passes from the mouth to the stomach. During your pregnancy, you often feel like vomiting and throwing up will hurt the esophagus and it will bleed, leading to the blood in your vomit.

Gastrointestinal Tract Injury

Puking puts a lot of pressure on your stomach, esophagus and chest regions. It does damages to them and inflamed the areas, causing you to vomit blood. Bright red blood indicates ruptures in the gastrointestinal area.

How else will throwing up affect your body? Find out at WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY WHEN YOU THROW UP.

Cirrhosis

Persistent and excessive alcohol take in and other autoimmune illnesses can lead to cirrhosis, a condition where your liver is unhealthy. It leads to high blood pressure and the dilation of your blood vessels, which makes you prone to throwing up blood during pregnancy.

Medication Side Effects

Certain medications that have anti-inflammatory property can make your body irritated and bleed because they cut down the amount of mucus. If you are taking aspirins, you should be cautious, as it can limit the process of blood clotting. Some prenatal vitamins might also be the reason some people vomit [2].

Consequences of Throwing up Blood During Pregnancy

Vomiting blood when you are pregnant can have some complications which create discomfort in your body such as:

Choking

After you throw up blood, you might suffer from difficulty swallowing foods and a choking sensation. It’s a typical occurrence after you vomit.

You will probably feel a burning sensation in your throat, too. It is very annoying, so HOW TO MAKE THROAT STOP BURNING AFTER THROWING UP? Check it out!

Anemia

When your body experiences blood loss, there will not be enough red blood cells, which leads to anemia and fatigue. You must eat more nutritious food and take enough rest so that these red blood cells can regenerate faster.

Stress

Throwing up blood during pregnancy will make you feel stressed and worried about the safety of your baby for sure. It can lead to tension and depression, making the problem worse.

Other Consequences

Other worrying consequences can be rapid breathing, cold skin, dizziness when you stand up, and less urination.

You should always keep an eye on how your body feels so that you can seek your doctor’s consultation timely.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Throwing up Blood During Pregnancy

Diagnosis

When you vomit blood, the best thing to do is to go to the hospital for tests as soon as possible. You will most likely be taking blood tests and endoscopy, which means examining your digestive tract with a tube that has a camera at the end so that the doctor can see where the problem lies.

Sometimes other examining methods are suggested such as ultrasound, CT scan, X-ray, or MRI [3].

Treatments

After you have been diagnosed and find out the reason why you are vomiting blood, it is a must that you follow these below treatments. Your doctor will examine you and inform you which treatments you need to go through. The important point here is taking health tests so that the doctor can recommend to you the proper direction.

• Blood transfusions
• Administration of oxygen in the body
• Taking medicines to reduce acid in the stomach
• Stop internal bleeding by EGD treatment
• Fluid ejection
• Surgical procedures for more severe issues

Home Remedies for Throwing up Blood During Pregnancy

Vomiting blood when you are pregnant is clearly not what happens to everybody. It will leave you feeling uncomfortable and exhausted, so we have some home-based remedies that are sure to relieve your issues. Let’s take a look at them!

Saline Water

If you have vomited, you would know the feeling of dehydration it brings! That is because when you throw up, a considerable amount of body fluid has been removed from the body. As we said before, dehydration can lead to vomiting blood, so saline water is a great way to make up for the fluid loss.

Fruit Juice

After throwing up, your body will feel like there is no energy left, and a glass of fruit juice like apple juice can make you feel a lot better. It provides your body with fluids and it can also bring a good taste, removing the yucky taste of vomit!

Eat Less

…which means eat less in each meal. Having frequent small meals is good for your digestive system whether you are pregnant or not. You should not stuff too much food and this applies especially before bedtime.

Eat Light Foods

What are light foods? Toast, crackers, and soup are the best foods to eat when you just throw up. They contain enough energy for you to feel better without making you feel unpleasant and too full.

You should not eat fatty and spicy foods as well. They will make you feel nauseous and sick. Boiled and steamed foods are healthier for mothers-to-be.

Add Ginger to Your Foods

Did you know ginger does not only keep your body warm, but it also makes you feel less nauseous? You can put ginger slices in chicken broth or beef stock and make homely soup that is tasty and good for your health!

You can also follow this amazing technique:

• Mix a teaspoon of ginger juice with a teaspoon of lemon juice
• Consume it several times a day

Exercise Daily

No, we are not telling you to do intensive exercises! When you are pregnant, instead of sitting at one place, you should try to just move around a little and do light exercises. Your body will thank you for this. Exercising helps improve your immune system, keeps you fit and makes you feel fresh.

Fresh Air Exposure

You should get more chances to breathe in fresh air. You can take a walk early in the morning, which is a good exercise for pregnant women. Make sure you don’t stay in stuffy rooms and you should open the windows in your room for as much fresh air exposure as possible. This will make it easier for you to breathe and lower the risk of vomiting.

How to Prevent Throwing up Blood During Pregnancy

You should follow the doctor’s recommendation on the dietary and habitual changes to prevent vomiting blood. Here are some useful tips for you.

• Say no to alcohol and smoking. They can cause inflammation and internal bleeding
• Avoid spicy foods. They can make your stomach irritated and lead to acid reflux. If you are healing from acid reflux, avoid acidic foods.
• Do not take aspirins without asking your doctor. In fact, you need professional consultation for every medicine you take.
• Keep yourself hydrated! Drink a lot of fruit juice and eight glasses of water daily.

Conclusion

Throwing up blood during pregnancy is something no one would expect. It might indicate serious problems and affect the mother physically and mentally. However, you should not be stressed out about it because there is a way to solve this situation. You can keep in touch with your doctor for professional and personal recommendations.

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