Pregnant and Throwing Up White Foam! Treatment & Avoiding Acid Reflux

Pregnancy takes a toll on mothers a lot as several health conditions like fevers, nausea, and everything happen frequently. Similarly, vomiting a lot, particularly a white foam followed by nausea, is common among moms to be. If you’ve had this symptom, know that it’s actually natural in pregnancy, and you can easily get better.

Continue reading to know more about throwing up white foam and how to fix it, and how many types of vomiting are there during pregnancy. We will also discuss all sorts of puking or vomiting that you will have to be conscious of and what acid reflux actions you’ll have to avoid.

Common reasons for throwing up white foam

Almost every pregnant woman will go through nausea or morning sickness that often is followed by vomiting, and sometimes it’s white foam.

If you didn’t vomit before but suddenly for a few days, you’re vomiting a lot, this could look concerning, but you don’t have to worry as these kinds of symptoms are perfectly normal and natural during pregnancy. Remember to always consult your doctor when any new symptom arises. Some symptoms that aren’t necessarily to only get fixed by going to the doctor can be treated by yourself, like acid reflux. 

Another reason and common occurrence of vomiting during pregnancy is the existence of stomach bugs. If you have a diet that has a lot of acidic or fatty foods, if you take some sort of medication or if you drink alcohol a lot, then there’s a chance that you have stomach bugs. Candidiasis and Hiatal Hernia are some of the health conditions that can also give stomach bugs as well.

Changes in hormonal levels are another major reason for throwing up white foam. If vomiting only occurs at night, then hormonal level changes are possibly the reason for your white foam. You could also have some sort of pre-existing medical condition that’s making you vomit. Ibuprofen and morphine are some meds that can also cause vomiting.

Foods

There are several sorts of foods that have acidic or fatty ingredients. These types of food are a common occurrence as to why you are vomiting white foam during pregnancy. Fizzy drinks like Coke or Sprite that are carbonated as well as acidic are a common reason. It’s best to avoid these when you’re pregnant. Fatty or acidic foods such as chips are another snacks that you’d have to avoid while being pregnant.

Alcohol 

Frequent consumption of alcohol during pregnancy can cause vomiting of white foam. Not only can it be a cause of vomiting, but indigestion, gastritis, and pain are common symptoms as well.

Stomach infection

Vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation can also be common symptoms after you’ve eaten something you weren’t supposed to while being pregnant. As a result, it gave you a bacterial or viral infection in the stomach that’s making you vomit white foam.

Hiatal Hernia

Naturally, your diaphragm prevents stomach acids from getting inside the esophagus, but if your stomach starts to push up to your chest, you will get Hiatal Hernia. Symptoms of Hiatal Hernia include consistent burping a lot. You feel a bad taste, breath shortage, burning in the chest, heartburn. To treat Hiatal Hernia, you have to go through surgery as the only way to treat is by sealing up the hole in the diaphragm and tightening it, and stitching up the parts of the stomach that were pushing up the chest.   

Candidiasis

A fungus called candida can infect the esophagus and other parts. When infected with this fungus, the condition is known as Candidiasis. Candidiasis is possible to occur if your immune system is too weak, you eat sugar a lot (as the fungus is a yeast infection, the fungus will possibly grow due to sugar consumption), by taking antibiotics that kill bacteria which is used to get rid of yeast, having diabetes as the yeast infection grows due to high blood sugar. Candidiasis can be treated with anti-pain and antifungal medication.

Vomiting white foam meaning

The probability of acid reflux actions occurring increases gradually as you’re pregnant. This happens either to the stomach area being pressured or hormonal level changes. Morning sickness can also be occurred due to hormonal level changes, according to several doctors, even though the actual reason might not be clear.

When stomach acid and saliva combine, it gives off a white foamy appearance when you vomit. When you have nausea, the extra saliva it produces will mix with the acid from an empty stomach. So, whenever you get concerned about finding white foam in your vomit, especially in the morning time more often, the reason is an empty stomach and nausea. 

The possibility of having heartburn, nausea, and vomiting increases exceptionally during the time you’re pregnant. These conditions can also be severe. All related factors mix together to cause white foam vomiting whenever you have morning sickness. 

Throwing up Stomach acid   

The continuous ongoing change of hormonal levels at the time of pregnancy is one major factor as to why you’d vomit stomach acid. Digestion is gradually slowed due to this hormonal change. This results in indigestion, acid reflux, and heartburn.

Vomiting types 

Morning sickness

Morning sickness occurs when you’re 9 to 14 weeks pregnant. Morning sickness makes everything a little harder, but it isn’t scary as it doesn’t have any health-related defects on your health or your baby’s health. The name makes it seem like it only happens in the mornings, but that’s not the case. Morning sickness is particularly vomiting and nausea and can occur at any time. Morning sickness is manageable. However, you can take light snacks every now and then, and various home remedies are always helpful too. Ginger ale is good prevention against nausea. 

Hyperemesis gravidarum

Hyperemesis gravidarum is a severe case of morning sickness that only a few women in pregnancy can have. If nausea is consistent and occurs almost all times of day and you are vomiting three or more times in a day, then you have Hyperemesis gravidarum. Malnourishment and dehydration are common complications that pregnant women can face because of Hyperemesis gravidarum. This is due to the problem of not being able to digest drinks and foods successfully. Constant vomiting makes it very hard for all the useful and necessary nutrients and meds to stay in, and all of it gets released, hence the pregnant woman gets malnourished and dehydrated. This condition can be treated with medication, bed rest, IV fluids, or hospitalization if things get a little more concerning. 

Food poisoning  

Food poisoning is a very common occurrence in pregnant women as their immune systems get exceptionally weakened. If you’re vomiting but aren’t really sick nor have a headache, chances are you are having food poisoning and not morning sickness. Food poisoning occurs when you drink or eat foods that have bacteria, are acidic, or have fats. Foods that you commonly eat can have different effects at the time when you’re pregnant, so in order to limit the chances of food poisoning, only eat healthy things and avoid junk food. Food poisoning, if not treated anytime sooner, can have drastic effects later, so it’s best advised that you treat food poisoning earlier whenever it happens. 

Can acid reflux worsen with time? 

When stomach acid goes to your esophagus from the stomach, acid reflux occurs. There are different classes of acid reflux as it can be a moderate, low, or high level of severity. There are two types, chronic and acute. Chronic reflux action is also called Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, aka GERD. GERD is a disorder related to the digestive system. Due to this condition, the ring that goes to the stomach from the esophagus becomes unresponsive and weakened. 

The lower esophageal sphincter is this ring, and it helps the digestive system by sending food to the stomach from your esophagus. The lower esophageal sphincter is weakened significantly if you have GERD. If the LES is weakened, the food will push back to the esophagus resulting in vomiting. All the symptoms of GERD, which are heartburn, gradually increase during pregnancy. Acid reflux actions are very common in pregnant women, and almost every one of them may go through it sometime in their lives.

Can the baby be affected?

Vomiting, nausea, and all other symptoms you may feel only affect you, not your baby. Your body’s reserves take care of all the necessary nutrients and nourishment your baby needs. 

Conclusion

Exercise is important, and be sure to eat always healthy at the time of pregnancy. These will limit your chances of ever getting any of these conditions and will prevent vomiting. Avoid fatty and acidic foods that can make you gassy and foods that could cause food poisoning. As your immune system is weakened at this time during pregnancy, it’s best to be cautious about whatever you drink and eat. Maintain a healthy lifestyle and if any symptoms may occur, be sure to visit your doctor to diagnose any condition you may be having.