I would venture to say that most women are familiar with nausea and vomiting as it relates to pregnancy – hello morning sickness! But did you know that vomiting can also happen during labor?
Vomiting during labor can be caused by a number of different things. So today, I’m going to walk you through the who, what, when, where, and why of vomiting during labor. Including when are you most likely to vomit, why you might vomit, and tips to manage vomiting during labor.
Let’s get rolling! Everything you need to know about vomiting during labor (and more!) starts now!
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How common is vomiting during labor
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but vomiting during labor is pretty darn common. There are various things like dramatic hormone fluctuations, blood pressure drops, and adrenaline surges that can contribute to this unpleasant scenario.
I hope you read this article and never have to actually put any of this info to use. But just in case, let’s make sure you are prepared!
When during labor is vomiting most common?
Vomiting can happen at any point during labor but it more commonly occurs in a couple specific situations – during the transition phase of labor and after an epidural is placed.
Transition labor
The first stage of labor (contractions and dilation) is a lengthy one. This phase begins with that very first true labor contraction and ends when you are 10 centimeters dilated. Because it’s typically the longest stage of labor, it’s broken into three sub-phases: early, active, and transition.
Transition labor is the shortest sub-phase of all three, and likely will be your least favorite (especially if you don’t have an epidural), but means you are one step closer to meeting your baby!
If I had to use one word to describe transition labor it would be intense! You can expect your body to do some pretty wild things – you might vomit, scream, cry, and/or lose your mind (speaking from experience on this last one!)
During transition, vomiting is most likely related to your hormones going crazy, mixed with a little bit (okay, okay, maybe a lot bit) of adrenaline!
Transition is intense, but it’s also quick! I won’t put an exact number on it (because it’s different for every person and every labor), but it is faster than early and active labor.
Related Reading: The FOUR Stages of Labor: Nope, It’s Not Just Contractions
Why might I vomit during labor?
Vomiting might happen during transition, as discussed above. But there are other times during labor where you might experience vomiting as well. Below I’ll discuss a couple reasons why you might vomit during labor.
Body response to pain
Vomiting is one way our body responds to intense pain. What’s more, adrenaline – the fight or flight hormone – is also a product of pain. Both of these, when experienced in an intense form, can result in nausea and vomiting.
Side effects of medical pain interventions
One of the most common side effects from an epidural is a drop in blood pressure aka hypotension. Typically one of the first things that happens, if the drop in blood pressure is significant, is nausea and possibly vomiting.
Often patients complain of nausea or feel like they are going to get sick before the drop in blood pressure registers on the machine – so speak up, Mama!
A drop in blood pressure is one of the more common negative side effects, but don’t let that scare you from getting an epidural! We have several tricks up our sleeve to try and prevent it from happening in the first place and to get it back up quickly if it does happen.
5 Tips to manage nausea and vomiting during labor
There are a few ways to go about tackling nausea and vomiting in labor. And while there are some more targeted management approaches, there are plenty of general tips to help cope and manage as well.
Here are my top 5 tips to manage nausea and vomiting during labor.
1. Alcohol swabs
Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? This is actually one of my favorite secret tricks for morning sickness but it can work for labor as well! Trust me, I use it with my patients all.the.time! When you feel that wave of nausea coming on, just take a quick sniff of the alcohol swab.
I can’t explain exactly how it works but it is magical for a lot of laboring mamas! And who knows, you might will teach your labor and delivery nurse a thing or two (I’ve found not everyone is familiar with this one!)
2. IV fluids
This is particularly true for nausea and vomiting related to a drop in blood pressure following an epidural placement. This is a pretty quick and easy way for us to get some extra volume in you to encourage your blood pressure to go back up and reverse the nausea.
3. Essential oils
I don’t know if you are an essential oils person or not, but I personally love them! I actually had an oil blend I used during my second labor (more info to follow below) and found it to be super beneficial!
Before I get into the nitty gritty details I’ll start by saying this – many essential oils are considered safe to use during pregnancy and birth but there are some that should be avoided entirely. Prior to using essential oils during pregnancy, I highly recommend you discuss it with your OB provider!
The oils that are known to be effective in managing nausea and vomiting during pregnancy and labor include ginger, peppermint, and citrus blends.
I actually saturated a cotton ball in the oil blend and put it in a little cup in my labor room. You can also put a few drops on your wrists or ankles or use it like a massage oil and have your partner put it on your shoulders and back.
Along with nausea, essential oils can help with stress, anxiety, and pain as well! Definitely worth a shot if you ask me!
You can learn more about the essential oil blend I used during labor and how to safely use essential oils during pregnancy and labor below!
Related Reading: Using Essential Oils for Pregnancy and Birth
4. Antiemetic medications
Medications that are used to treat nausea and vomiting are called antiemetics. Where I work, all laboring mamas have a standing, as needed order for the antiemetic drug ondansetran, also known as Zofran.
It’s typically ordered to be given orally OR intravenously but is most commonly given through the IV. It works really quick, and is effective in minimizing and eliminating nausea during labor!
5. Ride it out
Last but certainly not least, you might just have to ride out the wave of nausea. I would say this is particularly true for nausea and vomiting that is associated with transition labor.
I know this isn’t the most ideal solution or tip but it typically resolves on its own once you get through transition. It definitely wouldn’t be wrong or cause any harm to get some Zofran in this situation, just know that it may or may not be effective.
Remember, transition labor can be pretty intense but is usually quick too!
Get more tools and knowledge before birth!
Maybe this discussion didn’t get you super pumped for labor and birth. I know vomiting isn’t everyone’s favorite topic, but I hope you at least learned something new! And not to worry, I have tons of other resources to get you excited about and prepared for birth!
One resource that would be particularly helpful are my online birth classes! I have three variations (epidural, natural, and C-section), so you’ll be covered no matter what kind of birth you are anticipating.
My online courses allow you to learn at your own pace (and from the comfort of your own home – hello couch and pjs!), revisit the content until you feel completely prepared, and use key takeaways at the end of each lesson for a quick review.
And did I mention that you have lifetime access as well? What more could you want or need, right?
