Knowledge | Posted by Shwe Zin Win
Morning sickness is experienced by approximately 70% to 90% of women in their first trimester of pregnancy. The slowing motility of the gastric muscles due to the influence of pregnancy hormones causes an increase in the amount of stomach acid that irritates the gastric mucosa.
Pregnant women experience nausea, vomiting, bloating, frequent burping, sour taste, bitterness, loss of appetite, and discomfort which causes the loss of fluids and some essential minerals, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
Method: Using a randomized control trial with pretest posttest method, we employed a total of 74 women in the first trimester pregnancy complaining of nausea and vomiting. The intervention group received a daily dose of young coconut water of 300 ml for a week. The control group received 300 ml of mineral water with added sugar for a week.
The morning sickness scores before and after the treatment were analyzed statistically using the independent t-test. Results: The provision of young coconut water reduces the morning sickness scores at an average of 11.19 in the intervention group, while the control group only have a slide reduction of the average morning sickness score at 20.00. The treatment of the intervention group who consumed young coconut water had a significant effect at p-value = 0.042.
Conclusion: Consuming young coconut water provides a significant effect on decreasing symptoms of morning sickness in the first trimester of pregnancy.
The Benefits of Coconut Water for Pregnant Women
Coconut water is a good source of hydration.
Coconut water contains electrolytes, which pregnant women tend to lose.
Pregnancy heartburn and acid reflux may be soothed by sipping coconut water.
Coconut water promotes fetal development.
It might reduce blood pressure.
Coconut water can prevent UTIs (which many pregnant women are).
It’s a good post-workout drink.
Coconut water makes a decent mocktail.
How Much Coconut Water Should You Drink During Pregnancy? It’s always possible to get too much of a good thing. When drinking coconut water during pregnancy, be mindful of moderating your intake. Overconsuming the nutrients in coconut water (like potassium) could be detrimental to your health and your baby’s health.
Ref: The effect of young coconut water against morning sickness among women in the first trimester of pregnancy (researchgate.net), The Benefits of Coconut Water During Pregnancy (mtauburnobgyn.com)
