Reproduction Abstracts

The objective of this study was to explore postnatal eating and drinking experiences in a pregnancy sickness cohort. The Nutritional Online Survey for Pregnancy Induced Sickness & Hyperemesis (NOURISH) study is a United Kingdom-based online prospective study. Pregnant women were recruited online and completed questionnaires during each trimester. Two weeks postnatally, participants were sent a follow-up online questionnaire that included the Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis and Nausea (PUQE-24) and open-ended questions about eating habits. A total of 100 participants completed the postnatal questionnaire. Based on first trimester PUQE-24 scores, 19% (n = 19), 67% (n = 67), and 14% (n = 14) were categorized as having mild, moderate, and severe symptoms, respectively. Of these, 41% (n = 41), including 30 participants with moderate symptoms, had been hospitalized for sickness during pregnancy. At the time of the postnatal questionnaire, all participants had mild symptoms (PUQE-24 score <6). In terms of dietary intake, 49% reported eating the same amount as before pregnancy, 19% ate less, and 32% consumed more. In response to the open-ended question, "Please tell us about how nausea and sickness of pregnancy has influenced your eating habits or appetite/thirst?" there were 63 comments, 49 of which were negative. Most comments referenced ongoing food aversions, with 13 comments highlighting ongoing thirst or dehydration. These findings indicate that, despite mild postnatal symptoms according to PUQE-24, 19% of participants ate less than before pregnancy, and nearly half reported negative changes in appetite and/or thirst. The longer-term effects of pregnancy sickness on dietary habits warrant further investigation.

Keywords: Pregnancy Sickness, Hyperemesis Gravidarum, Postnatal Nutrition, PUQE-24, Food Aversions, Thirst, Dietary Habits