Pregnant women sometimes feel like they are producing more saliva than normal. Spitting is a common thing for some women as they just need to get rid of that excessive amount of saliva produced in their mouth. Luckily, it is just an unpleasant thing but has not effect at all to the developing fetus. In general, this symptom together with nausea or vomiting, tends to resolve by the end of the first trimester. However, in certain cases, these signs will accompany a pregnant woman throughout her pregnancy until childbirth.

What Makes You Keep Spitting During Pregnancy?

While pregnant, the human body undergoes a lot of changes and hyperproduction of saliva is one of those. Sialorrhea (excessive salivation) is either caused by an increased production of the saliva from the salivary glands located in the mouth or due to an inability to swallow the saliva. Even though the real cause of sialorrhea is not known, the following reasons are thought to be causing it:

• Nausea and vomiting due to morning sickness, a common thing during the first trimester of pregnancy
• Hormonal changes during pregnancy
• Hyperemesis gravidarum, a condition characterized by excessive nausea and vomiting
• Heartburn
• Smoking
• Infections of the mouth and teeth
• Exposure to various toxic chemicals such as mercury, etc.

Should You Stop Spitting During Pregnancy?

Normally, you should swallow the saliva you produce. However, sometimes the excessive saliva causes nausea when swallowed, so instead of swallowing it you can just spit it. Drink plenty of water a day in order to keep yourself well hydrated, about 8 glasses of water a day. Drink in small sips throughout the day.

How to Deal with Excessive Salivation During Pregnancy

When it comes to dealing with this problem, there is nothing much you can do about it. Talk to your healthcare provider if it bothers you. Some simple measures described below may be helpful.

• Brush your teeth a couple of times a day. Use a natural mouth washer a couple of times a day.
• Eat frequent and balanced snacks, instead of having large meals.
• Avoid starchy food products while pregnant.
• Avoid sugar gums or sugar candies as they can increase the production of saliva from the salivary gland.
• Avoid fatty, greasy and spicy foods which tend to cause heartburn and increase the production of the saliva from the salivary glands.
• Eat crackers before you get out of the bed in order to reduce nausea which can lead to hyperproduction of the saliva. Have a high-protein snack before you go to bed in order to reduce and avoid any morning sickness the next morning.
• Eat lime whenever you feel that you need to do so in order to reduce saliva spitting during pregnancy.
• Eat sunflower seeds whenever you need to do so in order to reduce saliva during pregnancy.
• Drink cold milk regularly as it will reduce the acidity, reducing indirectly the production of the saliva from the salivary glands.
• In cases of hyperemesis gravidarum, seek help from your healthcare provider. Severe forms of hyperemesis gravidarum require proper medical treatment, as due to constant nausea and vomiting, dehydration and electrolyte imbalance occur. Sometimes, even hospitalization is required together with medications to stop the vomiting.
• Visit a dentist and get the right treatment in cases of dental problems. Dental work is usually recommended during the second trimester of pregnancy, unless it is a real emergency. Antibiotic treatments are also needed in cases of any infections.
• If you smoke, cut the number of cigarettes you smoke a day. The best thing yet to do is to quit smoking. Smoking during pregnancy puts your baby at great health risks and it also increases the production of the saliva from the salivary glands, leading to spitting during pregnancy.