When the Fear of Vomiting Takes Over Motherhood: Emetophobia in the Postpartum Period and Beyond
I know, it’s gross. No one is a fan of vomit. But for those living with emetophobia (the intense fear of vomiting), thinking about nausea and vomiting isn’t just gross, it can make it incredibly difficult to live a vital, meaningful life.
I’m talking to you, if you:
§ Constantly scan your body for signs of nausea
§ Keep Dramamine and/or Zofran in all bags at all times (you know who you are 😉)
§ Experience an annual feeling of dread as you approach “cold and flu season”
§ Freeze up when you hear the words “stomach bug” or “norovirus”
§ Avoid things like dining in restaurants, library story time (yes, sitting in a circle on the floor in a public place 😳), engaging in school and classroom activities (like volunteering to be a guest reader in a first-grade classroom), playing with your kid at the playground (touching the equipment that all of those cute but germ-infested hands have touched!)
§ Wish that you could confidently comfort your children when they are ill
§ Contemplate motherhood, but feel uncertain about whether you could face your fear (and maybe this even has you doubting whether you want to have kids at all)
If this is you, hear me when I say: you do not have to keep living this way, and I can help. I know what it takes to help mothers face their long-standing fears of nausea and vomiting, in order to step fully into the lives they had imagined before emetophobia took hold. I’m confident I can help you, too (and we’ll even have some fun while doing it!).
It’s important to know that emetophobia can occur at any age and stage of life. It often begins during childhood or adolescence, and often intensifies when people think about getting pregnant, are pregnant, or are raising babies and/or young children (because “morning sickness” and, well, babies and kids throw up). You don’t have to understand why it started in order to effectively drop it over a cliff. Stay with me. We’ve got this! Your days of feeling alone with this are over.
Let’s get into it.
What Is Emetophobia?
Emetophobia is a specific phobia focused on vomiting—either the fear of vomiting yourself or seeing someone else vomit (often both). In motherhood, this fear often becomes centered around:
Fear of “morning sickness” in pregnancy
Your child throwing up
Catching a stomach bug from your baby or toddler
Feeling out of control in caregiving situations involving nausea or illness
This is not just disliking vomit. It’s a deep, persistent fear that drives avoidance, hypervigilance, and significant distress. It can interfere with bonding, feeding, sleep, and your ability to feel safe in your own body and your child’s presence.
What Does Emetophobia Look Like in Motherhood?
Mothers with emetophobia may:
Panic if their child (or partner) coughs, burps, or acts “off”
Feel unable to care for their child during illness (and feel deeply sad and ashamed for it)
Avoid certain foods, places, or people to minimize the risk of vomiting exposure
Experience intrusive thoughts or mental images related to throwing up
Feel sad about missed opportunities for activities with their kids, due to fear and avoidance
Worry that their fear will affect their child’s development
Many mothers feel they must “hold it all together,” even while experiencing daily dread. They often look fine from the outside, but inside they are tracking possible exposure to virus, scanning the environment for threat, and living with a dysregulated nervous system that Just. Won’t. Quit.
Common Sources of Fear for Mothers With Emetophobia
1. Fear of Child Vomiting
Over-monitoring for signs of sickness
Avoiding solid foods or daycare
Canceling plans at the first mention of a stomach bug
2. Fear of Vomiting Themselves
Avoiding meals or specific foods
Skipping medications (even prenatal vitamins) due to nausea concerns
Fixating on normal body sensations like bloating or nausea
3. Distress During Illness Season
Avoiding public places, family events, or pediatric visits
Fear of other children who may be carrying viruses
4. Impact on Caregiving
Inability to respond during vomiting episodes
Delegating illness-related care to partners with guilt
Feeling disconnected from baby when fear is heightened
5. Mental Exhaustion
Repetitive safety checks, Googling symptoms, over-sanitizing
Replaying events to check if exposure occurred
6. Isolation and Shame
Feeling alone because others minimize or dismiss the fear
Hesitation to disclose thoughts to providers or friends
Worry that fear and associated behaviors makes you a “bad mom”
How Common Is It?
Though under-recognized, emetophobia is one of the most common specific phobias, with onset often in childhood or adolescence. In the postpartum period, it can intensify dramatically due to:
Loss of control
Biochemical and hormonal changes that affect anxiety during the perinatal period
Feeding challenges
Exposure to baby spit-up and childhood illness
Increased responsibility for another person’s well-being
Many mothers suffer in silence, fearing judgment or misunderstanding. Individuals with emetophobia may wait many years, or even decades before seeking treatment—often because the condition is minimized or misdiagnosed.
Treatment: It Can Get Better
The good news? Emetophobia is highly treatable.
The most effective treatment is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) specifically designed to help individuals face feared situations without relying on avoidance or safety behaviors.
You don't need to "just get over it" (if that kind of mental gymnastics worked, you would have done it by now!). You need a treatment that works—and someone who understands how to help you get the results you are looking for. At be. psychotherapy, I help mothers move at a pace that feels safe and supportive—we don’t need to overwhelm your nervous system to help you reclaim the life that you want. We will use your grit and determination and work together to gently build your tolerance and confidence and restore your ability to live and parent according to your personal playbook (instead of taking direction from your anxiety!).
What Life Can Look Like After Treatment
You feed your baby without dread
You handle illness calmly and with confidence
You spend less time trapped in endless cycles of cleaning and decontamination rituals
Your hands hurt less (IYKYK)
You enter public spaces with greater confidence and your level of presence and enjoyment skyrockets
You eat without fear of food causing sickness
You are able to tolerate discomfort when it shows up—without it control your choices
You show up fully for yourself and your child
You say “YES!” to valuable experiences you used to avoid
You feel proud and confident (BAM! POW! Take that, Anxiety!)
Most importantly: you feel like you again.
You Are Not Alone
If the fear of nausea and/or vomiting is zapping the joy from your life, you’re not alone, you aren’t failing, and you are NOT doomed to a life of cleaning rituals and holding your breath.
You are a loving parent caught in a painful loop—you deserve support that works, and I’m here and ready to help you step back into the life you once imagined. In just a few short months, you could be well on your way to reclaiming your life.
Let me say it again: We’ve got this. You and me. Let’s go 💪🏼 ✨
Ready?
Email me or call today to inquire about becoming a new client: Sara@bepsychotherapy.com; 443-470-3124.
I’m Dr. Sara Nett, a licensed psychologist specializing in:
Emetophobia in motherhood
Postpartum anxiety and contamination OCD
I offer evidence-based, compassionate therapy (with humor and curse words) to help you feel better, faster.
🌐 www.bepsychotherapy.com
📧 [sara@bepsychotherapy.com]
📍 Offering in-person therapy in Baltimore, MD and telehealth to nearly all states and US territories (member of PSYPACT)