How to Cope with Morning Sickness

 

Pregnancy can lead to many feelings: elation, excitement, and happiness. But it can also cause some uncomfortable feelings, one of the most well-known being morning sickness. There are many degrees of morning sickness ranging from mild to severe nausea. Despite it being difficult to avoid, don’t worry! It may take some time to figure out what works best, but there are morning sickness remedies that will work for you.

What Is Morning Sickness

Morning sickness is a common side effect of pregnancy. Women can experience varying degrees of nausea along with vomiting. Morning sickness may also include: queasiness after meals, strong aversions to certain foods or smells, and dizzying feelings similar to seasickness or carsickness. Some women can experience severe morning sickness, also known as Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG). If you find that you are vomiting more than 4 times a day; becoming light headed and/or are losing weight, discuss your symptoms with your provider. In most cases, HG will only affect you during the first trimester of your pregnancy but can lead to dehydration and lack of vital nutrients. It’s important to attend your early OB appointments so your provider can assess any symptoms and intervene as necessary.

When to Expect It

Despite its name “morning sickness”, symptoms can occur at any time during the day or night. Most women experience morning sickness during the first trimester, at about 6 to 9 weeks of pregnancy. Symptoms tend to be their strongest at about 10 to 16 weeks. Most mother’s symptoms subside after that, although it is common for mothers expecting multiples to suffer morning sickness throughout their entire pregnancy. Keep in mind that this can be completely different for each expecting mother, so don’t be alarmed if you experience no morning sickness or it goes beyond 16 weeks.

How to Relieve Morning Sickness

When it comes to home remedies, use them as guidelines but not as rules. Every woman is different, so what helped one woman’s morning sickness may do nothing for another.

One way to fight morning sickness is by being very methodical. Take note of what smells and tastes make you feel sick, and avoid them. If you find that the smell of tuna makes you gag, avoid it.

Nausea can be worse in the morning because you have an empty stomach, so try to eat small meals and snacks throughout the day rather than three big meals so you never have an empty stomach. You might consider leaving some crackers by your bed to eat before you start your day. If you take any medication or supplements that make you feel sick in the morning, try taking it at night

Best Foods for Preventing Morning Sickness

Foods that are simple and easy to digest tend to be better for those experiencing morning sickness. These are things like crackers, bread, and pasta. High-protein foods, such as peanut butter or cheese tend to make you feel full longer, so a combination of the two can be effective for preventing morning sickness. Avoid greasy, spicy, and foods high in fiber as they can increase gas, bloating, and discomfort, especially for women experiencing morning sickness.

Stay Hydrated

Dehydration can exacerbate morning sickness symptoms, so be sure to stay hydrated by drinking tons of fluids. Some women find that drinking a lot of water (especially on an empty stomach) exacerbates their morning sickness symptoms. Some alternatives that may help to settle your stomach include herbal tea (be sure to keep your caffeine intake limited), watermelon, or caffeinated drinks like ginger ale or tonic water.

Other Remedies

Some other popular home remedies include taking ginger capsules or vitamin B6. Taking ginger capsules up to four times a day as needed can be effective, or ginger tea and candies can help alleviate nausea as well. 25 milligrams of vitamin B6 is a safe supplement to treat moderate or even severe morning sickness.

The rule of thumb with all morning sickness remedies is to do what works best for you! Don’t worry if you experience a bit of weight loss through your first trimester due to more severe morning sickness, your baby’s nutritional needs are pretty small at this point. Just be sure to attend your early OB appointments so they can track your weight and discuss with your doctor if weight loss continues.  

Morning sickness is tough, but you can get through it! Try these at-home remedies to soothe your stomach, and you will make it through to that ‘glowing’ stage! Remember, morning sickness is perfectly normal and most likely means you are growing a healthy, happy baby inside you.

Are you looking for an OB/Gyn you can trust? Do you live in the Tucson area? Book an appointment today!

Sources: 

  1. https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/morning-sickness/
  2. https://www.webmd.com/baby/features/battle-morning-sickness#2
  3. https://www.copperstateobgyn.com/pregnancy-symptoms/