by Andrea Stainbrook
Congrats! You peed on a stick and discovered you are pregnant! One of the most common and most talked about symptoms of pregnancy is morning sickness.
WHAT IS MORNING SICKNESS?
Morning sickness is nausea in pregnancy. It is believed to be caused by pregnancy hormones and estrogen. Some lovingly refer to it as “all-day sickness.” Although there may be some whom experience nausea upon waking and it dissipates as the day goes on, others will have it happen at varying times in the day. Or all day. Approximately 70% of expecting mothers will experience some amount of nausea.
WHEN WILL MORNING SICKNESS BEGIN?
You may experience morning sickness as early as 4 – 8 weeks along. Some people will no longer feel the effects of morning sickness at around the 14 week mark. This can vary for everyone though.
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP MY MORNING SICKNESS?
There are many remedies for trying to help ease the unpleasantness of morning sickness.
FOOD:
-Eat what sounds good and avoid foods that trigger the nausea.
-Foods high in protein like eggs are believed to be helpful at keeping nausea at bay longer.
-Other options that are good to eat: crackers, bread, fries and soda ( I call these “hangover foods”), sour candies, sucking on hard candies, ginger items like ginger ale or ginger candies, and all the plain foods (potatoes, rice, toast).
-Nibble on crackers first thing upon waking.
-Eat many small things throughout the day instead of big meals spread far apart.
-Avoid waiting too long to eat and getting dehydrated as those seem to make it worse.
OTHER REMEDIES:
-Can you keep yourself busy and your mind off of it? Some find distraction a helpful tool.
-A holistic approach is using an item like Sea Bands. These use acupressure to help curb the nausea.
TALK TO YOUR CARE PROVIDER:
-If the nausea isn’t subsiding or it is interfering with your daily life please reach out to your doctor or midwife. There are some medicines available to help. If you have extreme vomiting and/or nausea you could be diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarium and they will help devise a treatment plan right for you.
Hopefully the items mentioned above helps you tolerate morning sickness. It isn’t an easy thing to go through so be gentle on yourself, and hang in there!