Miserable with Morning Sickness?

Nothing puts a damper on the excitement of finding out you’re pregnant quite like that miserable, queasy feeling that starts to rear its ugly head around your sixth week. Morning sickness is the term for nausea and vomiting that can happen when you’re pregnant. Contrary to its name, expectant mothers will tell you the nausea and vomiting can hit anytime, day or night, and usually feels more like “all day sickness.”  In fact, 80 percent of women report their symptoms last all day.

The cause of morning sickness is attributed to the increase in hormones in the mother’s body. HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) is a pregnancy hormone made by cells formed in the placenta. These levels peak at about the same time as morning sickness symptoms. During pregnancy, estrogen and progesterone levels also rise, which relaxes the muscles of the digestive track. Another contribution to the queasiness is the fact that pregnant women experience a sharper sense of smell. Some women experience a metallic taste in their mouth that leads to nausea, and excessive saliva during pregnancy can also be a contributing factor to morning sickness.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, morning sickness affects more than half of pregnant women. It’s often one of the toughest pregnancy symptoms to deal with, but you can find comfort in the thought that many health care providers believe morning sickness is a sign of a healthy pregnancy, because it means the placenta is developing well.

Morning sickness symptoms vary between expectant mothers. Some women experience just a bit of queasiness from certain foods or smells, while others have nausea and vomiting many times a day. For most moms-to-be, symptoms begin to subside between 12 and 16 weeks of pregnancy, but there are some expectant mothers who never find relief and experience it throughout all 40 weeks of their pregnancy. If you’re experiencing weight loss, signs of dehydration, severe vomiting and are unable to keep food and fluids down, contact your doctor. This could be a more severe condition called Hyperemesis gravidarum that affects about three percent of pregnant women.

Are you miserable with morning sickness? Here are a few remedies to try out.  

Find Your Triggers

As the days go on, you will find what foods, smells and time of day trigger your sickness the most. For me, the smell of coffee made me nauseous, so I steered clear of Starbucks and did my best to avoid the break room at work. You will also find what foods sit well with you. For me it was grilled cheese, and yes, I had it for breakfast every day!

Eat Often

Do your best to eat small meals often throughout the day instead of three main meals. You don’t want your stomach to get too empty or too full. Keep snacks like a protein bar or a bag of almonds with you at all times. Foods on the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) are known for helping with upset stomachs.   There are also several snacks believed to help with nausea. It’s a good idea to stop eating spicy foods until you are feeling better.  Anything with lemon or ginger (think lemon drops, lemonade, ginger ale, ginger tea, ginger snaps) can help. Peppermint tea or sucking on peppermint candy is also helpful for some. Other moms swear by crackers or Popsicles. Eat whatever you can keep down to stay hydrated and nourished.

Morning Routine

The morning tends to be hard for moms to get out of bed and get going. Place some crackers and a soda on your nightstand within arm’s reach before bed. When you wake up, eat some crackers and take a few sips of the soda. Give it a few minutes to settle before getting out of bed.

Prenatals

Sometimes prenatal vitamins can cause nausea. Try taking your vitamins with a small snack before bed. Some moms find relief by using the gummy prenatals.

Preggie Pops

Preggie pops are morning sickness lollipops and lozenges that provide an all-natural way to ease morning sickness. Keep these in your purse to help curb your nausea at any time. You can find these on Amazon.

Sea-bands

You may have used these acupressure wrist bands for car sickness or travel sickness, but many expectant moms find relief from morning sickness with these too. They work by applying pressure to the Nei-Kuan point in the wrist. This natural, drug-free option is worth a try.

B6

The vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) has been shown to reduce morning sickness symptoms in some mothers. B6 helps your body process proteins, which may reduce nausea. Check with your OB-GYN before taking any new supplements.

Stay Hydrated

It’s important to stay hydrated, especially if you’re vomiting often. If you’re having trouble keeping liquids down, try ice chips or freezer pops. Also, drink between meals instead of while eating. Sports drinks like Gatorade can also help you replenish electrolytes.

Rest

Resting is important throughout your entire pregnancy, but especially when you’re experiencing morning sickness. Your body is working in overdrive, so it’s important to give it a break. It won’t always be an option, but if you are having an especially hard morning, take a vacation day and rest your body. Give yourself some grace and return to work when you’re feeling better.

Talk to Your Doctor

If your morning sickness symptoms are keeping you from your normal routine and are absolutely unbearable, talk to your doctor about getting a prescription for a medication that is safe for you and your baby.

TRUE/FALSE QUIZ

1. Morning sickness occurs only in the morning.
2. You should eat several small meals per day instead of three large meals to help curb nausea.
3. All women experience morning sickness.
4. Women who experience horrible morning sickness are having a girl.

Answers:

1. FALSE – Morning sickness can occur anytime.
2. TRUE – Several small meals per day will keep your from having an empty stomach or getting too full.
3. FALSE – More than 50 percent of women experience morning sickness—so almost half don’t!
4. FALSE – There is no data to prove this. Some women have girls and never experience morning sickness.

Regan Lyons is a freelance writer who lives in St. Joseph, MO, with her husband and two daughters, Atley, 7, and Ensley, 1. 

As always, please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns.