The vast majority of women experience some degree of morning sickness. Learn how to manage morning sickness as well as watch for warning signs.
I distinctly remember being pregnant for about 5 weeks with my first pregnancy. I felt great and food tasted wonderful! In fact, my husband and I went to dinner to celebrate our pregnancy once it was confirmed by a blood test and I believe I ate the best tasting salad of my life. I thought I had beaten the odds since I had not experienced any nausea or morning sickness.
The very next morning, I felt incredible nausea which lasted for about 6 more weeks. I knew of few ways to cope with morning sickness at the time except advice from my female friends who said to "eat saltine crackers."
For about 50-90% of expectant mothers, coping with morning sickness is one of the biggest challenges of early pregnancy. In some cases, it can be severe enough that mothers become dehydrated or lose weight.
To help you get through those early weeks, here is a list of the most popular and effective tips for coping with morning sickness:
Eat small frequent snacks throughout the day. 5-6 snacks are better than 3 large meals.
Keep something in your stomach (saltine crackers really do work!) since an empty stomach increases morning sickness and nausea.
Add a vitamin B6 supplement to your diet. Foods rich in B6 including: bananas, roasted chicken/turkey breast, salmon, bell peppers, turnip greens and spinach. See more information on prenatal vitamins and pregnancy diet.
Keep a tissue with peppermint oil nearby to "sniff" during waves of nausea.
Try sucking on a lemon slice or adding lemon to your water.
Exercise regularly.
Keep a diary of situations that trigger morning sickness as well as what works to reduce it.
Try ginger in the form of tea or lollipops called "Preggiepops".
Try frozen electrolyte pops or make your own using electrolyte drink mixes.
Avoid heavily sweetened juices since they increase stomach acid and nausea associated with morning sickness.
Often bland carbs such as potatoes, oatmeal and pasta can help curb nausea.
Acupuncture - seek a Licensed Acupuncturist who will use certain pressure points help reduce morning sickness.
Motion sickness bands (called "The Relief Band") based on acupressure can be worn whenever mom feels morning sickness.
If you are vomiting, often there is a key food that helps to break the cycle. Be sure to be spontaneous with whatever food you might be craving, even if it's junk food at first. Once the nausea is over, you can focus more on healthy eating.
Prenatal vitamins can add to the nausea. Find out more information on keeping down prenatal vitamins.
The good news is that morning sickness typically passes after the first trimester. Many women find at least partial relief to help them cope with morning sickness by utilizing one or several of these methods simultaneously.
However, be sure to see your provider if you are unable to keep food or fluids down for longer than 24 hours.
Start a discussion here if you have found some helpful techniques that worked for you!
The copyright of the article Ways to Cope with Morning Sickness in Pregnancy & Childbirth is owned by Brenda Lane. Permission to republish Ways to Cope with Morning Sickness in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
im in my 13th week of pregnancy and have been fighting nausea and vomiting
everyday since tne 6th week.Its my first and im 25yrs old.i get so scared
when i hear people have nausea all through their pregnancy.I always hope i
wont be one and i sure would be grateful when i get through this stage. Vomiting takes out all the energy in you.Somtimes i have cramps in my
stomach and so much discomfort. its nice to know there are ways to
cope with it
Aug 26, 2008 12:59 AM
Guest :
This is my second pregnancy and I'm 9 weeks. i was sick on my first but
only for a brief part of the day and ot totally disappeared around week 14.
This time i have been sick since week 5 all day and night... smells and the
notions of certain foods drive me to distraction. I am not vomitting but i
am eating erratically surviving mainly on lots of toast- I can eat more in
the middle of the day and less in the evenings and have awful heartburn at
night. I feel I am bloating up quicker too this time as a reslut of this
irregular eating. I just hope to god it passes soon as I am demented with
it and feel for my poor husband who has to putup with me!
Sep 22, 2008 7:44 AM
Guest :
This is my third child, my first is 20 years old, my second is 4 years old.
I felt no morning sickness with my first but I was also 21 years old. Being
42 years old well, that might be part of the reason whey I have been sick
starting my 5th week Im now only in my 10th week but I'm have nausea in the
morning only if I do not eat anything. During the day I am fine. But when
4:00 o'clock hits Im have naseau, bloating well until I sleep at night. I
have the worst heartburn. The only way I get through it is getting up early
and eating, then preparing all my snacks for the afternoon and salad will
be your best friend in the evening as well as fruit salad or plain peeled
fruit.
Oct 3, 2008 9:49 AM
Guest :
I find that when my blood sugar is low that my nausea worsens-- it's like a
"I need to eat or I'm going to die!" coupled with
light-headedness, tachycardia, sometimes light shakiness, etc. Try
chromium picolinate (400-800 mg or is it mcg?) to cope with this. It'll
take a couple of weeks to build in your system and kick in.
The
small meals work! Snack all day-- I also carry peppermint altoids, lemon
drops, high-protein snacks like almonds, and remember to breathe deeply
(focusing on breath, not smells).
Also, I have found that my
attitude has a lot to do with how I'm feeling. If I am focusing on how I
feel and negative about it-- scared, anticipating the future, my body
changes, etc. it gets worse. If I am optimistic, relaxed, deal with the
nausea by focusing on how it's not a big deal, pay attention to my body,
etc. I feel great! I feel like I can not just cope with it, but have a
good day!
Quite a difference from my first unplanned (but lovely
and amazing) daughter to this second planned pregnancy. With the first,
nausea lessened by like 70% by the 13th week-- almost on the dot.
Oct 3, 2008 9:50 AM
Guest :
I find that when my blood sugar is low that my nausea worsens-- it's like a
"I need to eat or I'm going to die!" coupled with
light-headedness, tachycardia, sometimes light shakiness, etc. Try
chromium picolinate (400-800 mg or is it mcg?) to cope with this. It'll
take a couple of weeks to build in your system and kick in.
The
small meals work! Snack all day-- I also carry peppermint altoids, lemon
drops, high-protein snacks like almonds, and remember to breathe deeply
(focusing on breath, not smells).
Also, I have found that my
attitude has a lot to do with how I'm feeling. If I am focusing on how I
feel and negative about it-- scared, anticipating the future, my body
changes, etc. it gets worse. If I am optimistic, relaxed, deal with the
nausea by focusing on how it's not a big deal, pay attention to my body,
etc. I feel great! I feel like I can not just cope with it, but have a
good day!
Quite a difference from my first unplanned (but lovely
and amazing) daughter to this second planned pregnancy. With the first,
nausea lessened by like 70% by the 13th week-- almost on the dot.
Oct 7, 2008 10:51 AM
Guest :
im 25 and my first pregnancy. i have morning sickness only at night. every
night like clockwork at 8pm. im already 8 weeks. when will this be over? i
feel im too sick to be excited about my baby.
Jan 5, 2009 12:01 AM
Guest :
I am 9 weeks and i am having trouble with constantly feeling sick. Its only
been for the past 3 weeks but i can feel its getting worse. I have trouble
finding things to eat and when i eat them its like my body never wants that
particular thing again, so i feel sick thinking of new things to eat. I
also cant stand the smell of meat cooking. i have found that weetbix
helps and i have had it for dinner a few times with a little sugar on top,
and being in the pool or fresh air helps me allot too. A relaxing bath with
minerals from the chemist is also a great way to relax before going to bed,
i find it takes away the nausea. hope some of these tips may be useful.
Jan 26, 2009 6:10 PM
Guest :
I am currently 6 1/2 weeks pregnant with my 4th child. My first two left me
with terrible all-day sickness until the 13th week when it suddenly
disappeared. My 3rd lasted until 16 weeks. I am learning how to cope with
each one better, but I sure don't enjoy this part of pregnancy! My other
children are becoming more helpful though and bringing me things like
crackers, my water bottle, etc. when I feel like I can hardly move off the
couch.
I do agree that focusing less on the problem helps a
lot!
Feb 8, 2009 2:38 PM
Guest :
Hello All, I am now 7 weeks and thought I had doged the morning
sickness stage, but it is only now that I am starting to feel the symptoms.
I am not vomiting, just feeling very tiered and having this awfull taste in
my mouth, almost as if I am dry reaching all the time. This is my third
child although my youngest is now 8 turning 9 in November, I had forgoten
how awfull the feeling can be. When I start to get the bad tastes in my
mouth I run for water or fruit, I have found watermelon helps me alot
through the day, but when I eat fatty foods or fast foods it makes the
feeling worst. Good luck to you all coping with morning sickness!!!
Mar 5, 2009 5:37 PM
Guest :
I am 7.5 weeks pregnant with my 2nd.. My first pregnancy I had all day
morning sickness for the full 9 months, to the point i was being sick every
hour of every day, I couldnt find anything at all that would help but the
antenatal vitamins definatly made things worse.. This pregnancy is
looking like its going to be the same.. I've already lost 2kg in 3 days,
all i can really do is try to find foods that dont hurt so much when they
come back up and keep the water levels up... Hopefully someone can tell me
they've been through this too and has a solution?!.....
Apr 3, 2009 8:19 AM
Guest :
I keep a bowl of chopped cantelope or watermelon in bed with me at night.
When I wake up, feeling queasy and suffering, I pop a piece or two of the
cold, juicy fruit in my mouth and chew it very slowly. It is enough to curb
the pain until I can go unconscious again.
Be very careful not
to become dehydrated!! I spent a weekend attached to an IV and it was
absolutely miserable. It was a downward spiral that I felt no relief from
for over a week straight. Now I have an assortment of liquids with me at
all times, even if it's one of those weeks where I don't leave the bed.
Gatorade is too strong for me, but flavored waters, iced teas, propel and
for whatever reason orange juice are ok. Just keep experimenting.
I also cannot handle meats, but I know that protein is very important.
So, I have been good about bean soups and edamame (soy beans are the
vegetable with the highest amount of protein). To help balance the lack of
complex animal proteins, try combinations like beans and rice or humus and
pita. Also, don't forget the iron that is lacking from a diet with low
animal protein. Make sure you get some dark, leafy greens. My saving grace
was minestrone soup with chickpeas and a piece of whole grain bread, but
I'll warn you that it was a lot to demand of my stomach and I had to divide
a normal portion into two or three to get through it.
Jul 31, 2006
