How to Manage Morning Sickness in Pregnancy
Unfortunately, many women experience morning sickness during pregnancy. For many, nausea and vomiting will improve or disappear in the second trimester, but for the unlucky few, it can stick around longer, even for the entire pregnancy. Today, I’ll share tips to help you prevent or at least hopefully reduce nausea and vomiting during early pregnancy.
Timing
Unfortunately, morning sickness can happen anytime, morning, noon, and night. It’s called morning sickness because symptoms can be more common in the morning, but it’s different for everyone. For some women, a particular time of day may be worse, but others may feel ill all day long. If there is a specific time of day you are most affected by it, there may be steps you can take to help you feel better!
Management
Though it may be impossible to avoid, you may be able to make morning sickness a little more tolerable with these simple tips:
Get enough rest. Fatigue, especially in early pregnancy, can make morning sickness worse, so make sure to go to bed early and take naps during the day as needed.
Avoid triggering smells. Your sense of smell can increase during pregnancy, so foods with strong smells may be a cause of nausea.
Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated is key, especially if you are vomiting. Try to drink at least 64 oz of water per day, but more is even better.
Avoid large meals. It is often best to switch from 3 larger meals to 5-6 smaller meals so you aren’t going too long without eating and you aren’t eating a large volume of food at once. Going too long without eating can trigger nausea, so make sure to carry a snack wherever you go.
Eat what works for you. High-fat or spicy foods may be triggering, so stick to bland foods, such as oatmeal, whole wheat toast with peanut butter, low-sugar yogurt, and fruit.
Eat foods prepared with ginger or suck on ginger candy. Research shows that compounds in ginger may reduce or prevent nausea and vomiting.
Take prenatal vitamins at night instead of in the morning. This helped me avoid morning nausea in the first trimester! You can also try switching to a chewable vitamin.
Hyperemesis gravidarum
Hyperemesis gravidarum is severe and constant nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. It may cause weight loss and dehydration so medications or IV fluids can be useful. Many of the above tips may not be helpful, so it’s important to talk with your doctor about how to manage this.
Nausea and/or vomiting are common in pregnancy, but as you can see, there are some simple steps you can take to help you feel better. Luckily most women feel better after they pass the three-month mark of their pregnancy. Stay tuned for more posts in the coming weeks about healthy eating during pregnancy!
