So you’re pregnant and for the next nine months, a baby will develop inside you – quite the superpower. But like Superman, over 50% of women find their kryptonite in the first trimester – morning sickness.Â
Morning sickness is one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy. For some, it is just a period of queasiness brought on my varying scents and tastes while for others it can be debilitating and require hospitalization. For some women, it lasts a short period and will go away when the scent or taste is gone and for some women, it lasts all day, every day for their first trimester.Â
While morning sickness is very common in pregnancy you can make it easier on yourself with these included tips.Â
1. Think Outside the Box
Think hypnosis and acupuncture. Ok, so you’re not ready to go that far outside the box? Consider a sea-band, these wristbands help to treat motion sickness and you can find them in a variety of drugstores. These wristbands are said to press against an acupressure point found on your inner wrist and thereby decrease feelings of nausea.
2. Eat Regularly and in Smaller Portions
So you find your morning sickness is making it hard to keep anything down? But you need to eat to support that growing baby inside your womb. Instead of eating a full on meal, break your meal up into smaller snack sized portions. Take your time and chew slowly and try to be as relaxed as possible.
3. Disinvite Particular Foods to the Party
You may think fatty foods as you read this. Not only will you want to skip the fatty foods, but also all spicy foods and anything that is too sweet. Avoid all gas-producing foods, as well as these, were all shown to be more likely to cause nausea. Opt for high protein foods and carbohydrates that are bland and dry.
4. Beef Up Your B6 Intake
Yes, you are taking your prenatal vitamins but some additional B6 can help to reduce your morning sickness symptoms. The University of Michigan in a health report indicates that an additional 10 to 25 mg of Vitamin B6 taken three times daily can help to reduce the instances of nausea during pregnancy. The B6 will be beneficial to the baby as well as it will help with their brain and cognitive development.
5. Take Your Prenatal Vitamins at Night
Your prenatal vitamins are high in iron. Iron is known to cause nausea and as such, you may want to change up until you routine and take those vitamins before going to bed. This way you won’t have to worry about them bringing on additional nausea during the daytime hours when you need to be on the go and getting stuff done.
6. Consider the Use of Essential Oils
Scents such as mint, orange and lemon may help you to get rid of your feelings of nausea. You can take your essential oils with you and place them on a cotton ball to sniff when you are experiencing morning sickness. At home or in your office if it is allowed you can place the oils into a diffuser or spray bottle and let them permeate the room for a more holistic approach.
7. Put a Pep in your Step
As long as your doctor approves of it, a little physical activity can and will help to keep nausea at bay. You can find a prenatal yoga class, go for a morning or evening walk or go for a swim. Don’t overdo it, this exercise is just to keep you active enough and not supposed to be a full-on workout.
8. Add a Ginger Kick to your Diet
Research shows that ginger can help with nausea. Soothe your morning sickness by having some ginger chews always on hand when you have to go out. When at home you can make yourself a pot of ginger tea. Remember that for the best results, it has to be real ginger, none of the fake stuff.
9. Know Your Triggers
Many pregnant women’s morning sickness is triggered by strong smells and particular tastes. Once you realize what triggers yours you can now lessen the symptoms by staying away from that particular scent or food. You may want to keep a little diary and note when the symptoms come on and take note of your environment during those times. Look for the pattern and know what to avoid.
CONCLUSION
While morning sickness is quite common during pregnancy, this doesn’t mean that it has to take control of your life for the entire first trimester. By using the tips mentioned above you can reduce and even entirely get rid of your morning sickness. Some of these tips may be more labor and time intensive than others. But there is at least one that you can incorporate today. If you are looking for the easiest method we would say getting a sea band. You can slowly integrate the other tips into your schedule such as taking your prenatal vitamin at night and knowing your triggers.Â
If your morning sickness seems severe and does not lessen after using any of these tips, please do not hesitate to contact your doctor.
Cris
