Tips and Tricks to Combat Morning Sickness
Seeing a positive pregnancy test is one of the amazing things in the world! You typically get to enjoy that for approximately 1.5 seconds before the first wave of morning sickness hits like a sack of bricks. Feeling ill while pregnant can be brutal, but there are some specific tips that can help you fight morning sickness in the first trimester.
First a bit of background, Morning Sickness is the nausea (and sometimes vomiting) that typically hits pregnant hard in the first trimester. For most women, morning sickness typically kicks into full gear between weeks 7 and 8. For some unlucky souls, morning sickness (or night sickness or all day sickness!) can continue all the way until baby is born. This was the case for me with my second daughter.
No one knows for sure what causes morning sickness, but the medical community believes its due to increased hormones. The good news is that most doctors believe that morning sickness is a sign of a healthy pregnancy and strong fetal development. For me, that was definitely the case with both my daughters.
Being sick in the morning (or all day long) is not fun at all. It’s especially hard for Mom’s who have to go to work or take care of other children, but there are a few things that can combat sickness!
1. Motion Sickness Bracelets
Motion sickness bracelets, also referred to as PSI bands work by activating a pressure point on your inner wrist that alleviates the nauseous feeling. I used these with both of my pregnancies.
Since I was sick the entire time with my second daughter, I wore these PSI bands 24 hours a day 7 days a week. I actually wore these bracelets directly into the delivery room! A few minutes after she was born, I was able to take the bands off and finally felt some relief!
PSI bands can be extremely effective and are a natural and safe way to manage morning sickness.
Preggie Pops/Hard Candy
For some women, Preggie Pops or Ginger or Lemon hard candies can help temporarily fight nausea. These worked for me in a pinch. The downside is that they really only keep nausea at bay while you are eating them, but they are good to have in a pinch or a wave of feeling really sick.
Fight the Sickness with Food
Most doctors recommend a healthy diet for pregnant women, but let’s face it, when you are really sick a healthy diet is pretty much anything you can handle eating!
A few go-to foods that worked for me when I was really, really sick were baked potatoes with butter/sour cream, fruit – especially melon and cantaloupe, saltine crackers and salt and vinegar potato chips.
Hopefully, as pregnancy progresses you will get some fun cravings for pickles, pizza, ice cream and other pregnancy splurge-worthy foods. If you have a bad case of morning sickness it’s really important to find a few things you can handle eating and keep them on hand at all times.
DO NOT FEEL GUILTY about your food choices in the first trimester. The most important thing is that you are taking care of yourself and giving your body fuel.
Stay Hydrated
Hydration is extremely important in early pregnancy. If you have morning sickness, and especially if you are throwing up, having a range of drinks in your fridge and making sure are consuming enough liquid is really important. Water and Gatorade are great.
When I was sick, I would crave lemonade and that would really help me stay hydrated.
Try Some Exercise
I know that when you feel like an absolute garbage pile the last thing you want to think about is working out, but if you are able to get outside even for a short walk, you will be giving your body energy it needs to fight morning sickness in the first trimester.
Fresh air is also an amazing morning sickness cure, so if you are too sick and tired to walk, just sitting outside and doing some yoga poses or taking deep breaths can help you feel better.
Sleep when you Need To
This can be a tough one if you have to work in an office or have other children you need to take care of, but this is where you really need to rely on your partner, talk to your employer and listen to your body.
Most of my “morning sickness” was actually in the evening starting around 4pm and progressed as the night went on. Many nights I would go to sleep by 7:30 or 8 just to get relief from the nausea!! My husband stepped up big time with our 2-year old and her bedtime routine.
Another benefit of this was that he learned her routine and she got comfortable with him putting her to bed, which is something that was super helpful once new baby was born.
Consider an Antinausea Inhaler
Smells and scents can contribute heavily to morning sickness. With both my pregnancy’s I had to stop using my normal lotion and stick to something completely unscented. I also had to stop using my beloved Spoiled Mama stretch mark preventing body butter and oil for a few weeks at the height of morning sickness with each pregnancy.
The QueezeEase stick is filled with nausea fighting essential oils. It’s great to put in your purse and just take a sniff anytime you need relief. This tool is used at hospitals for people undergoing chemotherapy and coming out of anesthesia and is another safe and natural alternative to help you fight morning sickness in the first trimester.
Talk to Your Doctor About Medication
If you are feeling really sick to the point that you can’t eat, it may be time to ask for some medication to help fight the sickness. Doctors can prescribe a range of medications to help fight morning sickness in the first trimester and throughout the pregnancy. Some common options include Zofran, Phenergan and Diclegis. These medications range in terms of safety for expecting moms, so it’s important to make a plan with your doctor.
I did not need medication with my first pregnancy, but I did with my second one. After losing 10-15 pounds in the first eight weeks, my doctor prescribed Diclegis, which I took from eight weeks until my daughter was born and while it didn’t completely cure the nausea, I am sure it kept me from actually being sick and helped me get enough food down.
The most important thing you can do to combat morning sickness is to take care of yourself. Try to focus on the fact that it is temporary and use positive affirmations.
You are strong, your body is meant to do this and you can handle it. And you will be holding your little one in your arms before you know it!
If you have a friend or family who is suffering from morning sickness, you can put together a little morning sickness relief gift basket.
Top items to include in a Morning Sickness Relief Gift Basket Include:
- PSI Bands
- Preggie Pops
- Ginger or Lemon Hard Candy
- Potato Chips
- QueezeEase AntiNausea Inhaler
- Motivating card with words of encouragement!
If you happen to be having a twin pregnancy, check out Have Twins First or Twin University for tips on how to manage!
