Morning Sickness Do's and Don'ts

Morning sickness can be one of the most miserable, uncomfortable, and debilitating experiences life will throw your way. Nausea and vomiting are oftentimes some of the first noticeable signs that a woman is pregnant, and symptoms usually begin around the 6th week after conception. Despite its name, morning sickness can strike (and strike hard!) at anytime of the day. Fortunately, for most women symptoms tend to halt around the 12th week of pregnancy.

Some Morning Sickness General Information

-Over HALF of pregnant women will experience morning sickness to a certain degree. 

-Morning sickness can be, but is not always, accompanied by vomiting (this vomiting, if not highly excessive, is not harmful to a pregnant woman or her baby).

- The exact cause of morning sickness is unknown. It may be caused by hormone changes or lower blood sugar during early pregnancy (the most popular theory is that morning sickness is the body's reaction to the pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which is produced at higher levels during the first trimester than at any other time during pregnancy).

-Emotional stress, fatigue, traveling, or certain foods can exacerbate morning sickness. Nausea in pregnancy is more common and can be worse with twins or triplets.

-Many doctors tend to conclude that morning sickness can be an indicator that the placenta is developing well and is therefore a good sign of normal pregnancy.

Here are some steps to and alleviate your symptoms:

Some Helpful Tips

Do:

• Eat small meals often
• Drink healthy fluids 1/2 hour before or after a meal, but not with meals
• Drink plenty of healthy fluids during the day to avoid dehydration
• Talk to your doctor about a healthy magnesium supplement.
• Eat some kind of crackers (try to keep it healthy!) 15 minutes before getting up in the morning (or as a snack throughout the day. Many women swear by this method).
• Eat whatever you feel like eating, whenever you feel you can
• Ask someone else to cook for you and open the windows or turn on fans if the odor bothers you
• Get plenty of rest and nap during the day
• Avoid warm places (feeling hot adds to nausea)
• Sniff lemons or ginger, drink lemonade, or eat watermelon to relieve nausea
• Exercise

Don’ts:

• Do not lie down after eating
• Do not skip meals
• Do not cook or eat spicy food
• Do not eat excessive amounts of sugar
• Do not over do it on the grains