Will sickness affect my diet?

Most pregnant women experience some degree of sickness during their pregnancy thanks to high levels of pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) coursing through their systems.

Morning sickness is actually a bit of a misnomer, as it can occur at anytime (and does so 24-7 for some unlucky women), and as well as nausea, you nay vomit. In most cases – nut not all – it does ease up after the fist trimester (weeks 0-12).

If you are one of the unlucky minority of women who experience vomiting, then the last thing you want to think about, when staring face first into the toilet bowl after another bout of pregnancy sickness, is eating a balanced diet. Thankfully, morning sickness rarely interferes with nutrition enough to affect your developing baby although it can be very tough trying to eat when you feel nauseous. Although there is little you can do to actually prevent it, you can follow these simple tips to help you cope with morning sickness…

1. Try to drink plenty of fluids, especially if you’re vomiting a lot. The last thing you want is to get dehydrated, as this can be harmful for both you and your baby. Take small sips of water rather than gulping and if you think you can handle it, try drinking a few sips of a sports energy drink to replace lost sugars.

2. Avoid the aroma and sight of the foods that make your stomach turn. If the smell of frying bacon sends you hurtling towards the bathroom, ban it from the house, plain and simple. Talk to your partner, family or housemates and explain the situation – hopefully they’ll understand.??

3. Eating a dry cookie or a piece of toast before you get out of bed in the morning can help to alleviate the symptoms of sickness. Ginger may also help, so stock up on ginger cookies and keep them on your nightstand or desk drawer at work so you can have a nibble when you feel hungry, as low blood sugar often makes the nausea worse. You can also grate a little root ginger into some hot water and sip it.

4. Foods high in starch, such as bread and potatoes, may help to keep blood sugar levels high and make your stomach feel full.

5. This is the time to forget about dieting. If you suffer badly from sickness and all you can keep down is fries, eat them. If you don’t manage to keep some food down serious problems can occur and you may end up in hospital. As long as you’re not eating foods that are unsafe in pregnancy, this is a time when anything goes.

6. Stick to bland foods rather than fatty, acidic or spicy foods that are harder to digest and may irritate your digestive system (see also foods to avoid in pregnancy).

7. If you’re traveling on public transport, leave extra time to get to work in case you have to leave the train to get some air and catch the next one. Take ginger cookies to nibble on throughout your journey and keep yourself occupied with a magazine, a book or some music.

You can also talk to other moms about this topic on the guide to pregnancy or mom health areas of our chat forum.

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.