Morning Sickness
Many pregnant women experience
some degree of sickness during their pregnancy and it’s likely due to the high
levels of the pregnancy hormone HCG in your system.
Most often, you’ll just
feel nauseous but some women do vomit. Fortunately, it’s usually more of a
problem in the first trimester (weeks 0-12) and most women find it eases up
after this.
The term ‘morning’ sickness is
actually pretty misleading: for some women the nausea is (thankfully!) confined
to the early hours, but for less fortunate women it can hit on a 24-7 basis
throughout their pregnancy. Although there’s little you can do to actually stop
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.
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 being healthy and 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.
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.
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.