Ways to ease morning sickness
© Teresa Sanborn, RD, LD
Nausea & vomiting during pregnancy, morning sickness or hyperemesis all refer to the queasiness and vomiting during pregnancy. Although morning sickness is more common in the morning, it can happen any time of the day or night. For many women, evening is also a time the nausea bothers them. Usually morning sickness occurs during the first trimester and ends for most women between weeks 12 - 17 of the pregnancy.
What Causes Morning Sickness . . .
The high levels of pregnancy hormones, enhanced sense of smell, excess stomach acids & increased fatigue are thought to cause nausea & vomiting in pregnancy. A new scientific study suggests morning sickness is nature’s way of protecting the unborn baby from food toxins. Nausea may result when you’ve gone for a number of hours without eating & your blood sugar level is low.
You Are Not Alone . . .
Morning sickness affects 50% - 90% of pregnant women. About 50,000 women are hospitalized for severe morning sickness each year. Studies have shown that women that experience nausea & vomiting in pregnancy have fewer miscarriages.
What You Can Do . . .
Nutrition tips:
Eat before you get out of bed. Keep easy-to-digest foods by your bed. Eating them about 20 minutes before you get up may reduce or prevent nausea. Continue to munch all morning, carry your foods with you - even in the car and by your desk at work.
Eat smaller more frequent meals. Try eating six - eight small meals instead of three large meals. Grazing helps prevent low blood sugar which may trigger nausea.
Take two children‘s chewable vitamin-mineral supplements. Take one in the morning with breakfast and take one with supper instead of your prenatal vitamin-mineral supplement during this time of nausea & vomiting. After the morning sickness goes away you should resume taking your prenatal vitamin-mineral supplement.
Try a low-fat diet. High-fat foods may aggravate nausea, because fat leaves your stomach more slowly than carbohydrates & protein. Focus on easy-to-digest carbohydrates, such as baked potato chips, crackers, toast, fruits, & vegetables.
Drink liquids between meals. Too much liquid with a meal may also worsen your nausea. Try snacks such as popsicles, jello, watermelon or cantaloupe, frozen juice bars, broth or soft drinks that have set open to allow some of the carbonation to escape. It’s important to prevent dehydration because it concentrates your hormones at a higher level & makes your nausea & vomiting worse.
