Ways to ease morning sickness

Lemonade or lemon drops decrease saliva. Many pregnant women find they have more saliva during pregnancy which is another cause of nausea. Drinking lemonade or putting slices of fresh lemon in water or decaffeinated tea or sucking on lemon drops helps.

Ginger helps settle the stomach. Ginger ale, ginger tea or gingersnaps have long been known to be a remedy for nausea.

Have a bedtime snack. Eating one last small meal before going to bed will release energy into your bloodstream throughout the night & may help decrease the feelings of nausea upon waking.

Trust your cravings. Whatever works is the recommendation in morning sickness. Don’t worry about not getting enough nutrition this first trimester, the fetus’ nutritional needs are minimal. What tastes good in the morning may not make you feel good in the afternoon.

Plan ahead. If cooking odors bother you, consider pre-cooking & freezing on a day you feel well, buy convenience foods, or order out. If you are invited to another home for dinner, offer to bring a dish you know you’ll be able to eat.

Lifestyle hints . . .

Ease into your day. Take your time getting up in the morning & move at a slower pace . Rushing seems to make morning sickness worse.

Dress comfortably. Wear loose clothing. Many women find anything pressing on their stomach, waist, or neck is irritating & triggers nausea.

Avoid cooking odors or other strong smells. During pregnancy women develop hypersensitive noses & odors such as coffee, gasoline or diesel, cleaning supplies, or meat cooking can also trigger nausea. Open the windows while cooking or use the microwave oven or let someone else cook.

Use aromatherapy. Citrus-fragranced hand lotion, lemon dish soap or lemon cleaning supplies & orange peels put down the kitchen sink disposal are pleasing fragrances to the pregnant woman.

Position yourself to prevent heartburn. This burning feeling, which is caused by reflux of stomach acids into the lower esophagus, occurs more frequently during pregnancy. To prevent heartburn, keep upright, or lie on your right side after eating. Lying on your back is more likely to aggravate heartburn.

Drive, don’t ride. Some women find that by doing the driving instead of riding, they have less of a nausea problem.

Get Help. Delegate tasks that trigger nausea to other members of your family.

Rest. Some experts think that there is a connection between fatigue or stress and morning sickness, so nap whenever you can.

Over-the-counter helps . . .

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