Carrying a new life is such a beyond-special gift! But let’s face it, sometimes being pregnant feels very…not fun. If you’re in your first trimester, you may be experiencing that infamous pregnancy symptom: morning sickness.

What’s a girl to do when you’re just lying in bed but your stomach feels like you should be on a fishing boat in the middle of the Atlantic? Read on to find out what this morning sickness thing is all about and what you can do to shut it down.

You’re not alone.

More than 50% of pregnant women experience this nausea and vomiting we call “morning sickness.” The name is deceiving, because as you may have realized, it doesn’t just happen in the morning. Lucky us, it can happen any time of day! (insert sobbing here). But the real good news is that, for most women, it’s pretty mild and goes away about halfway through pregnancy. It’s likely that pregnancy nausea happens because our bodies aren’t used to all those hormones running around. It takes some time to figure out that this hormone level is the new normal, and once the body does realizes this, we should stop feeling sick. And besides being uncomfortable, morning sickness isn’t harmful for us or our baby.

However, if you experience any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor ASAP to make sure you and the little one are safe!:

• Flu-like symptoms, which may be a sign of illness.
• Dizziness or lethargy
• Severe vomiting continuously or several times a day
• Unable to keep down any fluids or foods
• Weight loss

Now, the moment you’ve been waiting for: tips on dealing with this sucker!

Eat small and frequently. Instead of three big meals a day, snack every couple hours. This will give you the energy you need and also keep your tummy full, but not too full. Nausea often intensifies when your stomach is either super full or super empty.

Stay hydrated. Especially if you’ve been throwing up, your body could easily get dehydrated. Make sure you drink plenty of water to make up for it. If you need the extra motivation, get yourself a cute new reusable water bottle and set a goal to drink the whole thing ___ times per day!

Be a picky eater. Stay away from greasy or spicy foods – these may add more fuel to the nausea fire. Foods that are high in carbs or protein, low in fat, and easy to digest will be the most palatable. Here’s a list of foods that’ll help you get through morning sickness:

• Cold foods (sandwiches, raw vegetables, salad when properly prepared to prevent listeria)
• Bland foods (chicken soup, broth, plain baked potato)
• Plain vegetables or fruits
• Foods rich in vitamin B6 (examples: meat, eggs, bananas, nuts/seeds, carrots)
• Lemons (even the smell of lemons can help relieve nausea!)
• Ginger (ginger tea, ginger jam on toast, ginger snaps)
• Peppermint tea
• Crackers
• Jell-O
• Flavored popsicles
• Pretzels

Listen to your nose. Take note of any smells or tastes that make you queasy, and stay the heck away from them (if you can)!

Get outside. If the weather’s nice, open up the windows at home or work and let in some fresh air. Take a walk and enjoy the sunshine.If you think your sickness could be caused by iron in your prenatal vitamin or you want to take anti-nausea meds or other treatments like acupuncture, make sure to ask your doc about it.

You’ve got this!

Morning sickness doesn’t have to ruin the joys of pregnancy for you. Slow down, take care of yourself, and bring on the saltines. If you’re pregnant, want to know more about prenatal health, and live in the Kirksville, MO area, check out our no-cost, confidential services. We’d love to help you. Contact us today!

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Resources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/morning-sickness/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20375260

https://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/morning-sickness-pregnant

https://www.healthline.com/health/vitamin-b6-foods

http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/morning-sickness-relief/