Morning Sickness During Pregnancy
Most women experience some degree of morning sickness in early pregnancy. Symptoms range from mild nausea when you wake up in the morning, to actual vomiting, and whilst morning sickness does tend to be worst in the morning, it can actually occur at any time of day.
Morning sickness usually starts around 6-8 weeks of pregnancy and eases by the end of the first trimester around thirteen weeks.
If you feel that your morning sickness is becoming too severe and you are having trouble keeping anything down, see your doctor. You may be developing Hyperemesis Gravidarum, a particularly severe form of morning sickness which requires medical treatment.
Try these pregnancy morning sickness remedies:
- Eat several small meals instead of fewer large ones.
- Try bland foods such as unflavoured biscuits, or potatoes.
- Ginger is a traditional cure for nausea, try ginger biscuits, ginger tea, flat ginger ale or ginger beer, or ginger tablets.
- Suck on hard lollies such as barley sugars.
- Some people swear by motion sickness wrist bands.
- Vitamin B6 supplements have been suggested to improve nausea, take 25-50mg three times a day.
- Do not take any medication (even herbal) without consulting your doctor first.
- Avoid fatty, spicy or particularly rich or strong flavoured foods.
- Eat regularly to avoid becoming too hungry as some studies have shown that low blood sugar levels can make nausea worse.
- Make sure you have plenty of fluid, water is best but also try fruit juice, flat lemonade, sports drinks or flavoured sports waters to maintain your blood sugar and sodium levels.
- Take your time in the morning, don't rush around. It may help to have a dry cracker or piece of toast before getting out of bed.
