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Dealing
with morning sickness
By Tash Hughes of Save Time Online
Morning sickness. It is certainly the first
image of new pregnancy in movies and TV shows, and it is a reality for many
pregnant women.
Not all women experience morning sickness
in early pregnancy, and not women stop feeling it after 13 weeks of pregnancy
either. Despite its name, women can feel the nausea in the morning, day,
evening, night – or all of these times.
Whether you are actually vomiting or just
feel like you’re going to much of the
time, morning sickness is an unpleasant side effect of pregnancy.
Due to the fact that most pregnant women
want to avoid drugs and keep their baby healthy, there are limitations to what
can be done to cope with morning sickness. The following techniques vary in
effectiveness between women, so each woman needs to find what works best for
her in each pregnancy.
Eating
Unlike most cases of nausea, morning
sickness tends to be worse on an empty stomach. Regular nibbling of food can
keep the nausea under control, if not completely get rid of it. I found I could
take 10 minutes to eat one dry biscuit and that would keep me feeling well
enough to keep working. Even sucking on barley sugar may help.
If the nausea is taking away your appetite,
nibbling during the day can be important for your nutrition as well.
Breakfast in bed!
I’m not talking about a full cooked
breakfast, but many women find that having something simple to eat before they
get out of bed in the morning means they avoid the nausea for at least a while.
A cup of tea or toast and vegemite seem to be the most common choices to
control the morning sickness.
Vitamin B
Vitamin B6 has been associated with
reducing pregnancy nausea, and various studies have supported this. The studies
indicate that 3 doses of 10 – 25 mg a day work well, and taking it before
getting out of bed each morning is particularly useful.
If you don’t feel better after a few doses,
it could be that vitamin B just doesn’t help you.
However, do not take more than 75mg a day
as it can damage your nervous system in high quantities.
Ginger
Ginger has long been known for settling
stomach upsets and is perfectly safe for pregnant women, so is well worth
trying. It is also an easy option as ginger can be taken in many ways – fresh
ginger in a stir fry, powdered ginger in cakes/biscuits, ginger tea, chunks of
preserved ginger, ginger tablets and ginger ale (although you may find it is
better flat rather than bubbly).
Alternative therapies
A qualified homeopath may be able to
recommend some treatments that help combat the nausea. Likewise, you may find
relief from an aromatherapist, acupuncturist, reflexoligist or masseur, but
make sure these professionals are aware of your pregnancy before treatment
commences.
Medicinal help
There are medicines that can relieve
nausea. However, these should only be taken under medical advice as some are
not suitable for pregnant women and can have serious side effects.
Whilst not prescription medicines, there
are now various lollies, lollypops and lozenges that are specifically designed
to combat morning sickness. These can work by providing sugar to your system
and giving you vitamin B or ginger.
Most women get through pregnancy without
any medical assistance for morning sickness. The main exceptions are those
women who vomit a lot and find it hard to eat or drink anything as these women
face dehydration and may need specialist assistance.
Other tips
If you are having trouble with morning
sickness, get as much rest as possible as your body is working hard. Even a 15
minute power nap can help you cope better during the day.
The following tips may help you cope:
- plan your day as much as possible around your nausea. For
instance, if you are worse in the morning, arrange to start work late
- allow time so you can avoid express trains so you can get off
if need be
- keep a container in your car for emergencies
- carry tissues and wet wipes in your bag
- carry a bottle of water with you to reduce the nausea and
freshen your mouth
- keep some healthy snacks or hard lollies in your bag
- stay away from strong odours, especially raw meat and
cigarettes as they often trigger nausea
- brush your teeth with your finger instead of a brush if regular
brushing makes you nauseous. And use mouth wash to help clean your mouth
- don’t get too warm as this can bring on nausea
- open windows, use the microwave and turn on exhaust fans when
cooking so these are fewer smells left in the house
Tash Hughes is Mum to three
lively children and co-owner
of
SaveTimeOnline.com.au, a
unique showcase of
Australian businesses and
websites. |
