Tips for Conquering Morning Sickness
Did you know 50% of women experience morning sickness during pregnancy? Ummmm, yeah. Morning sickness is for the birds, unless, of course, you are growing a tiny human and then looking back you will have one of those “it was all worth it” moments. With Chickadee I definitely had some morning sickness…at first I think I thought is was actually “fun!” First pregnancy craziness I suppose…but as the weeks went on that was no longer the case. I was lucky because my morning sickness was manageable as long as I dealt with it head on. Today I want to share a few tips with those of you currently fighting the good fight. Hopefully, they will help get you through!
1. EAT
I know this sounds counter intuitive, but if you can get something down it will help! I kept a box of granola bars by my bed those first few weeks and would eat one before my feet would hit the floor. My stomach would settle before it ever got the change to be upset. I also listened to my cravings & adversions. For example, I could not get enough apple juice or cheese quesadillas. And towards the end of my pregnancy I had to stay away from marinara sauce if I wanted to avoid acid reflux! Small meals and snacks throughout the day are great also for holding off nausea. A few suggestions are pretzel sticks and peanut butter, cheese and crackers, or sipping on peppermint tea.
2. REST
First, make sure you are getting a good night’s rest. As your body starts to change and grow maybe try sleeping with a pregnancy or body pillow to make yourself more comfortable. Also if you are able nap. Growing a little baby is hard work and will take it’s toil on your body. I remember coming home everyday after a long day teaching and taking a much needed 2 hour nap. I’d wake up just in time to eat dinner, visit with III, and go right back to sleep.
3. TAKE YOUR PRENATAL VITAMINS AT NIGHT
I am not sure if this has been true for anyone else, but my prenatal vitamins made me nauseous. Not only would trying to swallow those horse pills make me gag, but I think the iron in them just didn’t sit right when I would take them in the morning. I found taking them at night and letting the digest while I was asleep made taking them much more manageable.
4. GINGER
For a while now ginger has been said to a stomach soother and help relieve nausea symptoms. A few ways to add ginger to your daily routine could be sipping cold ginger ale or snacking on gingerbread cookies. For a nausea fix on the go I suggest these ginger lozenges by Sea Band Mama. These little lozenges contain no artificial flavors or colors, and they were formulated with essential ginger oils to help relieve an upset stomach. As a bonus they contain folic acid which contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy. Find them at CVS!
5. DRESS COMFORTABLY
I must admit I was the queen of this! III would often come home and ask if I wore my yoga pants to work too…no sir, “leggings” with a dress or a long cotton skirt were more work appropriate :) Restrictive or tight clothing will just increase the morning sickness symptoms. Instead dress cute but comfortable!
6. STAY HYDRATED
It is always important to drink water throughout the day, but especially during pregnancy. The more dehydrated you become the more likely you will be nauseated. Dehydration also leads to headaches which does not couple well with morning sickness. If drinking water is tough, try a adding a lemon or drinking a lemon-lime soda. Crunching on ice cubes is also a way to help stay hydrated.
7. ACUPRESSURE
There are specific pressure points on the body that have been said to help alleviate morning sickness. Along with the ginger lozenges, Sea Band Mama! also makes wrist bands that use acupressure to trigger the P6 Nei Kuan pressure point on the inside of the wrist . This helps to alleviate nausea from morning sickness. Stimulating this pressure point helps the body to calm nausea and vomiting. These too can be found at CVS.
Check out the “Pregnancy Morning Sickness? Drug Free Ways to Reduce Nausea During Pregnancy” video on YouTube for additional drug free ways to deal with morning sickness!
For more information about Sea-Band® Mama and to learn more about morning sickness visit http://www.sea-band.com/mama
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sea-Band Mama. The opinions and text are all mine.
