Do’s and Don’ts for Your Morning Sickness

Posted on Mar 2, 2012 | Articles, Treating Morning Sickness Category | | Print This Article

 

Most women – some experts say that it’s as many as two thirds of women – will experience morning sickness during pregnancy. That nauseous feeling, which can happen at any time of the day, may or may not be accompanied by vomiting. Morning sickness is likely the result of the changing hormone levels in your body, and is also one of the first signs of pregnancy for many women.

While morning sickness isn’t dangerous unless it keeps you from taking in and keeping down food, it can be frustrating and inconvenient, at best. What’s especially frustrating is that you can’t treat nausea the same way during pregnancy that you would when you’re not pregnant.

Here are some do’s and don’ts to be aware of during pregnancy to help deal with morning sickness.

Do’s:

• Eat smaller and more frequent meals
• Drink something about half an hour before your meal, but not during your meal
• Regularly drink small amounts during the day to keep from becoming hydrated
• Consider eating a couple of soda crackers about 15 minutes before you get out of bed each morning
• Make sure you’re getting enough sleep and that you nap when you need to
• Exercise

Don’ts:

• Don’t skip meals or become too hungry.
• Don’t eat spicy foods.
• Don’t cook foods with strong meals, if at all possible.
• Don’t eat foods with strong smells.
• Don’t become overheated.
• Don’t lie down right after eating.

You should also watch out for a condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum. In essence, this is a severe form of morning sickness. Symptoms include severe vomiting, nausea and even electrolyte disturbance. One big concern in this situation is that you and your developing baby may not be getting the nutrients that you need in order to have a healthy pregnancy. Talk to your doctor if your morning sickness is severe, or if you’re having trouble keeping food down.

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