Twins and Morning Sickness

Posted on Dec 13, 2012 | Articles Category | | Print This Article

More than half of pregnant women experience morning sickness. Some experts suggest that as many as 75% of women experience nausea or vomiting during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy.

There is some research that suggests that morning sickness is more common with twins. Because we don’t really know what causes morning sickness, it’s hard to say why this may be the case. Many experts attribute morning sickness to changing hormone levels, and there is some evidence that a twin or multiple pregnancy may have greater changes than a single pregnancy.

If you’re pregnant with twins, there are some things you can do to avoid or at least minimize the impact that morning sickness has on your daily life. Here are some steps to take:

• Eat several small meals throughout the day instead of three large ones in order to avoid being too full or having an empty stomach. Both can add to your feeling of nausea.
• Regularly take your prenatal vitamin. This can help make morning sickness less severe. Some women find their morning sickness aggravated by the iron in prenatal vitamins, so talk to your doctor if this is the case with you.
• Avoid strong smells of any sort. Even good smells can help to upset your stomach.
• Before you get out of bed in the morning, have a few saltines, some dry toast, or some dry cereal. These foods help to calm your stomach, and can help to put you on an even keel for the day.
• Watch out for certain food types. Fatty foods and spicy foods are both known to cause or increase nausea, so try to avoid them whenever you can.
• If you’re experiencing morning sickness, choose bland foods that are easy to digest. There is the famous “BRAT” diet – bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. You can add chicken broth, popsicles, gelatin, and Preggie Pops to that list.
• Sip some water or suck on an ice cube when you start to feel nauseous. Clear sodas, ginger ale, and even weak tea can all help, as well.

If your twins are causing you severe morning sickness, talk to your doctor about other things you may be able to do to get through.

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