Don’t let morning sickness bring you down. You can reduce nausea and completely take control of your morning sickness with the following strategies. Let’s begin when you wake up in the morning:
- Take time to get out of bed in the morning.
Quickly getting up could cause nausea so take your time and relax. Have some crackers or a piece of candy nearby in case you start feeling nauseous after you get.
- Don’t tire yourself down.
Take plenty of rest during the day. You will be more likely to feel nauseous when you are tired and sleepy. You must take naps during the day to help reduce morning sickness. Take time to look after your body, use an osteopath to work through any pain you might develop during the pregnancy. Our favourite osteopaths even do home visits in London.
- Avoid eating fatty or spicy foods when you wake up.
Fatty foods and spicy foods are known to induce nausea; some pregnant women even feel nauseous just by smelling or thinking about fatty foods!
- Reduce food sizes; preferably bite-sized portions will do.
It’s hard to stomach large pieces of food so cut these into small chunks so you can eat them easily. Remember you will be less nauseous if you have some kind of food in your stomach so don’t skip meals. Acids in the stomach will have nothing to work on and will likely affect the lining of your stomach which will result in worsening morning sickness.
- Have your super stash ready nearby.
Use resealable bags or microwavable containers to bring slices of apples, bananas, pears or any kind of citrus fruit. Refrigerate these the night before so you can eat them cold and fresh. Your stash may include protein-rich snacks such as peanut butter and salted crackers.
- Stay hydrated.
It could be harder to stay committed to drinking the recommended 8 to 10 glasses of water each day especially when you are pregnant but being dehydrated only increases the risk of suffering from morning sickness. You can make water more tolerable by adding a little honey or apple cider vinegar to a tall glass. Sucking on ice cubes may also help relieve nausea. As a rule, the colder the drink, the easier it is to tolerate.
- Take a whiff of fresh scents.
Morning sickness is mostly triggered by smell and so, even the slightest tinge of unpleasant smells and strong odours can trigger nausea in some women. You can reduce this by smelling something fresh like ginger, lemon or rosemary. Avoid strong scents all together like strong and potent perfumes, detergents, fabric conditioners and skin care products. Opening a window will remove strong and unpleasant smells.
- Wear comfortable, loose clothing.
A study showed that pregnant women who wore loose clothing were less likely to feel nauseous in the morning upon waking up rather than women who wore tight clothing. Most likely, tight clothing puts pressure on the abdomen and this worsens nausea.
- Resolve acid reflux.
Sometimes, nausea could be due to acid reflux. You can take antacids for hyperacidity or talk to your doctor about the best and the safest hyperacidity or acid reflux treatment for you. If you are taking iron supplements, talk to your doctor about a slower-release form of the supplement since iron supplements are known to cause nausea in some women.
- Reduce morning sickness through acupressure.
Acupressure is one of the oldest therapeutic remedies and has been known to treat pain and other types of discomfort. By applying pressure on certain points of the body, nausea and vomiting may be effectively controlled. There are even acupressure gadgets that may be worn like a band or a bracelet that applies pressure on the arm which helps reduce morning sickness.
When all else fails consult your doctor.
If you are vomiting more than ever and morning sickness has completely affected your everyday life then you must consult your doctor. Excessive vomiting could lead to malnutrition and dehydration and this could be fatal to both you and your unborn baby. Usually, morning sickness is overcome after the third month of pregnancy however 1 out of 300 pregnant women develop excessive vomiting. Some women may even suffer from morning sickness until they are term and this condition needs medical treatment right away,