Pregnancy is full of excitement and new beginnings. However, it can also be full of the dreaded morning sickness and constant nausea. It may feel like the nausea will never end, but I promise it’ll all be worth it in the end.
If you never experienced morning sickness, congratulations, you’re one of the lucky few (and oh my goodness do I envy you). If you are currently dealing with that gruesome symptom… join the club. In all of my pregnancies I had horrendous morning sickness. I found myself hugging the toilet any time I would wake up for the day, eat breakfast, or even just when I would brush my teeth. Thankfully, I began to learn how to manage the nausea and start to live my life again.
I’ll share some of the tips I have learned along the way in hopes that some of them may help bring you some relief too!
If any food sounds slightly appetizing to you, eat it.
Don’t worry about trying to only eat healthy foods. If you have terrible morning sickness where you are struggling to keep any food down, eat whatever you can stomach. That’s right, go for that scoop of ice cream or bag of potato chips!
However, if you are finding yourself craving nonfood items such as dirt, coal, or chalk, talk with your health care provider as something more serious could be causing these cravings.
I made the mistake in my first pregnancy where I stressed out about not being able to eat any fruits or vegetables for the baby. It ended up causing extra stress on myself and made my nausea even worse.
A little bonus tip… do not buy any big bags of food or buy in bulk! Pregnancy cravings come and go. One day you may crave a certain type of chip and the next day just the thought of it may make you heave. To avoid throwing out food, stick to buying smaller quantities.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
You want to avoid dehydration as much as you can, especially if your morning sickness is causing you to vomit. You’ll have to replace lost fluids to keep both yourself and your baby healthy. It can be a vicious cycle because the more dehydrated you become the more nauseous you will feel.
Another interesting thing to keep in mind, is the temperature of your liquid intake. A hot beverage may stay down nicer than a cold one.
Personally, I found water was easier to tolerate when alternating sips with ginger ale or Sprite. I also discovered that eating and drinking during the same sitting caused my stomach to become upset. Once I kept my drinks and food separate it helped me keep more food down.
Mints or hard candies will become your best friend
Sucking on candies continuously throughout the day may help calm an upset stomach.
Every pregnancy is different. For one of my pregnancies I found the small white and red circular peppermint candies to be extremely helpful. For another of my pregnancies jolly ranchers brought me relief!
Get some fresh air
Random scents in your home may trigger your nausea and make it worse. Stepping outside for some fresh air throughout the day helps you to “reset”.
I also found that going for walks outside (if weather permitting) did wonders for my morning sickness. It helped to focus on something other than how I was feeling. The more I distracted myself, the better I would feel.
Force yourself to eat something
An empty stomach can be your worst nightmare. Even though you’re not feeling like eating, if you force yourself to snack all day it can help settle your sensitive stomach. I get it, it sounds like it would make things worse, but it really helps!
With that being said, try not to eat big meals. Instead focus on snacking continuously. It’s a double edged sword, a full stomach can bring on nausea as well.
I would snack on saltines and string cheese all day to help bring me some relief.
Take prenatal vitamins at night or on a full stomach
The iron in prenatals has a reputation for causing pesky nausea. This can lessen when taken with food. It can also be helpful to take prenatals at night, when an upset stomach will be less likely to bother you while you’re sleeping!
I swear by taking vitamins at night even when I’m not pregnant!
Rest when you can
Your body is going through some intense changes right now. You’re going to be exhausted, and understandably so! Whenever you have a chance to take a short nap, or even just sit down and relax, take advantage. Your body will thank you.
Now that I’m pregnant and raising a toddler, taking a nap whenever I need one isn’t realistic. There are times during the day, like when my son is taking a nap, that I take a quick snooze too! Screen time did increase for my toddler when I was really struggling with my morning sickness, but it was only temporary, which made me feel a little less guilty. Even though it’s nothing to be guilty of… but you know… mom guilt.
Keep a positive mindset
This may sound cheesy, but the more positive you think during pregnancy, the easier it will be. A positive state of mind helps you to be able to handle more stressful situations! And let me tell you, pregnancy can sure be stressful!
Repeating positive affirmations to myself throughout the day helped keep myself optimistic as well. I also focused more heavily on self care during the first few months of pregnancy. Now is the time to really spoil yourself!
Talk with a health care provider about medication
If you’re finding that absolutely nothing is bringing relief and it’s really affecting your daily activities, talk with a healthcare provider. There are medications that are safe to take during pregnancy!
I know this isn’t for everyone, but it’s definitely something to think about!
I had to take medication to help me get through the first trimester for all of my pregnancies. It helped me tremendously!
I hope one of these tips will help you during this difficult stage of pregnancy. Morning sickness can be a real beast to get through, but I promise you’ll forget all about it as soon as you hold that precious little baby! You can do this mama!
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