Easing Morning Sickness

Morning sickness is part of pregnancy for nearly all women, and it doesn’t just happen in the morning!

Any kind of nausea or vomiting while pregnant is generally referred to as “morning sickness.” Around 80% of all expecting moms will feel this kind of discomfort during their pregnancy.

For most people, it will start in the first two months and get better near the end of the first trimester. However, morning sickness can absolutely occur in the middle of – or even late in – a pregnancy.

No matter when these symptoms begin or how long they last, we know that this is a difficult part of pregnancy. It feels horrible and is very distracting to be nauseous all the time, and some people think of vomiting as the absolute worst way to be sick! So let’s focus on ways we can ease those symptoms:

Make it easy on your stomach

We all have some foods that just don’t sit right with us, even on a good day. Start by ditching those foods for the next 9 months.

During pregnancy, many things about your body may temporarily change because of hormone fluctuation and just the process of pregnancy. That can mean that foods you were fine with before are now definitely not fine.

In general, avoid greasy, spicy, and fatty foods. Those categories probably cover some of the ones that didn’t work for you before, and they will likely cover the new foods that are bothering your sensitive stomach now.

Try these digestion-friendly foods

That previous tip was a bit of a downer, so let’s focus on the things we can eat easily! Foods that will typically go down easy or even soothe your stomach include:

• Bananas

• Rice

• Toast

• Crackers

• Pretzels

• Uncooked vegetables

• Jell-O

• Chicken soup

• Baked potatoes

• Nuts, especially pistachios

• Dried fruit

• Hard boiled eggs

• Fish

• Poultry

• Lean beef

• Hard cheeses

• Edamame

• Greek yogurt

• Avocado

The items on this list are all relatively low-fat and easy to digest. Any foods that fall into that category are fair game.

Some people find it additionally soothing to eat more of their food at a cold temperature. Maybe you try refrigerating a banana or handful of dried fruit before snacking on it.

Ginger

When it comes to natural treatments (as opposed to medical ones), the results are going to be different for everyone. Some people say ginger doesn’t help their discomfort at all. But it is true that ginger has been used for centuries as a remedy for nausea and vomiting.

Knowing that different types of food and textures can work for different people, ginger is offered in lots of different forms these days. Consider trying one of the following:

• Ginger lollipops

• Real ginger ale (has ginger as main ingredient)

• Ginger snaps

• Ginger tea

And then of course there’s good old ginger root from the grocery store. Consider grating it into a cup of boiling water for your own homemade ginger tea. You can also grate it into a different herbal tea, like lemon or peppermint.

Small, slow, frequent meals

We call it “morning sickness” because many women will find themselves vomiting in the mornings. If this sounds like you, consider taking more time to get out of bed in the morning.

Set your alarm an extra 30-45 minutes earlier and keep some plain crackers next to your bed. When you wake up, start the day by slowly nibbling on a few crackers. Then take your time getting out of bed and moving through your morning routine.

Over the course of the day, it also helps your stomach to eat smaller meals more frequently rather than three big meals. Some people end up assuming that because they throw up after eating, they should just run on an empty stomach. But not having any food in your stomach can actually create more nausea, which then causes vomiting when you do eventually eat.

Protecting yourself

Even if you take all of the above advice, unfortunately, some vomiting will probably happen if your body is prone to morning sickness. If it does, make sure to wash your mouth out afterward to protect your teeth. The stomach acids that come up in vomit can wear away the enamel on your teeth, and you don’t need to have dental problems on top of the rest of this!

There is one version of nausea and vomiting while pregnant that can be serious and is a reason to visit your doctor. Please come see us immediately if you:

• are vomiting more than 3 times per day

• lose 10 or more pounds

• show signs of becoming dehydrated: dizziness, difficulty concentrating, severe exhaustion, peeing very little or a dark color

• see any brown or blood in your vomit

• feel that your heartbeat is too fast

• have a fever

Dr. Brandon Lingenfelter, DO, PhD; Megan Lingenfelter, PA; Samantha Snyder, DO; and Valeah Bradshaw, NP are here to support you as you navigate all phases of your pregnancy, especially the uncomfortable ones. Give us a call at (681) 282-5591 or make an appointment today if you have more questions about your morning sickness.