Four ways to beat morning sickness

Morning sickness – the not-so-gentle beast many women struggle with during pregnancy – is something almost every pregnant woman will have to deal with it at some point. For that reason, you should learn how to keep the nausea to a minimum! Here are just a couple of tips to ease morning sickness:

Don’t go on an empty stomach

When nausea strikes, having an empty stomach will be your worst enemy. The acidity in your stomach will work against you by intensifying that awful sick-to-your-stomach feeling. Avoid this by eating small portions of food multiple times a day. This way, you’ll always have a little sustenance in your stomach to cushion the blow of nausea. A mild upset stomach is much easier to tolerate versus the violent feeling of running on empty will bring.

What about the spins and wave of nausea that overwhelms you just by getting out of bed? You can lessen this dizziness by keeping your blood glucose levels at a normal range to avoid first-thing-in-the-morning nausea. If you eat a high protein snack like peanut butter crackers before you go to sleep, you should be fine!

Take vitamins

Pre-natal vitamins, while a necessity to a healthy pregnancy, can be difficult to take. Morning sickness doesn’t always leave your stomach feeling ready for breaking down vitamins. Children’s vitamins are an option for this stage of the pregnancy. These vitamins will be easier to digest thus leaving less of a chance for nausea to kick in.

Enlist the help of aromatics

When battling morning sickness a pregnant woman’s nose is not her friend. Everyday smells that have never bothered you before suddenly bring on a wave of nausea. Simply covering your nose is often not enough to stop this odiferous attack from taking its toll. Lemon extract and fresh rosemary is said to help calm a sick stomach. Keep a re-sealable bag of rosemary in your purse in case of a smelly emergency. You could also buy an empty, small, travel size, shampoo container and fill it with lemon extract for a quick fresh sniff.

Drink lots of water

Lastly, staying hydrated is a must for trumping nausea. However a lot of pregnant women claim even drinking just water can be difficult. Eating a cool slice of watermelon, also known as “solid liquid,” is a fun alternative to drinking water. A refreshing option when trying to beat your morning sickness!

If you’re suffering from severe morning sickness, schedule an appointment with your doctor.

Photo via Flickr User Blomstrom