Morning sickness can be a little speed bump in your pregnancy, but with the right care and precautions, you can learn to cope with it and feel a whole lot better. If you’ve been dealt a worse form of the problem, however, it can be rough. Here are some tips on coping with morning sickness.
What Is Morning Sickness?
Morning sickness is probably one of the most discussed pregnancy symptoms, though it is just one of many other side effects or signs of having a baby on board. So what is morning sickness? This is just a term used to describe nausea and vomiting that pregnant women often experience, particularly in the first trimester (although for some women it could run the length of their entire pregnancy). It is a bit of a misnomer since morning sickness could affect you whether it is nighttime or daytime.
The good news is that typical morning sickness doesn’t result in any additional risk to your baby or you, compared to someone who doesn’t have morning sickness. It is just uncomfortable.Tips To Cope With Morning Sickness.
Morning sickness usually goes away somewhere between week 16 and week 20 for most pregnant women. Here’s what you can do to manage it in the meantime.
- Try to have little snacks throughout the day.
- Avoid having an empty stomach, this could make nausea worse.
- Sip on a gingery drink. It can ease nausea. Perhaps some ginger tea (just boil some ginger with water and sweeten with a little honey, add lemon if you like) or even nimbu paani with some ginger added in.
- Have a multivitamin as recommended by your doctor regularly
- Steer clear of foods that make you feel nauseous just by smelling them. Try and avoid cooking these at home if they affect your appetite.
- Eat bland starchy foods like rice or khichdi, kanji, etc as these are metabolized faster by your body.
- Have fruits that are easy to digest and nutritious, like bananas.
- Eat a dry toast, have some light tea, or some light broth-style soup if you’re feeling nauseous.
- Avoid foods that produce gas, like cabbage.
- Avoid any overly spicy or fatty foods.
- If you can’t stomach plain water, add fresh lime to plain water and have that or munch on some watermelon, it has plenty of water and won’t feel bland like plain water.
- Ask your doctor for help if the symptoms start to affect your daily routine or get worse.
What To Do If You Have Extreme Morning Sickness
There is however an extreme form of morning sickness known as hyperemesis gravidarum that can be harder to manage. About 1 to 3 women in every 100 get this form of morning sickness. This kind of morning sickness can be very severe and quite upsetting for some. Remember, this isn’t something you have brought on - you just drew the short straw. Get help from your doctor and reach out for any support you may need from those around you.
It results in severe vomiting, making it tough for you to keep down any food and may result in dehydration. It is important to get help early for this form of morning sickness. The treatment may involve anti-nausea medication and intravenous fluids if you are dehydrated.
Always Call Your Doctor Right Away If You Experience Any Of These Symptoms
- You feel dizzy
- You feel lethargic
- You have severe vomiting multiple times a day or you are vomiting constantly
- You are losing weight
- You can’t keep down any food or fluids
Remember, you are not alone when it comes to pregnancy problems like morning sickness. Find out more about pregnancy, childbirth, and the journey of motherhood on the MamaXpert blog and community with tips, insights, and more from experts and other mothers like you.