Morning sickness is an age old complaint. Therefore it has a long history of proposed remedies and tips on how to relieve it. Most suggestions include dietary changes, sometimes with natural therapies and if the sickness is quite severe, your caregiver may offer you medical treatments.
Morning sickness is such an individual experience for each woman that the effectiveness of most remedies and treatments will vary from woman to woman. You may find it is a matter of trying a few different approaches, before you settle on something that works for you.
The following are some current suggested remedies and treatments for morning sickness:
Lifestyle choices
Natural therapies
Medical treatments
Lifestyle choices
Changing what you eat and when you eat it is often the key to keeping morning sickness under control. Some of these changes can include:
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Eating small meals regularly (5 to 6 times per day) rather than 3 large meals. This keeps your blood sugar levels more even and stops you from overfilling your stomach. Take time to eat and chew your food thoroughly. You may like to carry around a few snacks to munch on during the day such as dry biscuits, nuts or fruit. Try to eat something light before you go to bed at night and again first thing when you wake up. Some women find eating a dry, plain water cracker or a plain piece of toast, a cup of tea or a glass of non-acidic juice (such as apple or pear juice) first thing in the morning helps (½ an hour before getting out of bed if possible). When you do get out of bed, do this slowly. |
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Eating complex carbohydrates such as cracker biscuits, breads, toast, rice, potatoes and pasta. These increase your blood sugar levels and maintain them for longer periods of time in your system, rather than sweet, sugary foods that tend to only provide short bursts of energy. Avoid fatty and spicy foods and anything you have an aversion to at this time. Some women find umeboshi plums (pickled Asian plums) help. You can read more about your diet in Class A. |
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Separating your food and drinks at meals. Some women find that eating and drinking fluids in one eating session aggravates their morning sickness. Try to avoid drinking anything at least ½ an hour before or after you eat. Don't reduce your fluid intake, as you don't want to become dehydrated. You may prefer 'liquid meals' such as banana smoothies or fresh fruit and vegetable juices. Mineral waters and sports drinks can also help balance the body's mineral intake. Some liquid remedies may include lemon and honey drinks, hot water with milk and honey or a teaspoon of cider vinegar in hot water with honey. |
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Look at the stresses in your life and how you honestly feel about being pregnant. Share how you feel with someone you trust or seek out counselling if you feel this will help. Deep breathing, yoga, meditation, massage, or relaxation exercises may be beneficial. Organise some time off from work or mothering. Try to rest or look at strategies to take the pressure off. Some women will use visualisations or listen to relaxation tapes. You can read more in stress and relaxation. |