Lauren Ellis
Pregnancy is meant to be a beautiful experience and for many people, it is. However that is not the case when along comes the dreaded morning sickness. And nothing will completely rid you of this, however, you can learn tips and tricks on how to manage this.
What is Morning Sickness?
Morning sickness is very common in pregnancy and is pretty self explanatory. It is sickness in the morning. However, despite its name, you can experience sickness at any point of the day. This is most commonly experienced in the early stages of pregnancy and is known to clear up by 16 to 20 weeks. in some serious cases, your usual pregnancy sickness can become severe this is when you may experience Hyperemesis Gravidarum.
Hyperemesis Gravidarum is a severe form of morning sickness and usually has to be treated in hospital as you can become dehydrated or malnourished. It is uncommon for this to disappear at 16 to 20 weeks, you may not actually stop with this until you have your baby in your arms but you may begin to feel slightly better at 20+ weeks.
How to Stop Morning Sickness?
There is no proven method to "stop" morning sickness, it's just part and parcel of pregnancy. This can make you feel like you're slowly dying, slight exaggeration maybe, but don't even think about saying that to a pregnant woman. We have a few tips and tricks to help you feel somewhat human during this time.
🥤Hydration is key:
Trying to ensure you keep hydrated during this time is very important. You must still continue to drink, even sip, on any fluid you can. The less you drink, the more dehydrated you become and the more you will feel sick. The temperature of your drink will play a huge role in you being able to stomach this so try a few options and make sure you're staying hydrated.
❌Sick day for one:
You may want to think about calling in and taking the day off when your sickness is too bad. It is known for pregnant women to schedule a holiday/week or two off during the beginning of the pregnancy to avoid being in work when the sickness is at its worst.
🗣️Let it be heard:
Speak to your doctor, speak to your family, friends or even other pregnant women online. Everyone is always on the hunt for a way to ease or deal with pregnancy sickness, so sharing your tips and tricks can help not only you but other people in the same situation.
🍏Little and often:
When it comes to eating when feeling sick or being sick, you dread hearing the words "eat something, it's best to have food in your belly". This is easier said than done, but is also very true. You're best to eat little and often and keep yourself easting during all points of the day. You'll not only be referred to as a cow being milked but you will also begin to graze throughout the day.
🎒Be prepared:
It is best to have a mini sickness kit to hand when you're out and about. Make sure your packing a number of things which may help before, during and after your phases of nausea. A couple of things to consider would be:
- Portable toothbrush,
- Toothpaste,
- Mints,
- Boiled sweets,
- Face wipes,
- Hand sanitiser,
- Dry crackers,
- Water,
- Lip balm,
- Perfume.
👃Get a peg:
It is best to avoid areas which have strong scents, especially those which are making your nausea worse or can be seen as a trigger. Try keeping a lemon or fresh linen scent on you as fresh scents can reduce the sickness. So when you're stuck in a room with a co-worker whose perfume is really testing your gag reflex, take a sniff of your fresh scent and you may get some relief.
📺Netflix and distract:
Try to find methods of distraction. If you have other children, i'm sure you'll have no problem as they may not give you a second to think about your nausea. But keeping your brain stimulated will reduce the amount of time thinking about feeling sick. It's a feeling which is difficult to block out but it's worth a try. So find the newest murder mystery documentary on Netflix and get your thinking head on.
💍Sickness Band:
You may have seen online, especially through the eyes of social influencers, the sickness bands which are believed to help with nausea. You can wear these and with their band applying pressure to your acupressure point on your wrist. They usually start working after around 2-5 minutes of wearing them.
