If you have morning sickness, take heart – it seldom lasts past the first three to four months of pregnancy, and according to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, it’s been linked with a 50 to 75% reduction in risk of miscarrying.
Nausea and vomiting affects around eight in 10 pregnant women, triggered by the high levels of pregnancy hormones produced in the first trimester. The research suggests it may promote a healthy pregnancy by encouraging women to eat less, reducing the risk of exposing the foetus to toxins, and lowering levels of circulating insulin, encouraging placental growth.
However, severe vomiting can lead to dehydration and weight loss, so if you can’t keep anything down, contact your health professional.
For usual morning sickness, try these tips:
1. Make yourself eat
If you don’t, you can get an acid-filled stomach and your blood sugar will drop, causing more nausea, says Conny Fraser, a registered nurse and midwife, who runs Baby Grow Clinic in Cape Town.
2. Nibble
Eat small quantities of food often, and make them nutrient dense. Think quality carbs (brown rice, baked potato, whole-grain pasta or crackers), lean protein (turkey, fish, kidney beans, tofu), veggies and fruits. Avoid fatty or fried foods, acidic or spicy ones. Bland is best, Fraser says. Easily-digested options are smoothies, plain yoghurt with banana, or apple slices or celery with peanut butter.
3. Watch your liquids
It’s easy to dehydrate when you’re nauseous. Try sipping plain or sparkling water with fresh fruit sliced in it (berries, melon, lemon, cucumber), or ginger tea (use peeled, grated root).
4. Rest up
Tiredness and stress can make morning sickness worse, so sleep as much as you can.
Rise slowly, eat something before you get up, even just dry toast or crackers – you will feel worse if you get up on an empty stomach, as your blood pressure will be low after hours without food.
5.Don’t forget your supplements
Take your pregnancy vitamins and iron with your biggest meal, preferably at night: otherwise they can trigger nausea.
6. Get out
Take walks, meet friends, distract yourself from morning sickness. If using a car, be the driver rather than a passenger – the skipper of a boat is the least likely to get seasick.
7. Avoid odour triggers
You’re likely to be sensitive to smells such as food cooking (delegate kitchen duties, or cook and freeze ahead on days when you feel better), petrol (delegate filling the car) and perfumed cosmetics or cleaners (change to fragrance-free brands for a while).
8. Dress comfortably
Wear loose, comfy clothes: avoid anything that presses on your tummy, waist or throat.
9. Watch your posture
Heartburn is often part of morning sickness – stomach acids refluxing into your lower oesophagus is more common in pregnancy as hormones relax your muscles. Stay upright after eating, or lie on your right side; lying on your back can make heartburn worse. “Also try sleeping slightly inclined on pillows,” Fraser says.
10. Above all, stay positive
Remind yourself morning sickness is for a short while, focus on the end result – meeting your healthy, beautiful baby.
IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images