I’m Gonna Puke, But Need to Eat Something- The Cruel Reality of Morning Sickness
8 Tips to Reduce Morning Sickness
Unfortunately, most women deal with nausea during their pregnancies – “morning sickness” . Experts are unsure of the exact cause, although some say the shift and increase in hormones, heightened sense of smell, and drop in blood sugars can be to blame. Luckily, there are things you can do to help prevent the onset of morning sickness, reduce the duration, and soothe your symptoms.
- Eat Regularly Try not to let yourself get too hungry as low blood sugar can exacerbate the nausea. Try to eat about every 3-4 hours and keep snacks in your purse and car to have on hand.
- Ginger Can Be Soothing Drink ginger tea or add fresh or ground ginger to a smoothie. You could even mix it into yogurt or oatmeal. Try making ginger popsicles or ice cubes by pureeing or simmering fresh ginger, lemon, and water, strain and pour the liquid in ice cube trays or popsicle molds.
- Limit Stress Stress and fatigue can exacerbate morning sickness, so do your best to relax and get plenty of sleep. When you wake up, rise slowly. The quick movement of jumping out of bed can also make you nauseous. (Keep crackers or toast at your bedside if this seems to happen to you).
- Incorporate Foods with Vitamin B6 Salmon, tuna, beef, venison, chicken, potatoes, oatmeal, chickpeas, bananas, and avocados are all great sources.
- Focus on Carbs Carbs are comforting and easy on the stomach – plain toast, baked potato, oatmeal, rice, pasta. Choose whole grains, a little fiber can help reduce nausea as well.
- Eat What Sounds Good Maybe chicken and vegetables sound good for breakfast or scrambled eggs for dinner. No rules here, even if it’s not the healthiest choice, eat what you can tolerate.
- Cold or Room-Temperature Foods Strong odors may make you feel a bit nauseous. Cold or room-temperature foods have a less potent odor and may be more tolerable.
- Take your Prenatal Vitamin at Night Taking it right before bed or with something to eat can reduce irritation to your stomach.
Experiencing other symptoms? Ask me more about tips to relieve constipation, heartburn, water retention, and muscle cramps.
Jenna Gorham, RD, LN is a registered dietitian and nutrition communications expert based in Bozeman, MT. She specializes in women’s health and nutrition for millennials. Jenna provides virtual nutrition coaching and consulting services for clients across the country. Learn more about Jenna and what she offers on her website or follow her on Facebook or Pinterest.