If you’re reading this and you’re pregnant, Congratulations!
If this is your first pregnancy, I want to welcome you to the club. In an effort to keep you as fabulous as you are, I wanted to share a few things about pregnancy with you that no one tells you and give you a few tips to ensure you survive.There is so much, I’m going to break this into a few different posts.
Today, let’s start with the major first-trimester issue – Morning Sickness.
The thing people don’t tell you morning sickness is that morning sickness lasts all day!
You’ve heard about it, you’re probably reading about it in What to Expect but what you should expect is the possibility of having morning sickness all day, all week, all month, all trimester and for some moms all pregnancy. Feeling bad for them too? What this means in actuality is that your mouth will taste awful, your stomach is always queasy and your sense of smell is akin to that of a bloodhound.
Anyway, who named it morning sickness? Must of been a man. The symptoms don’t fade away in the afternoon (at least not for me – twice). During my first pregnancy, my morning sickness was so bad that my doctor had to prescribe medication for me because for a few days I was unable to eat anything at all. During my second pregnancy, I was luckier and my morning sickness was mild, plus I was a bit more experienced and I knew which remedies worked.
So here are morning sickness remedies that work:
1. Grab some ginger.
Ginger candy, ginger tea, ginger perfume, ginger maternity clothes!
Okay, I’m kidding about the latter two but enjoying some ginger candy and tea after your meals can ease your stomach’s queasiness and help your stomach feel settled. I looked forward to ending all of my meals with a cup of ginger tea and kept ginger candy in my bag and office for quick relief. My tea of choice was Yogi Ginger tea which is organic and free of chemicals and caffeine.
2. Eat small meals.
You know how you imagined eating thanksgiving sized meals while pregnant and in sweats. No Bueno! You’ll get much more nauseous after eating big meals. Eat small satisfying meals regularly.
3. Never go hungry.
That brings me to another point. I know how indecisive and lazy we can be when we’re pregnant but the last thing that you want to do is to get hungry. A hungry queasy stomach is no fun. So stay ahead of the game and eat a small meal before you get hungry.
4. Eliminate Fried Foods.
The look, smell, even taste of fried foods can send you hurling while you’re struggling with morning sickness. Prior to having kids, I loved cheat days at Popeyes (probably too much) but morning sickness ended that relationship for life. I haven’t had Popeye’s since my first pregnancy. Yes! It was that bad.
5. Avoid food with strong odors.
Foods with strong odors will upset your stomach. If you live in New York City like myself, let me warn you about food carts. They’ll become your temporary enemy. If you usually walk pass them on a daily basis, start rerouting now or get a scarf to cover your face and speed up when you get close. Also, lunch at work can be torture especially if your coworkers bring food from home and eat at their desks. By my second pregnancy, I had an office so I was able to shut the door but during my first pregnancy I suffered at my cubicle. If this is an issue, eat lunch outside or go for a walk.
6. Get more sleep.
Your body is working overtime and adjusting to creating your baby so you’ll be tired more than ever. Try to get as much sleep as possible. Nap, nap, nap! When all else fails to ease your morning sickness discomfort sleep it off and you’ll feel much better when you wake up. I’ve heard exercise helps but I only exercised during my third trimester both times (Yup, you can judge me).
I hope these tips help ease your discomfort. Try to focus on your cute little baby and you’ll be okay.
How did you ease your morning sickness symptoms?