By Wendy Colson RN, IBCLC, RLC
Congrats, mama on finding out you are expecting! Alongside that joy, you may have experienced your first pregnancy symptom, morning sickness. While morning sickness can often be more severe in the morning, for some it can be bouts of nausea, upset stomach, and vomiting throughout the day. So, what gives? The rise in pregnancy hormones through the first trimester can cause changes in your gut and along with it, some not pleasant symptoms. If you are struggling through your first few weeks of pregnancy, try my top remedies for morning sickness:
1. Eat What You Can
We all know how important nutrition before and during pregnancy is, however if you are struggling with morning sickness you may have to work with what you can tolerate. Oftentimes, this means blander food items that are rich in carbohydrates such as toast, cereal, bagels, crackers since they do not put out a strong taste or smell. Some women struggle to even eat enough depending on how severe the morning sickness is. Prioritize the foods you can eat and know cover your nutrient gaps with a quality prenatal vitamin will help the first few weeks.
2. Have Small Frequent Meals
Having smaller portions of foods throughout the day can help decrease nausea and upset stomach since it is a lower volume for the gut to handle. This also helps keep your blood sugar levels balanced throughout the day which can help support your energy levels (which may be slim to none!) Try noshing on something every 2-3 hours, if you struggle to get a complete meal or snack at one time, try again in the next 2 hours.
3. Experiment With Herbal Remedies
You may have heard the praises for ginger and it’s help with morning sickness. You can experiment with different forms and dosages, steeping ginger root in a cup of tea, ginger chews or candies to suck on. Additionally, peppermint oil has shown to be soothing for nausea and vomiting. Consider purchasing a peppermint essential oil to rub on your wrist, peppermint chews and candies, or peppermint tea.
4. Use Liquids to Help Get in Energy
Depending on the degree of morning sickness you may have, many women struggle to consume enough energy throughout the day to meet their calorie needs. Using liquids such as smoothies, protein shakes or soups can help provide both energy for your growing baby and be more tolerable than food. If you need a meal replacement, our BOOBIE* Body powder can be just shaken with water, almond milk or blended with nut butter and frozen fruit.
5. Stay Hydrated
Dehydration that results from morning sickness can be a serious concern, so staying hydrated is essential. Try keeping a water bottle at your bedside and carry one with you throughout the day to take small sips of water. You can consider an electrolyte rich beverage as well to help provide rehydration of sodium and potassium. Our Hydromom has a specific blend of B vitamins, glucose and sodium and potassium to help promote hydration (and it tastes better than plain old water too).
Hang in there, mama and know that morning sickness should subside within the first 13-14 weeks of pregnancy. If it doesn’t, please consult your medical team for support.
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