I suffered sickness in both my pregnancies from what felt like conception to birth. Sickness is a very common symptom of pregnancy and is often referred to as morning sickness. For some people, it is just that - some sickness or nausea felt in the morning for the first three months. For other women like myself, it can feel like it lasts all day until birth! Nausea and sickness are not pleasant symptoms to suffer from, so I've put together a few of the things that really helped me feel better and get over the worst of it.
Eat Before You Get Up
Eating some dry toast, a plain cookie, or dry cracker 15 minutes before you get out of bed and start moving around can be really helpful. An empty stomach can make you feel a million times worse, and some plain food first thing can line your stomach and prevent sickness.
Choose Plain Food
Opting for small portions of plain food frequently is a good way to keep nausea at bay. Overeating in one sitting can make you feel a bit grim, just as getting to the point of hunger can. Little and often is a good balance.
Keep Fluids Up
Taking a big drink can cause nausea to flare, but it's important not to become dehydrated. Sip water frequently throughout the day to keep hydration up without irritating your sickness.
Ginger
There is some evidence that ginger can help when it comes to sickness and nausea. Sipping ginger tea or eating a ginger biscuit could help reduce the feeling of sickness. You can also look into ginger candies but be sure they aren’t too sweet otherwise it may defeat the purpose.
Acupressure
Acupressure wristbands can provide some relief from nausea and feelings of sickness by applying pressure to points on the wrist. You can get specific pregnancy bands or ones for travel sickness – both work in the same way and can really help. You can find these brands at the pharmacy or in specialist shops.
Look After Yourself
Making sure you are well-rested and not pushing yourself too hard is essential. If your body is fatigued, it will make you feel much worse. If sitting, lying or even taking a nap helps, then indulge yourself at least until the worst has passed.
Don't Be Hard on Yourself
It's difficult not to beat yourself up, but this period will pass and soon be a distant memory. It can be particularly tricky if you feel you should be 'enjoying' pregnancy, but sickness gets in the way.
Anti Sickness Medication
Although feeling nauseous and sick can be a common ailment of pregnancy for most, there are a smaller number of people that suffer severely without any improvement and this is called hyperemesis gravidarum. If you are struggling and it is impacting your day to day life with no improvement from small lifestyle changes, speak to your midwife or GP. In some cases, anti-sickness medication can be prescribed, which is safe to take in pregnancy and can help you get over the worst of the symptoms. Hypermesis gravidarum can cause dehydration and weight loss amongst other symptoms, so if you think you are suffering, it's always worth getting medical advice.
