All morning sickness sufferers will tell you that living with nausea and vomiting is a misery and they'll try just about anything to alleviate it.
Morning sickness can come anytime during the day. Some believe morning sickness is caused by an increase in your hormone levels. If you’ve taken birth control before, you know that if you ever skipped a dose and needed to double up it would leave you feeling sick.
This is because birth control contains hormones. For pregnant women, a hormone called Human Chorionic Gonadotropin starts to rise rapidly during the first trimester. Another hormone that could cause nausea is estrogen. There are many things that trigger morning sickness, and many stuff you can do to help prevent or alleviate the nausea and vomiting or morning sickness.
When does morning sickness start?
Many women start to experience morning sickness approximately 6 weeks after their last period because it is during these very early weeks that the amounts of hCG, estrogen and other related hormones rise rapidly to assist the pregnancy become established and baby to build up.
What causes morning sickness?
The queasiness usually starts at around six weeks but can also can start four weeks. Sometimes it’s the first tell-tale sign you’re pregnant. It peaks at around 9 weeks and settles down for many women at around 12 weeks. But for around 35 per cent, morning sickness takes another month approximately to subside and, for an unfortunate minority, it can be an ongoing battle until their baby is born.
There are some women who are predisposed to morning sickness:
- Those who have a family history of it
- Who have had it with previous pregnancies
- Women who are sensitive to estrogen found in birth control pills
- People who suffer from migraines or motion sickness
- Multiple births and girl babies will also be high on the list of culprits.
Ways to Beat Morning Sickness
Ginger
Ginger calms your stomach and can help prevent symptoms of morning sickness. Add fresh peeled ginger to many different foods. Steep fresh ginger in boiling water to make a warm ginger tea. Health food stores offer powdered ginger caplets that can be taken to prevent morning sickness symptoms, but consult your doctor before taking them to make sure they are safe for you personally and your pregnancy.
Sniff citrus
For me, the smell of citrus oil calmed my nausea. We found some tangerine essential oil at a health food store and kept it with her all the time. Or you could just cut a lemon in half and smell that. Try it!
Avoid strong aromas from kitchen
If you have developed aversions to some foods as they make you feel sick, rather try get someone else to do the cooking within the early weeks and avoid cooking anything that triggers illness or queasy feelings.
Lemon
Moms swear by lemon slices, lemon drop, lemonade. There are also lollipops just for pregnant gals in “lemon flavor.” Some moms-to-be maintain that just a whiff of lemon curbs their nausea. It’s definitely worth a try!
Acupuncture
Visit an acupuncturist two times a week for two weeks to test out this treatment and feel the benefit. The acupuncturist will insert needles at specified points along meridian lines using the main focal point being right over the wrist and forearms.
Avoid greasy or spicy foods
Avoid greasy or spicy foods as they often cause nausea or heartburn. Eat smaller meals and snacks every 2 hours or so and do not skip meals if you can help it. and do not drink fluid with your meals. Drink small amounts of fluids regularly though out the day to avoid dehydration but don’t drink fluids with your meals.
Ways to Beat Morning Sickness
Make sure you have plenty of rest
If you feel you have to go to bed far earlier than usual, do it. Rest within the day if possible and if you have other young children try nap when they do or at least lie down.
Get assistance
Having someone to help you with or carry out the chores in your home might help tremendously with how you are able to cope with morning sickness.
