Kimberly Dougherty, Esq.
Nausea and vomiting during pregnancies typically occur in the initial stage. Many women love being pregnant, but not the morning sickness that comes along with it. In fact, morning sickness statistics reveal that over 75 percent of pregnant women go through morning sickness at the start of their pregnancies.
Unfortunately, some experience morning sickness at other times in the day and some go through it during their entire pregnancies. If you’re dealing with nausea and queasiness at the start of your pregnancy, don’t panic. As irritating as it is, morning sickness is a good sign that your pregnancy is moving along.
Contributors To Morning Sickness In Pregnant Women
Morning sickness is typically associated with a feeling of nausea, headaches and vomiting during the first 12 weeks (trimester) of a pregnancy. For some women, this morning sickness feeling may last longer and for others, it may not happen at all. Approximately 30 percent of women experience some headaches, vomiting, and nausea – according to many statistics. Some factors can contribute to greater morning sickness in pregnant women:
- Women with a migraine history are more prone to pregnancy-induced morning sickness.
- Women with nausea side effects from birth control pills are more likely to experience morning sickness.
- Women with motion sickness issues may suffer from morning sickness.
- Women with a history of morning sickness in the family may be prone to it.
- Women with girl babies are 50 percent more likely to suffer from morning sickness.
Apart from these, several other contributors can also lead to morning sickness. Your body may also change and you will experience other discomforts during pregnancy.
Natural Methods To Alleviate Morning Sickness
Morning sickness is a source of incredible stress for many women, but the good news is that you can look at natural methods to help ease your discomfort without relying on any other forms of medication.
Eat Regularly In Small Amounts
It’s important for women to understand that empty stomachs often contribute to nausea, so don’t go more than a few hours without eating something. Avoid eating large portions because if you overeat, you will end up feeling bloated or ill. Even if you are not hungry after waking up, eat a piece of fruit or have some toast to fill your stomach adequately. Ginger biscuits are known to help keep nausea at bay.
Stay Away From Rich Food
Ideally, you should stay away from highly processed or rich foods because these can trigger morning sickness. Rich and creamy foods are heavy on your stomach and may be hard to digest, which is why you end up feeling sick. Similarly, spicy foods, greasy foods, cappuccinos, lattes and processed foods can also contribute to morning sickness. Foods high in preservatives and toxins can increase your feeling of nausea because you are more sensitive to environmental conditions while you are pregnant. The best thing to do is to eat simple home-cooked food with minimal spiciness and creaminess. Make sure your diet includes a healthy amount of fruits and vegetables.
Consume Some Drinks To Help You Feel Better
Some drinks like plain ice-cold water, ginger tea, sweet tea and water with lemon drops can help you feel better when you experience nausea. Smoothies and juices can also help alleviate the nauseous feeling you may have. Consider juices like apple, ginger, beetroot, celery, carrot and lemon.
Stay In A Relaxing Environment
Certain situations and conditions can trigger feelings of nausea and vomiting, so try to stay in a relaxing environment as much as possible. For example, lie down on your bed and read a book or take a relaxing bath with soothing salts. Stay away from damp environments and places with strong smells because you could end up with severe morning sickness symptoms.
Try Some Relaxing Exercises
Relaxing exercises like meditation, yoga, and deep breathing can help you ease your feeling of morning sickness. You can either sign up for a class or you can practice at home.
Taking care of yourself by staying relaxed and eating healthy during pregnancy can make a difference to your morning sickness feeling. Enjoy your pregnancy as much as possible by following these natural remedies to get rid of morning sickness faster.
Kimberly Dougherty, Esq is a Partner and the Managing Attorney at the Boston office of Janet, Jenner & Suggs, which is a national plaintiffs’ law firm. Kim has taken on a number of large corporate defendants in her career, handling multiple lawsuits involving dangerous prescription drugs and medical devices. She is also the President for the Massachusetts Women’s Bar Association and one of the sponsors of BirthControlProblems.com.