Morning sickness is one of the most common symptoms of early pregnancy. For some women, morning sickness takes the form of a little bit of mild nausea for a few minutes each day. For other women, morning sickness can be much more severe, and include prolonged nausea and even vomiting. In some extreme cases, morning sickness can fall into the category of Hyperemesis Gravidarum, which includes severe vomiting, weight loss and other problems.
If you have severe and excessive nausea and vomiting that doesn’t allow you to keep any food down, or if your morning sickness comes along with fever or pain, you should think about talking to your doctor. It could become a more serious problem if left untreated.
If you’re like most women, however, morning sickness is simply frustrating and inconvenient. Here are some things you can do to help minimize the effects of your morning sickness:
- Eat smaller meals several times a day. This keeps you from becoming either too hungry or too full, both of which can lead to nausea and aggravate your morning sickness.
- Don’t skip any meals.
- Make sure to stay hydrated. Drink smaller glasses of water several times throughout the day.
- Drink a glass of water about half an hour before your meal, but not with your meal.
- Try to stay away from strong smells (good and bad) as they can also increase your nausea. If the smell of something is too strong, open a window or move away from the source of the smell.
- Don’t let yourself get too hot, as being too warm can add to your nausea.
- Consider using ginger tea or even ginger supplements to help combat your nausea.
- Get a mild to moderate amount of exercise, which can help to calm your stomach.
- Avoid spicy foods.
- Avoid fatty foods, as well.
- Don’t lie down immediately after eating, as this can increase your nausea.
Morning sickness isn’t something that you can avoid entirely, but by following these tips you may be able to reduce its intensity.
