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The toughest bit of the 1st
trimester of pregnancy is morning sickness and any woman who has gone
through or is going through it, knows the first signs usually develop during
the month following the first missed menstrual period, when hormone levels
increase. It may range from mild, occasional nausea to sever, continuous,
debilitating nausea with bouts of vomiting.
In most cases, symptoms may be worse
in morning, albeit they can strike day or night.
Despite all advances in medicine,
there is no way of predicting how long your morning sickness will last even if you
have suffered it before. Generally, nausea and vomiting last till about 12 – 13
weeks of pregnancy. However, some women continue to feel ill beyond their 22nd
week as well.
However, some studies show that mild
to moderate sickness is a sign of a good pregnancy, and less risk of
miscarriage. There is no simple treatment. The best course of action is home
treatment. The following tips work wonders not only when you wake up feeling
nauseous but also work when you get that queasy feeling during the day.
Changing what, when and how much you
eat coupled with certain changes to the way foods cooked helps. During morning
or for that matter all day sickness, you may find that eating five or six small
meals, rather than the usual three large ones, is easier on the body. Make sure
each meal contains some protein and carbohydrate, like whole wheat bread with
grated cheese and a slice of tomato, rice or wheat preparation with some easily
digestible/ light cereals, orange juice and a whole wheat biscuit. Be creative;
choose low fat health foods you know will tempt your appetite. Aversions to
food because of nausea are perfectly normal and understandable.
- Try not to miss meals.
- Eat small, dry snacks.
- Don’t jump up out of bed immediately. Lie quietlyfor a while and ask you husband to bring you a slice of fresh lemonor orange or a dry, bland biscuit.
- Avoid large drinks, have frequent small one betweenmeals.
- Spicy, fried foods, and fatty foods like very richsweets, are best avoided.
- Avoid excessive consumption of pickles or chutney,which is rich in salt.
- Don’t spend much time in the kitchen and avoidthe strong smell of certain foods when shopping.
- Prepare food when feeling least nauseous.
- Taking lemon or orange juice in the morning andbefore meals relieves nausea of early pregnancy.
- Suck an ice cube till the nausea passes.
- Sip on cool water.
