Modify your diet, food preparation techniques, and eating habits to ease the vomiting caused by morning sickness during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Morning sickness, a misnomer for the nausea and vomiting that affects sixty to eighty percent of pregnant women, occurs most frequently during the first trimester of pregnancy. Ask any woman who suffers from morning sickness, and you'll find that this malady can occur any time of day or night.
Unfortunately, researchers have thus far been unable to determine the root cause of morning sickness, but they have determined that hyperemesis gravidarum, the more severe form, can pose serious problems during pregnancy. They suspect that hormonal changes contribute to the problem, as well as lowered blood sugar, travel, disruption of routine activities, and certain foods and eating habits aggravate common morning sickness. While emotional changes occur during pregnancy and often receive blame as a contributing factor to morning sickness, there is little data to support any connection between the two.
Note: Contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms: weight loss, inability to keep food down, vomiting more than three times per day, vomiting blood or anything resembling coffee grounds, or nausea and vomiting past the third or fourth month.
Whatever your symptoms, discuss them with your doctor during the course of a normal pregnancy visit. In the meantime, there are many little alterations that you can make to your daily habits to ease the discomfort of routine morning sickness.
Keep a Morning Sickness Journal
Each individual reacts to foods and other stimuli differently, so it's important to determine your personal triggers. Keep a journal to help you identify events and habits that trigger symptoms. Keep track of the following information in your journal :
1. Enter food and beverage consumption, and the time of the meal or snack.
2. Record any symptoms that occur following eating or drinking, as well as the time the symptoms begin and subside.
3. Enter any other symptoms you may have such as bloating, headaches, etc., and note the beginning and ending times.
4. Enter any supplements or medications that you take, noting the time you take them and any adverse effects they cause.
5. Include any disruption of your routine, such as sleepless nights, travel, and other illnesses.
After you've kept the diary for a week or two, look back over your entries, and attempt to discern any patterns that may exist. If you find that any activity or foods repeatedly cause symptoms, eliminate them, if possible. You can't call in sick every time you feel a little nauseated, but you can eliminate any extra-curricular activities that trigger symptoms. You can also eliminate any food that causes discomfort, and replace it with an equally nutritious substitute.
If you suspect that you have discovered an allergic reaction to any food, eliminate the food and contact your doctor. If you find that certain foods caused mild symptoms such as excess bloating or a headache before you became pregnant, and now they cause extreme discomfort, you might have a food allergy. Remove the food from your diet, and contact your doctor.
Alter Your Eating Habits
There are a number of common-sense steps you can take to ease morning sickness symptoms. Some of these tips may work for you, and others may not. Experiment until you hit on the right combination.
· Eat crackers when you first wake up, even before you get out of bed. Keep a package of crackers by your bedside in case you start to feel nauseated during the night.
· Eat small meals rather than three large meals.
· Eat slowly, and chew each bite thoroughly.
· Don't drink beverages with meals.
· Drink plenty of water and fluids during the day. Dehydration can cause additional problems during pregnancy. If you can't keep track of how much water you drink, fill a liter soda bottle each night, and drink it the next day. Supplement your liquid intake with other beverages of your choice.
· Avoid caffeinated beverages. Drink decaffeinated coffee and sodas.
· Drink ginger ale when you feel nauseated.
· If your symptoms are exaggerated and you haven't been drinking and eating properly, drink an electrolyte beverage. Out-of-balance electrolytes can make you feel miserable, and relief is almost instantaneous.
· Avoid strong and spicy foods in favor of bland foods. Aggravating foods include onions, garlic, and peppers.
· Fatty and fried foods may trigger episodes of morning sickness. If these cause a problem, stick to baked and broiled foods, and reduce on oils and fats.
· Researchers conclude that B6 and ginger help alleviate morning sickness. Check with your doctor before taking any supplements. You can also eat foods rich in B6 and cook with ginger and drink ginger ale.
· If you take prenatal vitamins early in the morning, try taking them at night before going to bed.
Minimize Food Odors
You may be more sensitive than usual to strong food odors during pregnancy. Try some of the following suggestions :
· Find someone else to do the cooking.
· On days when you're asymptomatic, cook double or triple portions at one time. Freeze the extra portions, and you'll have healthy heat-and-serve meals ready when you don't feel like cooking. You'll cut your cooking time in half or more, and you'll only have to smell the food for long periods during the initial preparation and cooking. At mealtime, you can probably microwave the pre-made dinners.
· Eat more cold and raw foods.
· Ventilate the kitchen, and use an air freshener or air neutralizer that doesn't make you feel nauseated.
The key to surviving morning sickness is to keep meals simple and bland. Remember that morning sickness lasts a maximum of four months, and each episode brings you closer to its end.
By MJ Plaster
