The vast majority of pregnant women love to hear strategies for dealing with nausea and vomiting. These culprits ruin your happiness during the first trimester. In fact, 70-80% of all pregnant women are affected by nausea and vomiting. It usually begins around the 6th week of pregnancy. For some women, it is limited to the first trimester. But for others, it might extend till their delivery. However, taking care of a few things will help you reduce nausea and vomiting to a great extent. Here are some of them.
Stay Hydrated
You may have already adopted this strategy. But, we want to remind you this again because of its importance. Maintaining adequate hydration and electrolyte levels will help you fight the symptoms of nausea and vomiting. Drink at least 2 liters of water a day. You should also be careful in not mixing solids with liquids. Instead of drinking during meals, drink water half an hour before or after meals.
Avoid Empty Stomach
Agreed that you are tired and sometimes, you don’t feel like eating anything. But, never stay on empty stomach. Make sure that you eat small frequent meals every 1-2 hours. Munch on nuts and high protein foods between meals. Fall in love with dry, plain foods as they don’t trigger your nausea. However, it is also important to avoid a full stomach. Large meals and fatty foods should be avoided. Say no to spicy, greasy foods for dinner.
Eat Soda Crackers
As we said, empty stomach often triggers nausea. One way to tackle this is to eat a couple of soda crackers before you get up from the bed. Give them time for digestion and try to rise slowly. So, don’t forget to keep a few soda crackers by your bedside.
Drink Tea
It is found to be effective for some women. Drink a cup of herbal tea like peppermint or chamomile with honey. However, since every pregnant woman responds differently to tea, listen to your body’s response. If it is positive, you can rely on tea to reduce your nausea.
Get Rest
Fatigue is sure to aggravate your nausea and vomiting symptoms. The hormonal changes and other changes associated with pregnancy are bound to drain your energy. Hence, it is important to give your body a break when it is required. Get adequate amounts of sleep. Your body will love 8 hours of sleep at night. Eat and drink well. Do not give too much stress to your body and mind.
Avoid Warm Areas
Feeling hot is another factor that can contribute to morning sickness. Try your best to stay away from warm places. Also, avoid places with strong odors. Keep your rooms well ventilated. Make it a habit to go out often and breathe some fresh air. Surround yourself with smells you like.
Try Acupressure
Being a complementary medicine technique closely related to acupuncture, acupressure is considered a safe and inexpensive way to manage nausea and vomiting symptoms. And the most effective acupuncture point is Pericardium 6 (P6). You can either apply direct pressure at this point or wear wristbands to relieve symptoms.
Use These Tips
Observe the triggers: Make a note of foods that trigger your nausea or vomiting. Understanding these triggers and avoiding such smells will help you manage symptoms.
Use Ginger: It is an effective solution to treat symptoms of morning sickness. You can use ginger as a spice in your foods or as extracts in teas. Ginger is found to be more effective than vitamin B6 in fighting the severity of nausea. However, for some people, it may cause heartburn or mouth irritation. Always observe how your body reacts.
Sniff Lemon: Sniffing lemon also helps in reducing these symptoms. You could also try drinking lemonade.
Brush your teeth: Many women found this tip very useful. Brushing your teeth after a meal may remove any uncomfortable odor from your mouth.
Vitamins: Taking vitamin B-6 supplement can relieve the symptoms of morning sickness. Eat foods rich in vitamin B-6. However, too much iron in prenatal vitamins may result in nausea. Talk to your doctor and ensure that your supplements don’t contribute to nausea or vomiting.
Seek Help
Ask someone else to cook for you. This will help you avoid strong odors. Or if you can’t get any help, open the windows while cooking. Or turn on fans.
A Word Of Caution
Severe nausea, vomiting, and weight loss in the first trimester can lead to hyperemesis gravidarum. Do not hesitate to talk to your doctor if you have extreme morning sickness. Keep in mind that you should never take any medication without consulting your doctor.
