Morning Sickness
Every pregnancy is different. Your pregnancy will be different from your friend’s and your mom’s and your first and second (and so on) pregnancies can very much differ from each other. My second pregnancy has been so different from my first! What worked with the first didn’t work for the second one but luckily with so many options available, I was able to find other things that helped. So if what you used last pregnancy isn’t helping this time or the tricks that your mom swears worked for her pregnancy aren’t working for you, that’s not only okay, but expected. No two women are the same, no two fetuses are the same, and that means that you can expect each pregnancy to be different.
Morning sickness occurs in up to 90% of pregnancies. That’s a huge number! You definitely aren’t suffering alone but wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to suffer at all?! There are many safe and natural ways to help decrease your morning sickness so that you can get back to feeling good and excited about your pregnancy.
Morning sickness
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5-phosphate or P-5-P is the active form) has been studied and found to help decrease nausea associated with pregnancy. This comes in capsule form or you can get it from your diet, depending on your appetite.
Food sources of B6 include: wild salmon, light meat turkey, avocado, light meat chicken, spinach, bananas, and dried plums- if you can stomach them. If not, the capsule is a great option.
If you have been on oral birth control prior to getting pregnant, you may be heading into pregnancy B6-deficient so supplementing with B6 in this case is a win-win.
Ginger comes in different forms so you can find the one that works for you. You can steep it in hot water and make a ginger tea out of it, you can get it in capsule form and there are definitely plenty of ginger candy options out there as well. I personally like the capsules because I don’t love the flavor (or smell) of ginger but pick the one that works for you. There is also ginger ale which combines the ginger with bubbles to help ease nausea, but watch out for the sugar content.
Sparkling or still water with lemon or lime sipped throughout the day. This not only helps you keep your fluid intake up, but the bubbles of sparkling water can be settling to your upset stomach and the citrus of the lemon or lime can help aid your digestion.
Grapefruit juice – grapefruit naturally contains B6 and the citrus can help calm digestion. Sipping this throughout the day, adding a splash to your sparkling water, or just a couple of ounces when you’re starting to feel nauseous can be helpful.
Make sure you stay well hydrated and fed.
Dehydration can make nausea and vomiting worse so make sure you are drinking enough water throughout the day to avoid being one of the contributing factors to your morning sickness.
Often times, smaller meals throughout the day can help more with morning sickness than a couple of larger meals spread out.
Avoid food sensitivities. If you have any food sensitivities, continue to avoid them. Pregnancy can decrease food sensitivities, but these effects often don’t occur until the second trimester and eating foods that you are sensitive to can still upset your digestion and make nausea and vomiting worse.
Take caution with warm liquids. While broths and soups may be easy to digest, warm liquids often exacerbate nausea and vomiting by relaxing your esophagus (and the sphincter between your stomach and esophagus) so take caution.
Take your prenatal vitamin in the evening. Sometimes the prenatal vitamins that are helping to keep you and baby nourished can increase nausea. Taking them in the evening can help prevent this as nausea tends to be worse in the morning and on an empty stomach.
Always check with your physician before starting any new diet or supplement regimens.
Contact Dr. Sahni today for support and to discuss some of the ways your diet can ease your morning sickness!