Nausea and vomiting are some of the ill-effects of pregnancy that most women have to go through during the first trimester. A very few fortunate women do not experience either nausea or vomiting at all.
More than 60% of pregnant women suffer from nausea and vomiting when pregnant. Some unfortunate women suffer from both through the entire course of their pregnancy. Vomiting often leads to severe dehydration which requires immediate medical treatment in order to save the lives of both mother and her unborn child.
A misconception about morning sickness is that it occurs only during the hours of early morning and subsides in time. This is far from truth. The feelings of nausea can occur anytime during the day or night and can last for hours together.
Most doctors do not pay much attention to the occurrence of morning sickness unless it is very severe. Medication is prescribed only in extreme cases of morning sickness.
How Do The Rest Of The Women Deal With The Problem Then?
In this section we will tell you how to treat and deal with morning sickness effectively without resorting to use of prescribed or over-the-counter medications.
Natural Remedies For Morning Sickness
In many cases morning sickness subsides after the first trimester. Rarely is it seen in second and third trimesters. However, your life can be very difficult the first three months if you suffer from morning sickness. Let’s look at some of the home remedies that can take care of your problem.
1. Eat small meals every three hours. In many cases nausea and vomiting are caused due to eating three big meals a day. Even pregnancy induced hunger pangs bring about nausea. When the stomach is empty the acids have nothing to digest and they start gnawing at the walls lining the organs. This leads to nausea.
2. Chew your food well before ingesting. This will allow for better digestion of the food. Food that is not properly digested often re-enters the food pipe causing bouts of vomiting.
3. Practice good eating habits. Do not drink water in between eating meals. This causes bloating and discomfort in the tummy.
4. Drink more and eat less. This is especially true when you experience vomiting and nausea. During such times your stomach finds it easier to digest liquid or semi-solid foods instead of solid foods. So include more of soups and juices in your daily diet.
5. Don’t consume too much of spicy foods. Eat foods that are cooked without use of too many spices. Spicy food is often the cause of acid reflux as well during pregnancy.
6. Eat foods containing complex carbohydrates like potatoes, pasta and white bread. The carbohydrate present in these foods is in the form of starch which the body finds easier to digest.
7. Keep a ripe yellow lemon with you always. As soon as the feeling of nausea rises start sniffing on the lemon. The tangy smell of lemon is known to bring relief from nausea and vomiting. You could also try carrying a handkerchief dabbed in lemon essential oil to keep off attacks of nausea and vomiting. The smell of lemon will also help erase other unpleasant smells in the environment. During pregnancy the sense of smell is heightened due to the hormones. It is easier to catch unpleasant smells during pregnancy. These unpleasant smells can also trigger nausea and vomiting.
8. Eat a piece of cracker or a piece of bread the first thing in the morning. Keep crackers or bread next to your bed at night so you don’t have to go to the kitchen in the morning. Crackers are easy to digest by the body and can be had through the day. Simply take a bite of cracker when you feel nausea coming over.
9. Drink three cups of chamomile or mint herbal tea in a day. The aromatic flavor and taste of the tea will bring down the feelings of nausea. Even if you succumb to vomiting, the taste of herbal tea in your mouth will do you good.
10. Drink plenty of water through the day to avoid dehydration. If you suffer from vomiting during pregnancy you have strong chances of ending up dehydrated. After every bout of vomiting drink a glass of water by adding one tablespoon glucose water. This will restore the water and the nutrients lost from the body during vomiting.
11. Chew on a handful of fennel seeds or drink fennel infusion when you feel nausea coming over. This is an excellent remedy for preventing morning sickness. However, do not indiscriminately chew fennel through the day. Prepare infusion of fennel seeds by boiling one cup of water. Add a handful of fennel seeds to the boiled water and leave for 10-15 minutes. Strain the concoction and drink the resulting fennel infusion. Fennel will also help you digest your food better.
12. Ginger too is known to alleviate the symptoms of morning sickness. Add ginger to your food and drink three cups of ginger tea during the tea. Prepare the ginger tea by boiling 3 ounces of water and adding crushed ginger to it. Leave the ginger in the water for 10 minutes. Strain the water and add honey to it for improved taste. Don’t add sugar or milk as these can trigger feelings of nausea. Drinking ginger tea is also good for digestion.
13. Mint is also a well known herb that effectively reduces the chances of nausea and vomiting. You can add fresh mint leaves to your food or prepare mint tea for consumption. But don’t drink more than two cups of mint tea during the day.
14. Prepare a pouch of dried herbs like lavender, peppermint and thyme. Carry this pouch of dried herbs with your everywhere. These herbs send out an aroma which is useful in alleviating feelings of nausea. Sniff on the pouch every time you feel queasy and uncomfortable. The pouch will also come handy to avoid smelling unpleasant smells. The three herbs also have soothing and calming effects on the mind and body. This will help you deal better with the pregnancy related ill-effects.
