Severe morning sickness was part of my reality with each pregnancy — and by morning sickness I mean all-day-and-night-long sickness that made it nearly impossible to function. I was in and out of the hospital, hooked up to iv’s, and spent most days feeling like I was going to die. It was that bad.

Through it all, though, I learned some tricks. I was finally diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum so these tricks didn’t take away my symptoms by any means but they helped me get through one day at a time.

Hard Candy is Your Best Friend

Sucking on hard candy during the early months of pregnancy was the only thing that kept my gag reflex at bay. I stuck with hard peppermints for my first few pregnancies and moved on to lemon drops once I couldn’t stand the sight of peppermint anymore. A few hard candies in my pocket saved me from public vomiting on more than one occasion.

Get Great Nutrition

You want to eat well during pregnancy but morning sickness kind of puts a damper on that. The ironic thing is that high quality nutrition, especially a high protein diet, can actually help minimize morning sickness and nothing set it off worse for me than an empty stomach. There were times when I couldn’t tolerate any solid food though so I went with smoothies packed full of fruits, veggies, and protein. Have someone else make your meals if you can. I always found that made it more likely that I would be able to keep up an appetite. Check out the Green Smoothie Diet for ideas on incorporating nutrient dense foods into your diet.

Don’t Skimp on Sleep

Lack of sleep aggravates nausea. Fortunately this is a relatively easy thing to fix during early pregnancy when you are always tired anyway. Go to bed an hour earlier than you think you need to and fit in a nap whenever you can. The better rested you are, the better you’ll be able to cope with morning sickness. If you have older kids who need care, take nap when they do or get some help. I hired a mother’s helper for several hours a week during my last pregnancy so I could rest without my kids suffering. If you are having trouble getting comfortable at night, look into getting a pregnancy pillow. They can be helpful even earlier on in pregnancy.

Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help

The early months of pregnancy can be rough if you are dealing with morning sickness to any degree.  If you need help, ask for it. This may come in the form of having someone run errands for you or hiring a housekeeper for a while. For me, it came in the form of medical help – I gave in and asked my doctor to prescribe something to take the edge off the nausea. During my first pregnancy, before I discovered anti-nausea medication I’d lost over 20 pounds in the first 2 months of pregnancy so I don’t have any regrets about that one. Ask your doctor about a combination of B6 and Unisom as well, since some moms find that works better than prescription medication.

 

 What tips do you have for dealing with morning sickness? 

 

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