Combating 'Morning Sickness'
Combating 'Morning Sickness'
Hey Mom!
Don't take any anti-nausea or motion sickness medications without talking to your doctor first. Also, let him know if you can't keep down your prenatal vitamins.
Daddy Alert!
Don't listen to people who tell you that your wife's morning sickness is all in her head. Certainly, stress can upset anyone's stomach, but the nausea that comes with pregnancy is a very real physical problem.
The following tricks have helped many women who have suffered nausea in pregnancy and have lived to tell about it:
- To prevent the queasiness that comes from an empty stomach during the night, eat something (such as a sandwich) before going to bed.
- Graze on bland snacks all day. Try crackers, rice cakes, dry cereal, and pretzels.
- Don't let yourself get dehydrated. Take in lots of liquids. In addition to water and juices, don't forget things like ice pops, sorbet, gelatin desserts, bouillon, and frozen grapes.
- Before getting out of bed, prop yourself up a bit and eat a cracker or some raisins. Don't drink anything. Then wait 15 minutes or so before standing up. This bit of digested food might keep your stomach calm.
- Some women calm nausea by smelling or sucking on a fresh cut lemon.
- Eat complex carbohydrates because they're easy to digest. These include fresh fruits and whole grains, such as wheat bread and pastas.
- If your symptoms are worse at a particular time of day, head them off by eating a small meal at least 30 minutes before they kick in.
- Try one of those pressure-point wristbands developed to ease the symptoms of motion sickness and seasickness. (Most pharmacies carry them.)
- Apply acupressure to the Neiguan point. With the thumb of one hand press on the other lower arm (with palm up) three inches below the wrist. Do this four times a day for 5 to 10 minutes each time.
- Many women find relief through acupuncture.
If these home remedies don't work, talk to your doctor. She might advise you to try an antacid or a B6 vitamin supplement. If you're still spending too much time with your head in the toilet bowl and there's risk of dehydration, she might prescribe medication to calm the stomach upset.