Morning sickness, or ‘All Day Long Sickness’ as some women call it, affects all pregnant women in different ways.
Some women don’t experience nausea or sickness at all when they’re pregnant, some have it at certain points throughout the first twelve weeks and some have it for the entire duration of their pregnancy.
Feelings of nausea can be one of the helpful indicators at the beginning of your pregnancy that you are, in fact, pregnant and it can also be that really annoying giveaway to your family and work colleagues that you are knocked up, even though you were hoping to keep the news to yourself for a while.
Whatever your experience of ‘Morning Sickness’ is, here are 10 top tips to help get you through it.
1. Don’t let your stomach get empty
Always have something to snack on – keep crackers by your bed, in your handbag, on your desk at work. Embrace your granny-with-snacks-in-her-pockets self, who’s gonna argue with a pregnant lady?
2. Keep a sick aid kit in your car
Many, many women have thrown up on the side of the M50 on the way to work. Stock up with plastic bags, wipes, mints and water on your passenger seat. What the hell, keep a toothbrush and toothpaste there too.
3. Accept that your sense of smell is your enemy
Until your nausea or vomiting subsides, try to avoid the hot food counter in your local deli or allowing anyone to cook the foods that set you off. Eggs? Vom. Fish? Sweet mother..
4. Get spacey
Feeling nauseous is one thing but feeling nauseous in an enclosed space is the absolute pits. Don’t go anywhere that is enclosed if you can help it – you need space and fresh air, preggo.
5. Be cool, girl
Your body can feel really over-heated when you are pregnant so stay hydrated and cool if you can. Did someone say they wanted to bring you on holiday poolside so you can eat ice pops all day long? YES to that!
6. Buck the trend
Don’t force yourself to eat something that you’re not craving just because you read somewhere that it was the ‘essential’ pregnant diet. Go with your gut and you’ll have plenty of time to eat healthy later when you’re feeling less like chucking up your brekkie on your shoes.
7. Don’t be a hero
If your pregnancy sickness is relentless, make sure to discuss it with your GP as there are pregnancy-safe anti-nausea tablets available should you be a candidate for them.
8. Ginger rules the world
Swapping your regular cuppa for a nice ginger herbal tea can have a really nice calming effect on your stomach. Find a ginger and lemon version, add a bit of honey, and you’ll feel fab.
9. Lie that mother down
If anyone asks why you’re lying on the couch so much, you tell them that we told you it had actual physical benefits and vital for your pregnancy wellbeing. Here’s why: by lying on your left side, you’ll keep your uterus from squishing your liver (which is on the right), thus improving circulation to your heart and allowing better blood flow to your baby, uterus and kidneys. (It also genuinely helps relieve heartburn after a meal, hurray!)
10. Embrace your bland side
Make like an Irish mammy in the 1960s and serve yourself up plain meat and two veg with a side of gravy. Spicy or over-rich foods aren’t going to help the situation so keep your meals as plain as you can for the duration of your sickness. You can get back to those spicy chicken wings later, promise!
Do you have any tips to share that will help to combat morning sickness? Let us know in the comments!
