Pregnancy Resources: Strategies for Morning Sickness

Nausea and vomiting are common discomforts of early pregnancy. It may begin as early as 5 weeks and usually subsides around the 12 th-14 th week. It can happen at certain times of the day or may last all day. The nausea is felt to be related to the increased amounts of estrogen and progesterone in pregnancy. It can worsen and advance to vomiting especially when meals are missed and the amount of glucose (and other nutrients) in the blood fall to a level at the lower end of normal.

There are several strategies for minimizing these discomforts:

1. Eat a small snack every 1-2 hours. This helps to keep your blood sugar more even, preventing rapid highs and lows which can worsen nausea. While eating may be the last thing that you feel like doing, it may be the best cure. Try some of these foods/ideas to settle your stomach:
   
   • Ginger cookies, Ginger ale, Ginger root tablets
   • Cut up fruit, such as watermelon or cantaloupe
   • Flavored popsicles
   • A few crackers with cheese or peanut butter
   • 1/2 cup yogurt
   • Dry cereal, melba toast, dry toast
   • Mix equal parts of water and clear juice (such as apple) Try 1 tsp every 5 minutes until you can tolerate larger sips
   • Sea-Bands may help (can be purchased at pharmacy)
   • Vitamin B-6, 50 mg 2-3 times daily
   • chew TUMS or peppermint candy @ onset of nausea
   • Emetrol 1-2 teaspoons @ onset of nausea (is over-the-counter)
     
2. Keep water and dry cereal/crackers @ your bedside-when you get up at night to use the bathroom, eat a small snack.
   
3. When you find foods that you tolerate well, eat them several times per day. (Variety is not important right now. As the nausea improves, variety will return).
   
4. Avoid heavy spices and sauces.
   
5. Try to separate your fluids from your solids. Sip fluids throughout the day as opposed to saving them for meal time.
   
6. Eat dry crackers before getting out of bed, wait 5-10 minutes, then get up SLOWLY.
   
7. Try your prenatal vitamin @ bedtime or mid-day if you find you cannot tolerate it first thing in the morning.

***IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO HOLD DOWN ANY SOLIDS OR AT LEAST 24 OZ. OF FLUIDS DAILY, OR ARE VOMITING PERSISTENTLY----PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE AT: (214) 823-7900.***