Coping with Morning Sickness, Take Three

Motherhood is truly one of the most rewarding (if not THE most rewarding) experiences out there. We give birth to this amazing little person who captures our heart the moment we lay eyes on them, and our love continues to grow throughout their childhood. Even in the midst of sleepless nights, temper tantrums, and preschooler attitudes, our love for our child only grows.

As amazing as bringing a child into this world is, what about the process of actually carrying that child? While some of us sail through pregnancy with mild queasiness in the beginning and a bit of a backache towards the end, there are many of us gals who seem to draw the short end of the pregnancy stick. “Morning” sickness? Ha! Try “all day” sickness. Then of course there’s heartburn, extreme fatigue, weird skin discolorations, and gaining so much weight in your face that the guy at the pool gate can’t recognize your pool pass (yes, that happened to me. Sigh.).

The good news, of course, is that we get a baby out of this nonsense. Now that I look at my children, there is nothing I wouldn’t go through for them. Morning sickness seems like a small price to pay for the two little girls who now run around my house giggling, curls bouncing up and down, pretending to be dinosaurs from “The Land Before Time.” I’m very thankful for this perspective and reminder that it’s worth it, considering the past few weeks I have had. The good news is that we are expecting our third child. The bad news? Morning sickness hit early, and with far more fury and ferocity than I expected.

Now that I’m going through morning sickness for the third time, I feel like I’ve really learned quite a bit when it comes to managing it. That being said, it’s still something that can be unpredictable and uncertain. Some women swear by ginger ale or cola syrup, while others find no relief from it at all. B vitamins have been known to help some expectant mothers, but I personally felt even sicker after taking mine. It really does depend on the individual, but I think it’s good to have a variety of tricks up your sleeve to try if you are having a rough time during that first trimester.

These are some things that I’ve learned along the way, tips that my girlfriends and I have picked up during our many collective pregnancies. I hope some of these work for you!

• If it doesn’t smell good, don’t eat it. Just trust me… if it doesn’t smell appealing, it won’t taste appealing. Even if it’s something you would normally enjoy, trust your nose! Smell and taste are very closely related, and you need to go with your gut on what to eat.
• Don’t be afraid to try remedies that your friends recommend, even if at first it doesn’t sound like a good idea. For instance, my best friend recommended peppermint tea. The thing is, I have never liked tea. I’ve always been a coffee person, though these days it smells and looks rather disgusting to me. Well, I decided to go out on a limb and try the tea. As it turns out, apparently I now like tea! Not only did it taste good, but she was right – the peppermint really did settle my stomach, and the warm aroma was very comforting and soothing.
• Just a rundown of things to try: Ginger (ginger ale, ginger snaps, ginger tea, ginger root capsules), cola syrup, B vitamins (ask your pharmacist), “Preggie Pops” (found at Motherhood Maternity), tea (peppermint, or other pregnancy teas) and bland foods. Stay away from things that are spicy, or strong in flavor and smell.
• Be honest with your doctor. During my 8 week checkup, I almost started crying when I tried to explain that morning sickness was significantly worse this time. I felt desperate, but still a bit embarrassed to bring it up. For some reason, I had it in my head that I should just smile and endure whatever first trimester fun awaited me, and do it with as little complaining as possible. Well, as my husband put it, “Don’t be a pregnancy martyr.” I explained to my OB what I’d been experiencing, and she immediately wrote me a prescription. After a couple of different medications and varying doses (and lots of communication with the nurses) I think I’ve found the right meds to help me through the rest of my first trimester. Now, I’m not suggesting that every pregnant woman requires a prescription to manage morning sickness (I didn’t the first two pregnancies), but if you are experiencing very severe morning sickness, let your doctor know. They know where to draw the line, and they know at what point to call the pharmacy. The bottom line is communication.
• Trust your instincts. If macaroni and cheese is the only thing you can eat, that’s ok! Don’t feel pressure to eat all of your fruits and veggies – especially if they’re just going to come right back up. Take your prenatal vitamin, and do the best you can about what to eat. You can worry about a balanced diet when you have more control over your gag reflex.
• Try taking your prenatal vitamin at night, or try Flintstones. There’s no rule that says you have to take your prenatal vitamin first thing each day. In fact, that may be the worst thing you can do! At my 8 week checkup, my doctor suggested I take my vitamin at night, so that if it did cause an upset stomach (which it always does) I would sleep through the nausea. So far it’s worked well, and I’m thankful for the suggestions. Also, if your regular vitamin is upsetting your stomach, try taking two Flintstones vitamins instead. My doc recommended this during my first pregnancy, and it worked really well for me.
• Always keep something on your stomach. Letting yourself get too hungry is a recipe for disaster. Do what you can to eat small meals throughout the day, even if it means eating every two hours (which I do). Nausea is always worse when your stomach gets empty, so try to be proactive and keep something in your tummy at all times.

If you’re going through morning sickness right now, my heart goes out to you. It can be a rotten experience… but with an unbelievable reward. Just remember that in a few short months, all of this will be worth it beyond your wildest dreams. It won’t last forever, so hang in there!

-Grace

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4. My Friday Morning Pancake Recipe
5. If You Are Pregnant, You Must Read This Book