A Simple Guide To Surviving Morning Sickness

Photo by Evil Erin

A Simple Guide To Surviving Morning Sickness

I don’t know of anyone who hasn’t heard of using ginger or peppermint for nausea. When I finally experienced this fabulous “rite of passage” with my third pregnancy, I downed these popular remedies and anticipated sweet, immediate relief. And I waited, and waited, and waited. Sure, they helped a little bit, but I was still crawling around like the living dead. The constant nausea suddenly had me aware of my body and how certain foods would affect it. I started paying attention to this, and I soon found myself developing an approach to eating that complimented my queasy tendencies. I’ve even had the chance to put my method to the test with a second round of morning sickness, and now have a fine-tuned approach.

Eat By Feel

There were times my stomach and body felt heavy and slow. As much as nausea had dropped my average caloric intake, eating heavier foods with oils and proteins didn’t agree with my stomach either. It occurred to me that I could try to counteract this heaviness by eating lighter foods, so I started buying and eating foods that intrigued my tastebuds as well as my belly. I would eat salads and peppers, but I quickly developed an almost insatiable hunger for fruit. Acidic fruits like pineapple, kiwi, and raspberries never steered my belly wrong. The fourth time around, I’ve found huge success in drinking lemon water and homemade limeade. Liquid citrus has helped ease discomforts post-meals, and the times I’ve drank it before eating I experienced no nausea.Even after eating camarones a la diabla!

Know Your Needs

While I believe in eating according to how my body feels and what I’m craving, I still know it’s vital to be aware of prenatal needs. Pregnancy comes with some high nutritional needs, and it’s critical that we step up to the plate so we can cut back the risks of serious conditions like iron-deficiency, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes. And while our nutrition now is important, we also need to be looking into the future. Millions of elderly women suffer from the compromised bones of osteoporosis, so eating nothing but fruit and salads won’t cut it. That being said, we can definitely use nutritional guidelines to help steer our food choices. Plenty of “light” foods like figs, sweet potatoes, pumpkin seeds, and greens come with a punch of essential vitamins and minerals. I’m halfway into developing baby number four, and these are just the “lazy foods” I keep on hand at home as well as at work. When I’m hungry, I take a quick handful of whatever’s calling to me. It’s actually rather “lazy” of me, so I get a big kick in meeting baby and my demands with such little effort.

Photo by Michael Sharman.

Probiotics: A Mamas Best Friend

I’ve craved acidic things during both of my bouts with morning sickness, and now kombucha and apple cider vinegar have sneaked their way in. The strong vinegar smell puts off many people, but these liquids are full of probiotic bacteria that fight of unfriendly bacteria and promote a healthy colon. And without the heaviness that yogurt and sour cream may impose. Their tart and acidic nature is almost always welcome to my burgeoning belly. When meals aren’t settling well or my empty stomach is unhappy, I’ll often have the urge to drink a glass of water with a capful of apple cider vinegar. I’ve found it to be very effective in reducing an uneasy stomach, and kombucha has offered me similar benefits. 

I’ve followed the steps above and seen far better results than I ever got from ginger, saltines, or peppermint, but everyone is different. What matters more than anything isn’t the method or the celebrity backing, but how we feel. Pay attention to where you’re at and do what works best for you.

What about you? How do you combat morning sickness? Post in the comments and let us know.