The delight inside you, the joy you feel when you first see those two lines on the stick, the excitement, the love you already feel for the little miracle inside you, the glow……? Did someone say GLOW? Are you glowing yet? Or have you been feeling nausea, queasy and uneasy? Have you been spending a little more time than you would like with your head over the toilet? When someone in the office sits beside you with a big fry up do you feel like politely removing them and their fry up out of the building?
If you’re reading this and nodding your head then read on and hopefully, I may be able to give you a few tips or at the very least I can empathise with you. If you’re reading this and are one of the few lucky ladies who doesn’t suffer from the dreaded morning sickness then consider yourself very lucky!
I personally suffered morning sickness during all three of my pregnancies. For me it was constant day and night for the first 6-8 weeks and then it got slightly more bearable as my pregnancy developed. I have two girls and a boy and the sickness was the same with all three for any of you who are wondering is it different depending on the sex of the baby – it wasn’t for me anyway! I always thought everyone at work would know I was pregnant straight away as I wasn’t able to look at a cup of tea in the mornings, never mind the glorious coffee I usually longed for! I usually craved for healthy food and could never look at anything fried. Eating little and often worked for me and when the nausea did creep in a little snack usually sorted it out.
Fortunately, typical morning sickness rarely interferes with proper nutrition enough to harm the developing fetus and for most women, the symptoms of morning sickness usually don’t linger longer than the third month of pregnancy so hang in there!
Here are a few tips that may help you along the way:
- Eat a diet high in protein and complex carbohydrates which help fight nausea. general good nutrition will help too so eat as well as you can.
- Take your prenatal vitamin at the time of day you feel your best so you are less likely to throw it back up – before bed seems to be a good time for most.
- Drink plenty of fluids, if you find it easier to keep juices down rather than solid foods make yourself a smoothie or a milkshake to get your nutrients in.
- Avoid the site, smell and taste of foods that make you queasy. Don’t be a martyr and let your other half do the cooking while you put your feet up or do something for you!
- Listen to your body and don’t try to eat foods which make you feel ill, be smart and get your nutrients in other ways. There is so much variety today, if you can’t face your morning porridge make a homemade granola with buckwheat groats or even spelt breakfast muffins.
- Eat early and eat often, six small meals a day are much better than three large ones. I personally took the time to eat before getting out of bed in the morning as the long stretch from my previous meal the night before meant my blood sugars were always low and this combined with an empty stomach can certainly trigger nausea. A granola bar beside your bed or dried fruit can help with this.
- Get lots of sleep and relaxation. if you're tired, physically or emotionally it can exacerbate nausea.
And finally, some tips from Mum’s who have been there:
“Eat as soon as you get up in the morning, it doesn’t matter what you eat as long as you do. Take your vitamins / folic acid at the time of day you feel your best. If you use public transport, make sure you get a seat and ask for one if you don’t. I needed a seat more when I was 8 weeks pregnant than 38. If you suffer badly don’t be afraid to ask your GP or midwife for help, some people really do need intervention. Pregnancy may be natural but it doesn’t mean it’s safe or should be suffered.” Yevette, London
“Smoothies with fruit and spinach were easy to drink and a good way of getting my nutrients in.” Rachel, Leitrim
“I kept snacks and water in my bag wherever I went, usually a banana or breakfast bar and some water as I found if I let myself get hungry that's when the nausea kicked in.” Noelle, Wicklow
Some other tips from Mums to ease the morning sickness were, sparkling water, strong tea, gingernut biscuits by the bed and crystalised ginger – now that is a new one on me!
However you are feeling try and remember, it won’t last long, your body is performing a miracle and works absolute wonders! Before you know it you will be holding your precious newborn in your arms and the morning sickness will be a distant memory.
