Tips to ease Morning Sickness during the first trimester

Morning sickness is a common symptom that half of women experience during their pregnancy. It makes you nauseous and you feel like throwing up all the time. It is due to hormonal fluctuation wherein the body is trying to adapt to new changes. Usually, women experience morning sickness at an early stage of their pregnancy but in rare cases, they might suffer from it in the later stages as well. Let’s know more about morning sickness before we dive deep into the tips to overcome this issue.

What is morning sickness?

Morning sickness is basically nausea and vomiting that happens during pregnancy wherein you feel like throwing up all the time. It begins in the first trimester and goes away in the later stages of pregnancy. In rare cases, women experience morning sickness throughout their pregnancy as the baby starts pushing the organs to make space for himself. About 70% of women suffer from morning sickness. It’s a very common pregnancy symptom but in a few cases, it may lead to dehydration due to severe vomiting and nausea. Morning sickness happens due to hormonal imbalances and bodily changes occurring during pregnancy. But when does it start to occur?

When does morning sickness start?

Women start experiencing morning sickness usually from the 6^th week but it varies from person to person. Some might start experiencing it a bit early and vice versa. It is worst during the early stage but the symptoms start subsiding in the later stage of pregnancy. Morning sickness lasts up to 12 weeks but some women might continue to experience it throughout their pregnancy. If the condition is too severe, consult your doctor.

Before you jump on consulting your doctor, you must know if you’re suffering from morning sickness, and to know that you must know the symptoms of it. 

Symptoms of morning sickness

The symptoms may vary from person to person and the adversity of the symptoms may also differ. Hence, taking a general consideration and observation of the happenings you can identify the following symptoms. 

• You might feel nauseous with or without vomiting in the early stage of pregnancy.
• You may feel sick to your stomach with the smell of certain food items and other odours
• You may observe changes in the colour of urine.
• You may feel dizzy and feel like throwing up at any time of the day. 
• You may start disliking your favourite food.
• You might also feel abdominal discomfort. 
• You may start feeling anxious and upset for no reason. 

You may experience some of these symptoms or maybe all at once. But you should have clarity as to why you are feeling the symptoms up to a particular frequency. 

What are the causes of morning sickness?

The causes of it may remain unspecified but the following are the reasons which might indicate what led to the occurrence of it. 

• Low sugar level
• Hhormonal imbalance and an increase in the level of oestrogen
• Physical and chemical changes 
• Emotional and physical stress 
• Eating a certain type of food item. 
• Fluctuation in blood pressure levels

If you are suffering from the above-stated symptoms and have known the causes, there are a few ways to soothe your morning sickness. 

What are the remedies to cure morning sickness?

It is important to note that through some precautions and changes in routine, you can definitely win over your morning sickness. Following are some measures that you can consider.

• Your surrounding should be fully ventilated to eliminate the odour that you find unpleasant.
• Keep yourself hydrated by drinking at least 7 – 8 glasses of water a day. 
• Avoid eating spicy and oily food. 
• Include small meals between your main meals and try to eat in small portions. It will help in preventing nausea and vomiting.
• Avoid smoke and alcoholic drinks during pregnancy. 
• You can also use acupressure bands and acupuncture as it provides relief against nausea. 
• Do not forget to take your prenatal vitamin supplements prescribed by your doctor. 
• Take time to relax and avoid any kind of physical and mental pressure that might trigger morning sickness.

After inculcating these measures, you may feel relieved or may experience some reduction in the frequency of morning sickness. Apart from these routine changes, what else you can do is, identify the food items that help overcome morning sickness. 

Food to cure morning sickness 

Having a balanced diet is always advised during pregnancy, but you should observe if you are experiencing morning sickness then you must consider including some food items that help relieve the issue. Following are some tips that can help you with the same. 

• Eating ginger products like ginger tea, ginger soda and ginger candy helps if your stomach is upset. 
• Intake of food rich in protein and carbohydrates like nuts, cheese, yoghurt, peanut butter, apple slices and celery will help in preventing nausea.
• Avoid food with high salt content and low nutritional value. 
• Eating crackers and dry toast is quite beneficial after waking up in the morning. 
• Eating bland food such as eggs, broth, gelatine, banana, rice, and baked potato makes you feel less nauseous. 
• Green vegetables, tofu, fish, brown rice, nuts and seeds are good sources of iron and folate. 

When to consult a doctor?

You should not wait to call your doctor if your vomiting doesn’t stop. Seeking medical help for severe morning sickness can prevent serious complications in the later stage. Most women experience morning sickness for a short period of time but in case the issue still persists, it is advised to rush to the doctor immediately.

Apart from these, there are a few frequently asked questions that you should be aware of. 

FAQs

How long does morning sickness last during the first trimester?

Women start experiencing morning sickness from the 6^th week and it lasts up to the 12^th week. Some women might experience this in the later stage as well which is completely normal.

What fruit is good for morning sickness?

Bananas, as it’s a good source of Vitamin B6, and oranges are rich in vitamin C and their refreshing taste will prevent nausea, avocado is very nutritious and you can also include basic fruits to cure morning sickness.

Do bananas help with nausea?

Banana works really well in reducing nausea and thereby preventing vomiting by taking in sufficient amount. 

What to eat after vomiting during pregnancy at night?

You can take ginger tea, lemon tea or yoghurt to cool down your stomach after vomiting during the night. 

What drinks are good for morning sickness?

Fruit juice, ginger tea, ginger soda, lemon tea, and peppermint tea are very beneficial in case of an upset stomach and prevent nausea. 

Key Takeaway

To conclude, morning sickness is a very unpleasant symptom of pregnancy which cannot be avoided but with the doctor’s advice, following remedies and a nutritional diet, you can make this journey a bit easier. Just avoid any kind of physical and mental stress that can trigger your morning sickness. Not every woman suffers from it and there is nothing wrong with it as well. Every woman is different but if the symptoms seem to be unusual, consult the doctor immediately to avoid further complications.