Let's Talk About Morning Sickness

by Sara Denomme | More from this Blogger

08 Dec 2006 12:00 PM

So what is morning sickness really like for pregnant women? It can be different for any given woman. In fact, some women don't seem to experience it at all, while others are so affected that they are hospitalized. You may be surprised to know that many doctors consider morning sickness a sign of a normal pregnancy. It is said that it's nature's way of keeping a woman away from foods that are potentially harmful to a vulnerable fetus. I have a close friend who did not have morning sickness at all for her pregnancy, and even mentioned that her doctor made a comment about it being odd. Be it coincidence or not, my unfortunate friend miscarried not too much later.

For me, the extent of pregnancy sickness was bouts of nausea, usually at the same times every day. Ironically enough, my "morning sickness" has occurred more often in the evening than any other time of day. With pregnancy one, I didn't even experience it until about 10 or 11 weeks along, but with the second I experienced it as early as 6 weeks.

Now for something you may not have heard of before: About 1 percent of women have dangerously severe vomiting called hyperemesis gravidarum that can require hospitalization. I knew a woman that experienced the nausea of pregnancy throughout her entire 40 weeks. She had an impossible time keeping down food; everything she ate would be thrown up. Before 1983, this may have been treated with a morning sickness drug called Bendectin. It was pulled from the market due to claims that it caused birth defects in babies. To read more about this, check out this article at Mercola.com

I think it's important to raise awareness about severe morning sickness. Some women have even resorted to medical marijuana to ease their suffering. Considering this fact and that doctors now prescribe drugs like Zoloft to treat hyperemesis gravidarum, Bendectin may be the lesser of two evils if used correctly. But it's always wise to try simple, natural methods before resorting to any drug.

For what it's worth, I am by no means advocating using drugs. I am providing this information as a means to see what it may be like for some sufferers of severe morning sickness. Perhaps you yourself are suffering from mild nausea and discomfort most commonly referred to as morning sickness. Hopefully it's not serious enough to consider drug use, but if it's nevertheless something you would like to remedy, what do you do about it? There are several things that have been proven, in and out of labs, to help a woman suffering from pregnancy-related nausea. Of course, we should always remember that while pregnant, some things are unsafe to do or consume, but while this narrows the field a little, there are still several options.

Ginger - Ginger can come in many forms, and has been proven to help with not only nausea and morning sickness, but throughout the pregnancy as a cure for heartburn as well.

Few people can stand to eat a ginger root raw, but the root also comes in pill and powder form, to be taken orally or put onto food. Ginger-ale (or any caffeine-free carbonated drink really) may not be healthy, but has kept my nausea under control in small amounts. Something wonderful I have come across is Ginger Pops. You can find them online, and also at Baby's 'R' Us or Motherhood Maternity.

Crackers - Eating these before getting out of bed each morning is said to keep sickness at bay. I believe this is when you are actually on the verge of "being sick". This has never helped my nausea, but it may help to not vomit.

Small Meals - Eating smaller meals more often during the day can keep you full yet not uncomfortable.

Keep it Healthy - Steer clear of greasy or fried foods, spices, heavy foods, high-fat foods and gassy foods.

Wrist Bands - Used for motion sickness, these bands can also provide morning sickness relief in some women.

Vitamin B6 - Taken in 50 mg doses three times a day, vitamin B6 can keep the nausea at bay as well. It is one of the major ingredients in Bendectin.

Papaya Enzymes - Taken after a meal or at the onset of heartburn or nausea, these work much the same way as antacids, but are supposed to be less harsh on the stomach. Antacids also may have the tendency to leach vitamins and even negate any supplements (including prenatals).

Blogger Pattie Hughes touches on some other remedies in her article: Natural Remedies For Morning Sickness

morning sickness, nausea, pregnancy