Morning sickness for most of us is the first symptom that makes us suspect we are pregnant. About 70% of pregnant women get morning sickness. My partner was actually suffering from a sickness bug when my symptoms started. After believing I’d succumbed to the same bug, I realised the nausea wasn’t passing, smells were making me super queasy and I was overwhelmingly tired… I could be pregnant!
For about 3% of pregnant women, nausea and vomiting can be severe. It was for me and it would be more accurate to call it ‘morning, noon & night sickness’. Nothing prepared me for it. I knew morning sickness was a common symptom – particularly in early pregnancy – but no one told me it could happen at any hour, for months. Holding down a full time job, trying not to flake on social plans, and not wanting to rouse suspicion of inquisitive friends and family made the first trimester of my pregnancy hard to navigate.
It can be debilitating for many women so I’ve compiled a list of top tips that helped me.
Once I let a few family members in on my secret, this certainly helped lighten the ‘mental load’ of being in the first trimester with severe morning sickness.
Although nobody can take that nauseous feeling away for you, not having to maintain a bright and cheery façade with absolutely everybody, definitely helped!
My sickness would always be at its worst when my tummy was empty. Keep a biscuit at your bedside and eat before getting up for the day. If you’ve got a busy day at work, keep a snack in your bag and gradually eat over a few hours.
Sipping water regularly rather than gulping liquids down will keep you hydrated and less likely to bring the water back up.
Everybody – and I mean everybody – will suggest a ginger biscuit for morning sickness. Whilst there is evidence to suggest it is an effective and inexpensive treatment for nausea, avoiding rich, acidic or spicy foods helped me the most.
Accepting that you just need to eat whatever won’t make you nauseous, and this means a not so balanced diet for now, takes the pressure of yourself. Bland food like crackers, bread, cereal, a jacket potato and plain pasta got me through those first few months.
A hectic diary and stress won’t help your exhaustion and morning sickness. If you can, rearrange your schedule, delegate to work colleagues if needed, and slow down. At weekends, don’t force yourself up and out if your body is telling you to rest. Prioritise chilling out and power nap if possible.
There is no ‘one size fits all’ treatment for morning sickness, most women find it eases off into the second trimester and your hormones settle a little bit. I hope the tips above have helped you if you’re struggling now or if you’ve got your own to add, comment below!