When a friend described morning sickness to me a few years ago, I put that to the back of my mind and imagined being pregnant would out way the early pregnancy symptoms. Guess what - I was wrong. The only way I can describe how I feel right now is miserable, like I have a constant hangover that I know won't be leaving anytime soon.
The books and online literature keep telling me that a dry biscuit or anything containing ginger will relieve that constant nagging deep down in my empty stomach.
This morning - after a whole week of feeling rotten and barely being able to keep water down - I called the doctor and discussed my options. We decided on an antiemetic to bring me back to normality.
I have only found relief from a few things and if this helps just one of you then I'm glad:
1. Stay Hydrated - Staying hydrated is the most important part of morning sickness, in a small number of cases women have to be admitted to hospital for IV fluids and monitoring. Luckily i have been able to take sips of sweetened water and have found some relief from ice lollies.
2. Eat Anything - The day I turned six weeks pregnant, the sickness kicked in but so did the food aversion. I completely went off EVERYTHING! The sight and even hearing the name of certain foods turn my stomach and I'd be physically sick. It is important to eat something to keep up your strength, so in the first trimester anything goes. If it's just strawberries or sausage rolls it really doesn't make a difference to your baby at this point. Just be aware high sugary drinks and fast food could lead to gestational diabetes later in your pregnancy.
3. Sleep - Try and get plenty of rest, get to bed at a reasonable time and eliminate any distraction from the room. Use your bedroom just for sleeping. Also if you're lucky enough try and take short power naps throughout the day to recharge your batteries.
Every pregnancy is different and making the positive decision for your wellbeing is the most important thing to consider, if you're not healthy then neither is baby. I wanted to avoid any medication where possible but my quality of life over the last week has been dreadful. I should be enjoying every second of being pregnant but I'm actually resenting it for feeling so lousy.
As a first time Mum I'm aware I'm going to come across a number of hurdles along the way, ones I can hopefully conquer without heavy duty medication. I want to experience my pregnancy as naturally as possible but sometimes our bodies send us signals and we have to do what's right.
I would love to hear your remedies for improving morning sickness naturally. I'm willing to try anything. Get in touch.
Laurie Rose
