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5 Tips and Tricks to Combat Morning Sickness

Morning sickness remediesWhat’s normal morning sickness and what’s not?

 
Morning sickness – which you can experience at any time of the day or night, can affect you as early as 2 weeks after conception1. It usually strikes in week six of pregnancy and subsides around week 12.
 
However, a severe but uncommon form of morning sickness is hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).2 Symptoms include losing a lot of weight (more than 10 pounds or 4.5 kilograms), throwing up more than three or four times daily and until you are dehydrated and feel dizzy.3
 
Morning sickness won’t affect your developing baby but weight loss during pregnancy may result in your developing baby having a lower birth weight.1
 

Why do you have morning sickness?

 
Morning sickness may be caused by changing hormone levels during pregnancy. But you’re more likely to encounter these conditions if you are overweight, prone to motion sickness, or carrying twins or more.1,4
 

How can you manage morning sickness? 

 
Here are five ways to remedy this unpleasant symptom:
 

Eat:

  • Citrus fruits, like lemons and oranges 
  • Bland foods are easier to keep down. Cold foods are also better as hot foods have a stronger aroma5, which can trigger nausea
  • Food that is high in vitamin B6 may ease nausea6, such as lentils, bananas, tuna and chickpeas7

Do:

  • Get enough rest as fatigue can trigger morning sickness symptoms8
  • If you’re taking a prenatal supplement upon the advice of your doctor, take it with a meal instead of on an empty stomach. But do check with your doctor first on the best timing to take your prenatal supplement
 
 

References:

1Morning sickness. - Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/morning-sickness/basics/d….

2Hyperemesis Gravidarum. - National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). http://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/hyperemesis-gravidarum/.

3Hyperemesis Gravidarum (Severe Nausea&Vomiting During Pregnancy). – Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/hic_Am_I_Preg….

4Morning sickness. – March of Dimes. http://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/morning-sickness.aspx.

5Nausea and morning sickness. - NHS Choices. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/morning-sickness-….

6Morning Sickness Relief: Treatment & Supplements. - American Pregnancy Association. http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/morning-sickness-relief/.

7Food sources of Vitamin B6. - Dietitians of Canada. http://www.dietitians.ca/getattachment/ea1272c8-602f-4586-8ffb-d7b4a253….

8Nausea During Pregnancy. - American Pregnancy Association. http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/nausea-during-pregnancy/.

morning-sickness
5 Tips and Tricks to Combat Morning Sickness