What is Morning sickness and how to survive it?

Queasiness or nausea during early months of pregnancy is termed as morning sickness, though it may last much longer in some cases. The term, morning sickness, itself is a misnomer as the feeling of nausea or heartburn can grip you during anytime of the day or night. Morning sickness may or may not be accompanied with vomiting. This condition also varies from woman to woman. While some women may suffer a lot during the first trimester due to morning sickness, some lucky ones may skip it altogether.

The good news is that morning sickness usually means expectant mother has enough pregnancy hormones which means having healthy pregnancies, though not having sickness or having mild sickness is no cause to panic. The reason for this is considered to be hCG or human chorionic gonadotropin hormone which is measured for detection of pregnancy using HPTs or home pregnancy tests.

Does this mean you have to continue suffering till it subsides on its own? No, there are tried and tested ways of relieving morning sickness to some degree.

Have small frequent meals at regular intervals. Having large meals at one go is more likely make you want to puke. Having small meals will keep your acid and blood sugar levels stable.

Keep crackers or marie biscuits handy, preferably by your bed. Whenever you feel hungry eat a couple biscuits to keep queasiness away.

Keep a bottle of cold water with you and keep taking small sips throughout the day.

Keep away from foul or strong smelling items. Any offensive smell of taste may send your stomach to a somersault.

Ginger and lemon are tried tested cures for keeping nausea at bay.

You could also have light ginger tea to keep morning sickness away.

You may keep lemon or orange flavoured candies in your bag while travelling to counter travel sickness.

Eat whatever you can keep down. Do not worry about taking a balanced diet now. You baby can take all it requires from your body and this condition will ease off after first trimester to leave you lot of time to eat well.

Do not fight what your body tells you. If you feel tired and need to sleep then go to bed, even if you have only just got up.

Fennel seeds can also help some women to feel better. Chew on some fennel or anise seeds if you have an upset stomach or as a mouth freshener after a bout of nausea.

Do not go hungry for long intervals. Keep simple snacks like fruits or crackers handy and keep eating every hour or two.

Avoid fatty and fried food during as they can make your nausea worse.

Tell people around you not to smoke. Stay away from offensive cooking smells. If you feel certain food items do not agree with your stomach, avoid them.

Remain active if you can. Whenever you feel up to it, do some simple chores around house or take a walk. It will keep you feeling better overall.

You should contact your doctor if:

you suffer from severe vomiting.

you see symptoms of dehydration like scant and dark urine.

you are not able to keep even liquids down.

you see blood in vomit.

you have fainting spells.