Re: “Morning” sickness is a lie -- I feel nauseous all day! Any tips on soothing it?
Dr. Ashley Roman: Unfortunately, there’s no magic pill for curing that horrible, about-to-barf-any-second sensation. But, there are some things you can do to try to minimize it:
Try to eat frequent small meals throughout the day, focusing on stomach-friendly foods like starchy carbs, yogurt and avoiding greasy and spicy foods. An empty stomach only increases nausea. Keep saltine crackers by your bed so that you can snack on a couple before getting up in the morning.
Prevent dehydration (another nausea trigger) by sipping small amounts of water throughout the day and eating hydrating foods like popsicles.
You can also try Sea-Bands or Psi Bands, which are oh-so-stylish stretchy wrist bands proven to reduce nausea by stimulating acupressure points. (They’re available at most drugstores.)
Vitamin B6 has been shown in scientific studies to reduce early pregnancy nausea. Taking 10 or 25 mg tablets up to four times a day can help soothe the nauseated tummy. Ginger capsules 250 mg taken up to four times daily has also been shown in scientific studies to reduce nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy.
Finally, if you’re spending a good part of the day over the toilet or simply can’t stomach the thought of waiting until your second trimester to feel better, ask your doctor about over-the-counter or prescription medications that might help.
“Morning” sickness can be dangerous for both you and the baby if you are losing more than 10% of your baseline weight or if you are unable to keep down even sips of water. If you are losing significant weight or cannot keep anything down, these may be signs of a more serious problem, so talk to your doctor.
Dr. Ashley Roman | May 21 , 2009 1:18 PM