Even though it is one of the most unpleasant symptoms, you’ll be pleased to know it disappears relatively soon, and there are ways to manage morning sickness.
What Does Morning Sickness Feel Like?
What Is Morning Sickness? Is It Always in the Morning?
For most women, the first sign they’re pregnant is morning sickness, or Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy (NVP), which is a pretty good way to sum it up. About 80% of pregnant women experience it in varying degrees, while some show no symptoms at all.
A far more severe form of morning sickness is Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG), which Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, suffered from during both her pregnancies.
According to Medscape, HG affects about 2% of moms-to-be and usually needs hospitalization to treat the extreme dehydration. While morning sickness abates by 12 to 14 weeks, Hyperemesis Gravidarum only starts to ease around 21 weeks.
Tip of the Day
The term “morning sickness” is a bit of a misnomer as it can happen at any time of the day. Waves of nausea and vomiting can also come and go, and there are days when it is more severe than others.
What Does Morning Sickness Feel Like?
So what does morning sickness feel like? As already mentioned, not everyone experiences it in the same way. We’ve put a rating together from very mild to very bad.
Very Mild
With very mild NVP, you don’t feel sick every day, and nausea passes relatively quickly. There is also little to no vomiting.
Mild morning sickness has you feeling a bit “off” in the morning and sometimes the smell of certain foods can trigger it. Even though you feel like you may vomit, it passes quickly.
Normal
You feel sick most mornings, but it gets better as the day goes on. You’ll find you can’t cook certain foods because of the smell and you occasionally “dry-heave” or even vomit.
A day doesn’t go by where you don’t vomit, and sometimes you feel so nauseous or ill that you cannot eat for a few hours. With moderate morning sickness, it’s most common in the early part of the day but can sometimes last longer.
Bad
You battle nausea throughout the day and often vomit more than once. You can’t keep food down and the smell of certain foods results in a loss of appetite and vomiting.
Very Bad
With severe morning sickness, you need to plan your day around it. Nausea can be too bad for you to get out of bed. Moreover, you can vomit throughout the day, up to five times or more.
You can’t keep food or liquid down, and you may have a fever. If you experience any of these symptoms, you need to contact your GP.
8 Ways to Survive Morning Sickness
The good news is it’s not all doom and gloom. There are certain things you can do to ease morning sickness. We asked a few expectant mothers how they coped and they shared a few of their remedies with us.
1. Ginger
Ginger was mentioned a few times. It’s a safe and gentle way to settle your stomach and also help with nausea.
Look for soft drinks with real ginger or grate some fresh ginger into hot tea. Even ginger cookies or candy will help.
Simple Ginger Cookies Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 4 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 chicken eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
Step 1: Use a mixer to cream butter and sugar, then add eggs and molasses.
Step 2: Put in the flour, ginger, salt and baking soda, then shape into rolls.
Step 3: Refrigerate them for 2-3 hours.
Step 4: Cut them into small pieces and bake in 350°F for 8-10 minutes.
Step 5: Enjoy the ginger cookies!
2. Iced Treats
Ice chips, frozen lemonade, and even good old snow-cones can help soothe an upset tummy while taking in fluids at the same time.
You could even make your own ice cream to relieve nausea and get in some vitamins.
3. Carbs and Proteins
Quite a few women mentioned carbohydrates as a way of dealing with their nausea. Bread, mashed potatoes, and dry toast help too. You can also keep a few soda crackers next to your bed and eat a few before you get out of it. In my first pregnancy, whenever I ate pizza, the nausea went away.
Having carbs with proteins is an effective and delicious way to help with fatigue during the day. Snack on apple slices and string cheese or whole wheat pita and hummus, and you’ll definitely feel better.
4. Smaller Meals
When food is the last thing on your mind, try eating smaller meals but more frequently. Also, prepare fresh snacks with crispy veggies, yogurt, and fruits instead of hot meals.There is less smell which means (hopefully) less nausea. Note that if you eat too many greens, don’t freak out when you see the green poops.
Five Frozen Yogurt Recipes for You!
With these recipes, there are only three simple steps to follow:
Step 1: Put all the ingredients into a blender or food processor.
Step 2: Blend until smooth.
Step 3: Place the smoothie into an ice cream maker, then freezing regarding the manufacturer’s instruction.
Milk Chocolate Frozen Yogurt
Ingredients:
- 15 ounces (2½ cups) milk chocolate chips, melted
- 3 cups Greek yogurt
- 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lime Frozen Yogurt
Ingredients:
- ½ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 cups Greek yogurt
- 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons lime zest
- 1 cup sugar
Banana Frozen Yogurt
Ingredients:
- 4 ripe bananas (complete yellow), smashed
- 3 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
Ingredients:
- 3 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- Juice and zest of ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sugar
Vanilla Frozen Yogurt
Ingredients:
- 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
- 2 cups Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sugar
5. Sniff a Lemon
It’s not only the scent of food that can leave you feeling queasy. Any strong smells like detergent, perfume or the garbage can trigger nausea.What you can do is carry a sprig of something fresh in your purse, like lavender or rosemary. A small bottle of lemon extract will also work.
6. Keep a Diary
The diary itself won’t relieve morning sickness, but you can track it. By taking notes of when it’s at its worse, and when you don’t feel too terrible, you might be able to pick up a pattern and even note what triggers it.
This will definitely help in the long run.
7. Vitamins
Taking the right vitamins could ease morning sickness and ensures you’re getting the recommended daily dose of Vitamin D and folic acid.
8. Be Good To Yourself
Probably one of the most obvious ways to ease morning sickness and make sure you get through the first trimester is to look after yourself. It’s also the most difficult, what with the pressures of work and home.
For example, taking time out for homeopathic treatments or a few days away from the office will leave you feeling rested and ready to tackle another day.
Remember, You’re Not Alone!
There are hundreds and thousands of women who have had it before you, and another hundred thousand that will experience it after.
You may feel morning sickness from very mild to very bad and many moms-to-be could be in the same boat. Find someone to speak about it, join a forum where you can get support and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Allow yourself to be spoiled by those around you and try to get as much rest as possible.
If you want to share your experiences with morning sickness, don’t hesitate to post below. I would be very happy to reply.
