Nausea during pregnancy is a weird thing. Most of the time, it just feels like an all-enveloping cloud that doesn’t always result in vomiting but can just make you feel “blachhhh.” Usually it goes hand in hand with hunger or fatigue, but sometimes it is just there. Kind of oppressive and a big downer. I found myself making this fruit cocktail with OJ and soda water, it seemed to freshen things up. But sometimes it didn’t.

I know women who didn’t get nauseated but for those of you who are positioned in the puke camp, rest assured, for most of us it passes after the first trimester although some women continue to feel rotten for one or two more months and for the really unlucky ones…. even more. It seems no one really knows the actual causes but hormonal changes, imbalances in blood sugar, emotional ambivalence, deficiency of vitamin B6 and iron, or excessive amounts of grease or certain spices might be partly to blame. One thing is for sure, vomiting that is excessive needs medical attention.

I am not sure there are any real remedies for nausea. Some people talk about ginger, seabands on both wrists for accupressure points (I didn’t actually try that one), crackers, homeopathy… In fact, here are some more suggestions from Childbirth.org:

- Anise, dried peach tree leaves, fennel seed, red raspberry, peppermint or ginger teas
- A teaspoon of cider vinegar in a cup of warm water
- Infusion of ginger root
- Smelling ground ginger
- Increase iron rich foods in your diet
- Ipecacuana 6X three times daily for 5 days
- Nux Vomica 6X
- Slippery Elm tablets, two before each meal
- Aromatherapy: lavender, rose, or chamomile for a massage oil

I would definitely recommend regular eating habits, nothing too big, but a wee munch every couple of hours is a good idea. Again, try to keep it nutritious, in my case, carbs was the big hit - crackers, pasta, toast, noodles…. anything that felt filling and bland (but if you are following Dr. Gowri Motha’s recommendations, you should probably cut out wheat - she thinks you will feel better immediately). For others it might be cheese, a banana, you’ll know what you need to do. Drinking lots of liquid is also a good idea. Ideally between 10 -12 glasses a day, and if water becomes a little dull, check out Vitamin water (actually recommended to me by OBGYN) which isn’t too sweet and also contain electrolytes (especially helpful if you are vomiting) to maintain balance in your bodily fluids.

Other things to think about….

Avoid caffeine and alcohol (I would become drunk instantly and it was not a particularly good high either)

Rest up — there is no doubt that when I was overtired, the nausea felt even worse.

Have a small snack when you go to bed (again the ever useful cheese and crackers) and don’t dilly dally in the morning either. Get stuck into a piece of toast and I highly recommend my OJ/soda cocktail. I also read somewhere that it’s nice (if possible) to sleep with the windows open to get fresh air, but I think the sleep factor is more important here than the fresh air. In the morning, get out of bed slowly…. that was never a problem for me.

A travel sickness band might help which applies pressure to the wrist and helps to receive nausea.

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December 21st, 2006 | Permalink