What is morning sickness?
Most pregnant women suffer from morning sickness which occurs in the first three months of pregnancy. Also known as nausea, pregnancy sickness or vomiting in pregnancy, it is caused due to the high level of pregnancy hormones that are produced in your body. Though morning sickness makes you feel lousy, it doesn’t have any effect on the baby.
In the early weeks of pregnancy, human chorionic hormone (HCH) provides the nutrients required for the foetus. When the placenta starts nourishing the foetus with the required nutrients, the level of these hormones drops resulting in elimination of morning sickness. During the first trimester, most women are susceptible to smells that leads to vomiting. In some cases, morning sickness is mild, but this not the same for all. By the end of the first trimester, morning sickness settles down, though in some women, it continues a little bit longer.
How to tackle morning sickness?
Though it is difficult to prevent morning sickness completely, following these tips might help minimise the effects.
- Take rest: Taking rest as much as possible helps in reducing morning sickness. Ensure proper sleep at night and keep yourself relaxed and stress free. Tiredness and stress may worsen morning sickness.
- Eat little but frequently: It is very essential to keep your stomach full. And for that you have to eat in small amounts but frequently. It will also help in keeping your sugar level controlled and lower the chances of experiencing morning sickness. If your stomach remains empty, the acids will work on the stomach lining resulting in vomiting.
- Remain active: During pregnancy, it is very important to keep yourself fit and active. Even if you feel lousy, you should try to keep yourself physically active. This helps in lowering nausea to a great level.
- Get up slowly: If you are pregnant, you should always remember to get up slowly from sleeping or sitting positions. Always take your time to get up.
- Eat healthy food: You should include protein rich food. Food containing vitamin B and other healthy options is good for both the mother and baby. Try to avoid junk and unhealthy food as these may trigger nausea and vomiting.
- Stay hydrated: Staying hydrated with fluid intake is one of the best options to keep you healthy during pregnancy. Your nausea may worsen if you stay dehydrated.
- Ginger tea: Having a cup of ginger tea is found to be helpful in minimising nausea. Ginger helps in soothing your stomach.
- Lemon: The aroma of cut lemon can help in reducing nausea. You can even add slices of lemon to tea or water to get relief from nausea.
Seek your doctor’s advice if morning sickness is severe
If you are pregnant and suffering from mild morning sickness, you can adopt the above tips to minimise it. But if it worsens, it is better to consult your doctor. Normally, nausea goes away at the end of the first trimester. Taking good care of yourself is a key to healthy pregnancy.
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