Staying healthy with morning sickness

While you can’t face food and are having trouble getting your antenatal vitamins down, you may become concerned about your own health and that of your baby. Happily, there is no evidence that the nausea and mild vomiting associated with most women’s experience of morning sickness causes any long-term health issues for you or bub. So, while you may find it hard to suffer through, morning sickness will not damage your health.

There are ways, though, that you can stay healthy with morning sickness. These include:

  • Get enough rest.

    There is nothing like the tiredness of early pregnancy and battling on in the face of exhaustion can make nausea – along with your outlook on life – worse.

  • Keep fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet.

    If antenatal vitamins are proving difficult to swallow (the gag reflex can be VERY strong in morning sickness sufferers!), ensure you’re still getting all your vitamins and minerals with five serves of fruit and vegetables each day. Can’t manage that? Try juicing and drinking them.

  • Make every mouthful count.

    If you’re having trouble facing food, make sure that whatever you do manage to eat counts nutritionally. Be thoughtful about the food you eat and avoid empty calories that will do nothing to keep you healthy. Find healthy and simple recipes to enjoy during pregnancy.

  • If you can’t eat, don’t eat.

    Don’t panic! There will be a moment in your day (it may be a small 15 minutes!) when you feel free of nausea and actual hunger strikes. So be prepared to eat whenever that moment happens.

  • Eat little, often.

    Some women experience worse nausea when they’re hungry. So while it sounds counter-intuitive, try nibbling on something bland to take the edge off your nausea – you may find that it lifts sufficiently to allow you to eat properly.

  • Keep hydrated.

    Being dehydrated can make you seriously ill, pregnant or not, so ensure that you keep your fluids up all day. Try keeping a bottle of water with you at all times so you can take small sips of it. Many morning sickness sufferers struggle with fluids – particularly flat, room temperature water – so try instead a chilled fizzy drink (soda or mineral water are great). Also try to avoid drinking a large volume at one, or drinking while you eat as these both seem to make worse. Keep a jug of homemade Ginger Lemonade in the fridge.

  • Look after yourself.

    Enduring morning sickness in early pregnancy is not the time to be soldiering on. Be kind to yourself and ask other to do the same. Morning sickness is not in your head – it’s a very real condition that is best dealt with, with calm support and patience. Life IS hard when you experience constant nausea so try to downsize your everyday life and obligations while it lasts.

 

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