Morning sickness – has the ability to zap all of your pregnancy excitement right out of you. Why do so many pregnant mothers-to-be have to experience constant nausea that, despite its name, does not limit itself to the morning? A lot of different things can trigger the onset of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy including certain smells, spices, or heat and sometimes there is no apparent reason for the sudden sick feelings. One thing is for sure, most would prefer to avoid it altogether, so how can we prevent morning sickness?
Eat Breakfast Early
One way to avoid that creeping nausea specifically in the morning is to eat breakfast shortly after you wake, maybe even in bed! When I was pregnant with my first, I had what I described as the mildest morning sickness. It was literally every morning. But as soon as I ate breakfast, it subsided for the day. That lead me to think that maybe morning sickness can be brought on by hunger! It reminded me of the same yucky feeling I experience when I’m over hungry even in non-pregnant times. And it’s terrible because who wants to eat when they feel like they’re about to throw up?
But once I knew that would solve my issue, I pushed through. Here are some great breakfast ideas to prevent morning sickness.
Try Anti-Nausea Foods
It might take a little bit to figure out what works best for you, but my experience was that eating some protein like an egg, and toast with butter helped immensely. Many pregnant and non-pregnant people report using ginger to settle nausea. It’s not something I tried, but I do know that decaf peppermint mocha definitely helped my nausea while I was in labor! (Weird, I know.) Peppermint, however, on its own, does have a lot of health uses. These include relief from upset stomach, headaches, and more. It can be a relaxing smell to ease your stress when enjoyed in the form of tea, for example.
Eat More Often
In addition to eating when you wake up, be sure to eat smaller meals throughout the day, or add in some healthy snacks between meals. This is to avoid your body getting over hungry. Remember even if you can’t see the work your body is doing, internally there is a LOT of growth happening that takes your energy. Try keeping protein bars in your bag, or saltine crackers nearby for a quick snack.
Drink a Lot of Water
Be sure to stay hydrated during your day. Drinking ½ to 1 gallon of water every day will keep you hydrated which can help guard against nausea. It is also critical for your health and the health of your baby. It does sound like a lot of water, but if you always have a bottle with you and frequently sip on it, you might be surprised to find how much you consume in a day.
Time Your Prenatal Vitamins Right
Something else I never knew while I was pregnant is that you should take prenatal vitamins in the evening. Most people take vitamins in the morning to power themselves for the day, but with pregnancy, it seems that loading up on vitamins on an empty stomach can make nausea worse. It’s kind of a shock to the system suddenly telling your body to digest, but in the evening, your body is already primed from the day making it easier to handle.
If you have any other methods that have helped you prevent morning sickness, feel free to add a comment below, or contact me and share! This is an often-asked question and your tip might be just the solution a fellow parent-to-be is looking for!
