Morning
sickness, also known as nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) occurs in the
early stages of pregnancy, especially the first trimester. In spite of its
name, morning sickness can strike at any time during the day that affects more
than half of all pregnant women. Treatment isn’t usually needed, but morning
sickness can lead to weight loss due to loss of appetite and make life very
uncomfortable for expectant mothers. However, there are some simple natural
home remedies helping ease the condition.
Relieve morning sickness with food
Eat a dry piece of toast or a cracker as the first thing in the
morning
Eating a
small piece dry toast or a cracker as the first thing in the morning can help
relieve nausea by tricking the stomach to feel less empty. Besides, these two
foods have no strong smell or taste making them less likely to boost feelings
of nausea. Keep a packet of crackers next to your bed, so you can nibble on
some after getting up and before getting out of bed.
Drink a lot of water to avoid dehydration
Morning
sickness with frequent vomiting may be caused by dehydration. Thus, it is
essential to get enough water to replenish the lost fluid. Drink at least 8
glasses of water a day. You can add some slices of lemon or lime or a few
peppermint leaves if you don’t like plain water because of its boring flavor.
Eat smaller and more frequent meals within the day
Try to do
this instead of three large meals. Eating too much in one go will make you
sick. Some options are snacks, a piece of fruit, double crackers, yogurt or a
handful of nuts are easy at hand.
Choose foods rich in protein and complex carbohydrates
Not only
bring you and your baby plenty of beneficial nutrients, but these food groups
also help ease nausea. Increase the intake of apples, nuts, celery, peanut
butter, cheese, yogurt, fish, eggs and meat.
Avoid salt-and-fat-rich foods
Salt is a
hydrophilic substance which attracts water from the blood leading to
dehydration and stimulating nausea and vomiting. Fat-rich foods are difficult
to digest, so there is a need of more acid to break down these fats causing
acidity in the stomach which means contributing to vomiting.
Use ginger to relax the intestines
Ginger has
been used as a natural remedy for easing morning sickness for thousands of
years. It contains chemical compounds called shogaols and gingerols that can
relax the intestines and prevent you from spitting out foods. One of the
easiest ways to include ginger into your diet is making ginger tea. Add half a
teaspoon of ginger powder into a cup of boiling water, stir well, let it stand
for 10 minutes and then sip the tea slowly.
Other ways
are drinking mint tea to inhibit the gag reflex, eating bananas to improve
potassium levels and boost your energy, making lemonade to reduce acidity
levels in the stomach, sucking on a clove to relieve nausea, chewing cumin
seeds to improve digestion and sucking on ice cubes to relieve nausea and stay
hydrated.
Relieve morning sickness with exercises and
alternative treatments
Do yoga to practice deep breathing and relieve nausea
Meditate each morning to reduce anxiety
Pregnant
women often feel anxious during pregnancy, especially their first time. Stress
worsen morning sickness and isn’t healthy for both you and your baby.
Meditation is a great way to calm your mind and body.
Do some basic exercise to reduce the intensity of morning sickness
Exercise is
an important part of a healthy life, even during pregnancy. Some women find
exercise helps reduce morning sickness while others find it distracts them from
nausea. Take a brisk walk outside to neutralize your metabolism and stimulate
your appetite.
Try acupressure to relieve the symptoms of morning sickness
This
traditional therapy can help ease the feeling of morning sickness which
involves applying pressure to specific energy zones in the body to release
negative energies.
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