Combating morning sickness

In the midst of all the joyous feelings about your pregnancy, you also may be feeling a bit queasy. Nausea or vomiting during pregnancy is called morning sickness, but it can happen at any time of the day or night.

According to the American Dietetic Association, 50% to 90% of pregnant women have morning sickness. Some women experience an occasional episode, and others are sick several times a day for months. The good news is that the morning sickness usually goes away after the third month.

What causes morning sickness?

It’s believed that nausea is related to the pregnancy hormone human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG). Your lifestyle also can affect the severity of your morning sickness.

• Get enough sleep. Women who don’t get enough rest seem more prone to attacks.
• Avoid stress. Women who are under stress also may be more likely to experience nausea and vomiting.

How to ease the quease

Here are some easy ways to avoid or reduce morning sickness symptoms:

• Get out of bed slowly. An abrupt change from lying flat to standing increases the feeling of dizziness.
• Eat frequent, small meals. Taking little meals throughout the day will help keep your blood sugar levels steady and keep your stomach filled to minimize that queasy feeling.
• Snack smarter. Eat easy-to-digest foods such as crackers, whole-wheat toast, a hot baked potato, cooked pasta, cooked rice, or fruit.
• Avoid greasy foods. Ban butter, margarine, mayonnaise, bacon, gravy, pastries, fried meats, and French fries from your diet.
• Go easy on spicy foods. Dishes prepared with peppers and garlic may aggravate your nausea.
• Reduce smells. Keep your kitchen well-ventilated to exhaust lingering cooking odors. Pregnant women often have an exaggerated sense of smell.
• Eat cold foods. They have less odor and may be easier to swallow.
• Drink water or suck on ice. This helps you avoid dehydration if you’ve been vomiting. Contact your doctor if you vomit more than twice daily.
• Exercise. It will help you relieve the stress that may be contributing to your morning sickness and may also help you sleep better at night.