Morning sickness in the early weeks of pregnancy is not only hard because you feel terrible, but also because you’re probably trying to hide it from colleagues and friends (it’s normally at its worst until around 12 weeks, and you may have decided to keep your pregnancy secret until after your first scan).
While there’s no ‘cure’, there are a few things you can do to help ease the nausea:
- Eat little and often, instead of three large meals.
- Have something like biscuits or crackers by your bed to eat before you get up in the morning.
- Stay hydrated! Especially if you are throwing up – it’s important to stay on top of your fluid intake.
- Rest – if you’re tired, you may feel even more ill. This may mean that you have to take a few days off work, but put yourself as the priority.
- Avoid spicy and oily food.
- GINGER! Put it in your food, slice it up and pop it in hot water, eat ginger biscuits… try it however you possibly can!
- Wear anti-sickness wristbands (the ones you wear for travel sickness). But, be prepared to fend off questions about why you are wearing them!
If your morning sickness is accompanied by severe vomiting, lasts longer than 12-14 weeks, causes weight loss or dehydration, and you can’t keep any food down, you may be suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). HG sometimes requires treatment so if you are experiencing severe symptoms please let your doctor know.