| Phone:
SLC area: (801) 538-9970
FAX:
SLC area: (801) 538-9409
Mail:
Maternal and Infant Health Program
P.O. Box 142001
Salt Lake City UT
84112-2001 |
|
Morning
Sickness
In
the first weeks of pregnancy, it can be really hard to cope
with morning sickness. You might feel tired, sick, and “turned
off” by the smell of foods. The term “morning
sickness” is really a myth. It should be called “all-day
sickness.” It can come anytime, day or night. Morning
sickness starts in early pregnancy and is often gone by
the 16th week. Some people just feel a little sick. Others
get so sick that they need help from their doctor or midwife.
No
one knows the exact cause of morning sickness. It is likely
due to hormones. In early pregnancy, your body is busy making
many new pregnancy hormones. Morning sickness may be nature’s
way to keep you away from spoiled foods that may harm the
new baby. If you throw up a few times, it will not hurt
you or your baby. But if you loose more than 5 pounds or
can’t keep anything down for over 24 hours, call your
doctor or midwife right away.
Here
are some things that might help:
-
Eat more food with protein. Milk, mild cheese, yogurt,
cottage cheese, ice cream, beans and nuts are all rich
in protein. This will help prevent low blood sugar.
-
Limit
sweets, or eat sweets with protein rich foods.
-
Always keep a little food in your stomach. Eat a little
bit at least every 2 to 3 hours.
-
Avoid fried, spicy, or rich food.
-
Don’t eat meats that are hard to digest such as
beef and pork.
-
Stay away from strong food smells. If the sight and smell
of making meals makes you sick, ask others to help with
this until you feel better.
-
Don’t throw up just to “feel better”.
If you throw up too much, it can make you feel even worse.
-
Only if your doctor or midwife approves,
stop your prenatal vitamins and iron pills until you feel
better.
-
Only if your doctor or midwife approves,
take 10-25 mg of vitamin B6 3 - 4 times a day; don't exceed
100 mg daily. You can take this with 12.5 mg of doxylamine
(Unisom) 3 - 4 times a day.
-
Stick with bland foods.
-
Eat
what “sounds good.”
-
Eat
foods such as whole grain bread, crackers, pasta, rice
and potatoes. Eat these with protein rich foods.
-
Keep
food such as nuts or cheese and crackers by your bed.
Eat them at night or before you get up.
-
Go
to bed early so you can take your time waking up.
-
Don’t
eat and drink at the same time. Let 30 minutes to 1 hour
to pass between eating and drinking.
-
Sip
flat cola or ginger ale.
-
Take
some food in liquid form such as soup, pudding, custard,
ice cream or yogurt.
-
If
prenatal vitamins make you sick, take them at bedtime
with protein (but not with milk or dairy).
-
Soak
a piece of fresh, peeled ginger (about the size of a grape)
in a cup of hot water for 5 minutes to make ginger tea.
Add sugar or honey to taste and sip slowly. Also, check
with your doctor or midwife about taking 250mg of ginger
capsules up to 4 times a day. Do not exceed 1000mg daily.
-
Wear motion sickness bands (for sale at boat or travel
stores) on a special point on the wrist.
-
Rest
as much as you can. If you are over-tired, it may make
you feel even worse.
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