Morning sickness is a bit of a misnomer; while morning is the most common time to experience feelings of nausea, morning sickness can be experienced at any point in the day – especially if you are carrying twins. Researchers aren’t entirely sure what causes morning sickness, but there is a general consensus that morning sickness is at least partially related to hCG, (human chorionic gonadotropin), a hormone produced during pregnancy. During a multiple pregnancy, hCG levels are higher than in a singleton pregnancy which explains why episodes of morning sickness tend to be elevated in twin pregnancies. This leaves many moms asking how to cope with morning sickness.
If you are not one of the lucky few who feels great during the first trimester, read on. As hormones shift in early pregnancy, morning sickness, nausea and vomiting can wreak havoc on daily life. For morning sickness rememedies you may have tried preggo pops, tums and dry crackers, but there are a few other options as well. Motherisk is run through Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children and provides excellent support for pregnancy and parenting. The phenomenal Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy (NVP) forum is great.
Here are some morning sickness remedy tips:
- Ice cold drinks can calm the stomach.
- Complex carbohydrates are best.
- Eat every 2 hours.
- Limit straight milk.
- Talk to a health provider about Diclectin, a drug that can help.
- Ginger settles the stomach.
- Freezing Gatorade in ice cube trays can help keep you hydrated and replace electrolytes.
- Grab an essential oil that calms you (grapefruit is amazing).
- You can try this old home remedy: 1T pure apple cider vinegar, 8oz. filtered water, and 1T pure honey
- Take some Vitamin B6
- Sea Bands can help by using acupressure on the inside of the wrist
- Licorice (tea or candy) has been said to help greatly
And if that doesn’t work, go buy yourself a comfy Juicy tracksuit, get a massage and get some firefighters to fan you with palm leaves. It’s worth a try.
Motherisk Nausea Hotline: 1-800-436-8477
by Doula Jacquie Munro. During a client’s first pregnancy, I’m continually trying to think of the best way to help her prepare for this life-changing event. Over the months, we certainly talk on the phone about her physical changes. But her emotional changes, her expectations, values and priorities are of even greater importance. Often, a woman’s inner wisdom is at odds with the societal standard, and my job is to help strengthen her confidence.