Pregnancy: Morning Sickness And How To Overcome It

What causes morning sickness? Experts are not yet sure of the true cause of morning sickness and why it seems to affect some pregnant women and not others. While they cannot yet pinpoint the exact cause of it, they agree that it must have something to do with fluctuating hormones and chemicals along with an increase in stomach acids. Now that you know what your morning sickness might stem from and now that you have it, what can you do to alleviate it?

Some experts say that morning sickness may be increased by not getting enough rest during the day. It is hard for an energetic and vivacious woman who is used to being out and about all day stop to take a rest when she becomes pregnant. While you do not have to give up your lifestyle by any means when you become pregnant, you must realize that your body is working at 150% all day every day as it helps to create the life inside of you. So be sure to get adequate rest and nap during the day, if need be. If your morning sickness seems to affect you right when you wake up, give yourself a few extra minutes in bed in the morning. Have your partner bring you some crackers to snack on as you wait to get up. This may serve to calm your stomach early before morning sickness hits.

Sometimes your environment can directly attribute to the nausea you may be feeling. If a room or office is too warm and you are already feeling the morning sickness, it may simply make the feelings that much worse. If your office is normally a little too warm for your taste, bring a small portable fan into work so you can feel better. Also, many women report a heightened sense of smell when pregnant, so sometimes a certain smell can be just the trigger to start the morning sickness. When you smell something unpleasant, walk away immediately and try to get away from the smell as soon as possible, so your nausea does not get worse.

When the morning sickness hits, try making a cup of tea without caffeine in it, like ginger or peppermint. This may help calm your stomach. If you notice that your nausea hits soon after you take your prenatal vitamin, try taking it later in the day to see if that helps. If it doesn't, talk to your doctor about possibly getting a different prenatal pill. It could be that the vitamin you are taking has a lot of iron in it, which can sometimes cause nausea.

Many doctors call water a miracle drug for a pregnant woman. Your morning sickness could be directly associated with your intake of water. If you are not drinking enough water every single day (at least eight to ten full glasses), you may be getting dehydrated, which can make your morning sickness much worse. Drink plenty of water and this may help alleviate your nausea.