Morning Sickness Really Means ALL-THE-TIME-SICKNESS...

Something about the smell of newspaper gets rid of nausea. If you feel like you're getting sick look around for a newspaper or keep one with you. It sounds weird, but sniff the scent and the queasies will go away. I swear this works, I almost got sick on a train and this saved me bigtime!

S.,

I feel for you. I was sick 24/7 for the first trimester of both of my pregnancies. To help with the nausea I wore "sea bands". I found them at the drug store next to the dramamine and other products to relieve motion sickness. They cost $10.00. They are wristbands that work on the principal of accupressure. Each wristband has a "button" that puts gentle pressure on the inside of your wrist in a spot that targets nausea. I got pregnant in the fall (both times), so I wore long sleeves to hide the bands until I was ready to announce my pregnancy. I was so surprised that they worked! A friend told me that it was all "in my head" and that may be true. But I didn't care. They helped get me out of bed in the morning and they helped me get through the day. I took them off when I went to bed at night. I always sleep with my head on my hands and that pushed too hard on the buttons causing much discomfort. Otherwise, I wore them every waking moment.

Something else I did was keep cold water and a washcloth next to my bed so I could put it on my forehead before I got out of bed in the morning. It was refreshing to me. Each night I would put water in a container with a lid. I put the container in an insulated lunch bag with ice packs. I set the lunch bag and a washcloth on my night stand next to my drinking water, crackers and sea bands so I would be ready to tackle the morning.

I wish you much luck with your pregnancy and hope you find some relief for your morning sickness.
L.

Ok, I REALLY feel your pain. I was sick the ENTIRE tim, also, and it was NOT just in the morning. It was terrible!! So worth it, but terrible. At my first prenatal appt. the nurse practioner said vitamin B-12 and unisom, I can't remember the dosing instructions, so, please, call your doctor and check this with them first, if you see a different OB than I did, they may tell you not to try this. It did help a bit, though. Ginger Snap cookies, ginger ale, sprite, watermelon, all these things worked somewhat. They at least settled my stomach enough so I wasn't vomiting consatntly. I'll tell you what, though, the doctor finally gave me a prescription for a pill called Zofran, and I felt good. So, if all else fails, ask for it. Let me know how you make out. I'll be thinking about you. :)

Wow - same for me. My grandmother made this tea that helped. Here's the recipe:

Ing.
1 fresh peice of Ginger Root
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 cup of loose chamomile flowers
(Alternate - 5 or 6 bags of prepackaged chamomile tea *just be careful that it's ONLY cham flowers adn leaves not tea with caffiene)
*optional - Lemon
2 quart saucepan
Water

*I make a large batch at a time and nuc it when needed*

CUt the ginger root up into chunks. You can leave the skin on. Make sure it's fresh and juicy, not withered and dried.

Toss peices into pot of water. Add chamomile. Don't worry about it floating around. It's better to NOT use a tea ball. the metal affects it somehow. The powdered Ginger use to taste...some people can handle the gingery zest, others can't. I used A LOT.

Bring the entire concoction to boil. Remove from heat and let cool off...strain into a container and toss the leftover. *NOTE* I munched on the ginger pieces, seemed to help my stomach and boiling htem made them less potent.

I added sugar to taste adn sometimes Lemon.

AFter two or 3 cups, I would be fine.

(I still use this for nausea, and it still works)

It's no Earl Grey, but it works.

hth!

T.

Hi S. Congrats! I feel your pain my first son I was sick the whole time, and my 3rd child my lovely daughter I was on the couch for the first 3 months due to " Morning Sickness" I found that the things that worked the most was lot and lots slushies or anything with crushed ice in it, and the magical little wristbands they make for motion sickness. You can usually find them at any pharmacy. They aren't the latest fashion statement but they do help alot. Good Luck!

My morning sickness was never too severe - I really only ever get nauseated...no vomitting unless something triggers a gag reflex and my ability to stop it is gone. Eating really helped with my first two. This time it's different and seems less affected by food intake. Like someone else mentioned, ice water seems calming. I have a set of water bottles which I partially freeze. When I finish one, I refill it and switch out with another in the freezer so I've always got more ready. I carry one everywhere.

Another thing that really calms my tummy is when I am able to burp. Actually I think drinking the water helps to lead to burps sometimes which is really what makes my belly feel better.

The other thing I've noticed is the amount of nausea seems to be affected by my stress level. Preparing for an airplane trip to TX with 2 toddlers had me feeling really yucky. While we were at my parents and I had lots of extra help with the kids, I had much less nausea than on usual days at home when it's just them and me. Since returning, I've noticed it increase again. So maybe doing what you can to minimize stresses would be helpful.

Another thing that helped on a couple occasions...exercise. Taking one of my toddlers for a walk in the stroller while the other was at preschool helped one day. Not sure if it was the fresh air, distraction, or physical activity that did it. I wasn't feeling great before, but he was a grump and didn't have energy to deal with it so pushed self to walk which made him happy. It ended up making me feel good too. I also attended a mommy and me yoga class feeling questionable at the beginning but turned out feeling pretty good afterwards. I was really surprised because it was pretty hot and humid which had been bothering me at home.

Sometimes being around other people seems to lead to less sickness than being alone - perhaps it is a bit of distraction?

Good luck!

H.

My friend had the same problem when she was pregnant with her daughter. Here's her solution:
She would pack a cooler with ice and all kinds of sour fruits before she went to bed at night. (For example, she would pack tart strawberries, unripe grapes...etc) In the morning, she would eat all these things before getting out of bed. Then, she would drink a glass of flat ginger ale, which you make by stiring with a spoon until there are few to no bubbles. For some reason, this helped settle her stomach! I hope this helps you, and I'm sorry to hear that your pregnancy isn't very enjoyable right now! It should get better, so remain positive and know that in the long run, it will all be worth it!!

my morning sickness was never too bad, but i was rather nauseaus in the beginning... it did go to near nothing if i started to take my prenatals just before going to bed/sleep instead of in the morning as i used to... and drank lots of water and ate yogurt or anything rather light... but soon it was better and even chilli or anything spicy or whatever didnt bother me... although i couldnt and didnt want anything sweet til the very end and then all the sudden gained tons too... before just a little by little... next time i know better... :)

Hello S.! I know you've been flooded with answers, but here's one more. I was the same way with my firstborn. I actually lost 10 lbs in my 1st trimester, I was so sick! I had certain triggers that I just had to keep away from. I couldn't even smell them cooking or watch commercials or cooking shows with food in them. (Tomatoes & garlic. Two of my favorites in my non-pregnant world!) I had to take public transportation during the pregnancy & I was terrified of getting sick on the bus, so I sipped ginger ale & ate saltines or goldfish crackers the whole trip. Another thing that helped was fresh crunchy fruit like apples and pears. Very soothing. Stay hydrated and rested. And believe it or not, the Lamaze breathing helps calm you (and you get practice for the big day). I occationally get motion sickness even now & I still use the deep breathing to keep the queezies at bay. Good Luck!

I had the same problem - I couldn't even stand saltines! I would munch on unsalted, unbuttered plain popcorn before sitting up or rolling over - basically before moving - this helped alittle. the mint especially peppermint smells helped.. I went to bath and body works and smelled thing s that made me feel better, careful some will make you feel worse.

Hi S.,

Congratulations. I didn't really have a lot of morning sickness with my daughter, and with what I had saltines or ritz crackers in the morning worked well for me. My sister in law(who is now 6 mo. pregnant) had terrible morning sickness in the beginning until a co-worker told her about drinking Jello water. If she would drink this in the morning when she got up she was fine for the rest of the day and could eat meals. Another thing that has worked for friends of mine was taking their prenatal vitamin before bed instead of in the morning. I hope this helps.

B.

I found that slush helped alot. My favorite was cherry from Target or Icee brand. Altoids also makes a ginger flavored mint that they sell at Target. And lastly black licorise or anise flavored things like pizzelle cookies which are also dry like a cracker.At one point I found a salty anise flavored candy it was great(at Ikea but Martha Stewart featured them in a magazine issue last year). I should say that I would never like that stuff when I wasn't pregnant but it helped to get me through both kids. Hope this helps.

i am so so sorry to hear about the awful all the time sickness. i just went threw the same thing. after 3 trips to the er for fluids, my ob stuck me Zolfran. it taste nasty but it works. you have to stick it in your mouth and let it desolve on your tongue. i took it once a day for 9 months.

Hi and congrats,
I found that changing my vitamins helped but the only thing that kept my sanity through 2 pregnancies was ICE or ice and water, something about the cold easing the stimulated nerve endings that were causung tha nausea. This also helps minimize your weight gain if that is an issues for you I only gained 13lbs and had a 9.4lb baby.Good Luck!

Sounds like possibly Hyperemesis Gravidarum. I have it. I ended up with a home nurse and home IV therapy. I also was put on meds to stop the vomiting. Talk to your doctor about it. I go to York Womens Health and they were sauper knowledgable and helpful.

S.: GINGER ALTOIDS I swear they are awesome.. I was sick morning , noon and night......... All the flipping time!! and preggie pops work too... If you are super bad go on the Zolfran...

Hey S., Congrats! I am in the same boat. In fact, I found out at my seventh week and have gotten more sick every since (currently I am 10 weeks and the baby is doing wonderfully). I have found the best remedy is the advice my from a friend. She said that I should just give in to the Url. If you feel super yucky go to the bathroom, hang on to the bowl and call out his name. Urrrrrrlllll. Throw up and be done with it. As long as you keep 50% -75% of most of your meals down nausea is a very good sign and at least till your 14 week. My suggestion try everything within reason to relieve the nausea (believe me I am still trying)but it just a few more weeks and think of this as a part of begin connected to the experience. Also what has really helped is just slowing down.

I was sooo sick the WHOLE time. I couldn't walk into a food place in a mall or I would get sick. It was awful. I have only 1 child because I can't imagine doing it again.
There is a perscription for morning sickness but it costs about 10$ a pill. I had a Dr in Canada (where I'm from) tell me that the active ingredient in unisom-b is the same and to take 1/2 of a unisom (10mg) and a vitamin b-6
I also found ICE and water very helpful. My prenatal vitamins made me sick too...I think it is the iron.

Congratulations!
All the traditional things, like eating crackers, didn't work for me. A lady I worked with gave me pieces of ginger root, that she used to help with motion sickness, and I just sucked on a piece until it started to lose its flavor. Also, if you have a Babies R Us near you they carry something called Preggo Pops. I never actually got to try them because I found out about them after I felt better, but they're inexpensive. Something that works in the same way (and I actually tried) was a Jolly Rancher lollipop that was sweet and sour. Best wishes.

When I got pregnant with my daughter I was lucky enough to not have the sickness. With my son I was sick and nausease all the time. So my doctor gave me these prenatal vitamins for the first trimester that took away morning sickness. They were WOUNDERFUL. I would take one in the morning and be good all day. I would ask your OB about them.
Good Luck, and CONGRADUALTIONS!

Ok...I will tell you that I was sick all day, everyday till I tried these......You ready????Preggi Pops...You get them at Motherhood "Clothing store"....They are lolly pops, or lozengers...They are ess oils...Lavendar, orange, lemon etc....I would keep them beside my bed and I would pop one in my mouth before getting out of bed......I would lay there till it was gone.....I then would pop another one within minutes.....Abut a few hours later I would do another one....and I would be good the rest of the day.....Sometimes I would feel sick in the aftenoon after eating something, and I would pop another one, and I would be fine....it is worth a try....

I was throwing up sick through 4 pregnancies with no relief until my last pregnancy when my doctor told me to try sea bands. You can generally find them in a health food store or pharmacy. They can be a bit uncomfortable, but nothing compared to the nausea. I also found that smelling lemons and mint helped tremendously. Weird, but I stocked up on anything lemon scented or minty. Good Luck and rememer to drink, even if it feels bad, the last thing you want is to get dehydrated from vomiting.

I had morning sickness so bad with my son that i felt like i had the flu for the first 5 months. These are things i tried: eat 6 small meals/snacks a day. Sip hot decaf tea. Eating carbs always felt better like plain pasta or potatoes. Eat before you rise out of bed in the morning. Stay away from dairy. I kept a bottle of honey in my desk at work and took a teaspoon to settle my stomach. I ended up in the hospital because i couldn't drink or eat at about 9 weeks. They put me on meds called Zofran which took away the worst of it but still felt bad until about 20 weeks pregnant. Hope your feeling better. I wanted to KICK people who told me its worth it but guess what?? Its all so worth it once you have your little one.

S.,
Are you taking pre-natal vitamins? They may be too strong for you and they are adding to the nausea. A friend of mine had the same symptoms as you did, and during her second pregnancy she didn't take the vitamins for a few days, and found that the nausea stopped. In the end her doctor prescribed her a different type of vitamin.
B.

I do agree that the vitamins may cause naseau. My suggestion to that is to take with crackers or bread.

There are two other solutions. One, take ginger tablets three times a day, helps to quiet the stomach.

What I did, is not because of craving, but what I know about the body. You are producing a lot of stomach acid, so the solution is to eat something Basic to neutralize the acid. You are not going to belive what helped, jalepeno peppers. My first pregnancy my poor husband had to eat everything with jalepeno peppers in it. Mexican, and I even put it in my spaghetti sauce so I could get it down.

Another mis conception is that anti-acids work. Read the labels they have an acid as an ingredient. There is a product called Pre-leif. Eckerd carries it on hand, and many other pharmicies can special order. It is simply a version of calcium that does not contain seperate acid and it absorbs much of the acid eliminating the sickness. Make sure you take it to your ob to make sure it is okay for you, but it really works.

Good luck.

This is my 4th pregnancy and the first time I have ever been sick. I found out that lemonade or anything a little sour would help me. Also ice water seems to help me too. Good Luck and Congrats.

Hi S.! Congratulations!

I've always been told to eat saltine crackers when nauseaus. Others I've known that had morning sickness said the same thing. I didn't have it too bad with my first or this pregnancy. I also felt good about morning sickness because it meant that the baby was pulling her nutrients from me and she was growing as a healthy baby should. I was always nervous so that helped calm me down tons! So just think, the morning sickness is confirmation that the baby is doing well. Hope that helps :o)

Good luck!
S.