How to reduce morning sickness during pregnancy?

Pregnancy is an awesome feeling, but let’s face it morning sickness can be a terrible curse. The worst part is morning sickness is not limited to feeling nauseated only in the morning, but it generally lasts all day long.

The first trimester is the hardest and 50% of pregnant women suffer from both nausea and vomiting, while one third suffer from either one and a lucky third escape the dread altogether.

What really causes morning sickness?

There isn’t a specific cause but mostly it is because of the following reasons:

Hormonal changes are common during pregnancy and an acute increase in the level of estrogen is mainly attributed to make you feel nauseous and bring about days after days of morning sickness.

When you are pregnant, your senses become sensitized towards odor and amplify the source, making you more likely to retch. It has been noticed that certain women develop a gag reflex to even their favorite foods, the exact cause for this change of taste is not really known but most doctors are in agreement with the enhanced sense of smell being the reason.

If you have always had a weak stomach, you need to brace yourself for morning sickness during pregnancy. Some women have digestion or gastric problems, which makes it impossible to hold in food while you’re pregnant.

What can you do to curb morning sickness?

Diet- Make sure that you intake a lot of fluid and have smaller portions spread throughout the day instead of three heavy meals. Avoid spicy and rich food and go for healthier alternatives, stock up on foods rich in carbohydrate. Also try to not skip meals as sometime an empty stomach can trigger a bout of nausea.

Get plenty of rest- Throughout your pregnancy you must get adequate amounts of rest and this is especially important for the first trimester. It is during this period where the fetus is still in the early developing stages and you need plenty of rest to combat tiredness.

Do not rush things- Do not try to do everything at superman’s pace, be slow when you are trying to get up from the bed.

Sign up for pregnancy yoga- Contrary to the popular belief that you should not work out when you are pregnant, you should get some form of mild exercise in order to remain fit. Yoga helps in strengthening the fetus’ muscle and also aids in smooth delivery. It has been reported that yoga can keep a check on your morning sickness too.

Identify the cause- Find out what triggers your gag reflex and avoid it like the plague.

Drink plenty of water- For reasons more than one, drink the adequate amount of water in order to ward off morning sickness and keep the baby and yourself hydrated.

Can morning sickness lead to medical conditions?

Although, this is a common phase during pregnancy, it is best to have a word with your gynecologist. There have been cases where excessive morning sickness has led to conditions like Hyperemesis gravidarum, which is extreme and persistent nausea and vomiting.