Morning Sickness

Morning Sickness or Hyperemesis?

Morning Sickness:

It is hormonally related and we believe that your blood sugars are spiking and dropping (trying to adjust to having a baby on board) during that first trimester. It generally resolves itself between 12-14 weeks of pregnancy! When you wake in the morning, you blood sugar is low because it has just worked through all the calories as you were sleeping. If you rise and do not eat, this will cause your blood sugar to sink even further and will cause even worse nausea. Once your blood sugar tanks, it can be challenging to hit reset and you may find that you don’t feel well for the rest of the day.

Hyperemesis:

This is extreme morning sickness that is debilitating and last longer than 12-14 weeks. This can be nausea that hangs around all day long and prevents you from doing normal everyday activities. Hyperemesis is very serious and requires medical attention. Miriam Erick, MD at Boston Medical Center, says Hyperemesis affects only 1.5-3% of births.

But..why?

Morning sickness can actually be a good indicator of a good strong pregnancy. Remember, it’s hormonally based so these hormones are a good sign in the first trimester. Some practitioners believe that intense morning sickness in the first trimester can indicate that it’s unlikely you’ll have a miscarriage (however, not having morning sickness is in no way a sign that you will miscarry, nor is morning sickness proven to be an indicator of the health of a pregnancy). Having morning sickness is simply a good confirmation that you have a lot of active hormones.

Treating Morning Sickness:

• Eating smaller meals - think the size of your palm and eating every hour and a half to two hours. You need small amounts of protein throughout the day to sustain energy. 
• Eating crackers when you first wake up and taking small sips of water 
• A shot of ACV mixed with water when you first wake up
• Sleeping at an incline- you can purchase a wedge pillow, create an incline with pillows, or put rolled towels between your mattress and box spring.
• Mint Tea, candies, or Essential Oil (do NOT ingest Essential Oils)
• Sniff/suck on a lemon 
• Switch to Alkaline water- Filtered water has a tendency to be acidic and can worsen morning sickness by adding to the acidity in your stomach.

Why Your Diet Matters: 

The first trimester can be so tricky! The foods you normally love are repulsive and although you know you need those greens, you really just want all the comfort food you can get your hands on! Bring on the mac-n-cheese, baby! Don’t even get me started on the salt! Those cravings can be wild! Here’s the secret about the first trimester: eat what you can keep down! You can pick back up with an intentionally clean and healthy diet in the second and third trimester! Try to eat fruits and veggies during those first 12 weeks, but don’t beat yourself up if you can only keep down french fries and veggie straws! You can always make your own fresh french fries at home!

Nighttime Diet:

Eating before you go to bed can be helpful. If you wake during the night to go to the bathroom, take a moment to also have a quick snack like a scoop of peanut butter, a few almonds, or any other protein. You can also add a grain like peanut butter crackers. Be careful with consuming too many carbs as they can sometimes sipke and then crash your blood sugar.

Medication:

Consult with your doctor when you are experiencing morning sickness that is intense and disrupting your day. In some cases, medication is necessary. Your doctor may also "prescribe" you a cocktail of over-the-counter medications such as unisom and B6. Always consult your healthcare provider before incorporating anything new into your diet or routines.

Medical Advice: It’s sad I even have to include this. This is a blog, not a medical site. I am a doula, blogger, child development specialist, and compassionate human who wants to create a village. I’m not your doctor. Nothing in this blog is intended to be medical advice or used for diagnosis, treatment, or any other purposes. Nothing in this blog or podcast episode is meant to be taken as medical advice (duh).

Alternative Medicine

Acupuncture: Try to find an acupuncturist that specializes women's health and even better if it's women's reproductive health.

Chiropractor: Try to find an chiropractor that specializes women's health and even better if it's women's reproductive health.

Acupressure Bands: They look like sea sick bands (made by the same company) and they press specific pressure points to curb the nausea. There are also digital anti-nausea bands that resemble a watch!

Exercise: I know this is the last thing on your mind, but the endorphins that are released can counterbalance the nausea. Magic!

Meditation: Sitting and connecting to your baby and body can be so helpful! It will allow you the time to pause and intentionally designate time for yourself and your mental health.

Being nauseas is miserable. I hear ya! I can't function when my insides feel like the inside of a volcano on the verge of erupting at any minute. However, if I told you that it was temporary and it lets us know that your tiny human is doing well.. would it be worth it?

You can grab your free Morning Sickness Remedy Guide here.

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