You just found out that you are pregnant and could not be more excited.  Then morning sickness sets in.  If you are like more than half of all pregnant women, you will experience some degree of morning sickness during pregnancy.  The nauseated feeling you get during pregnancy can begin as early as the fourth week of pregnancy and usually stops by the end of the first trimester.  Unfortunately for some women morning sickness lasts all through pregnancy.

Morning sickness is a little bit of a misnomer since it can occur at any point during the day.  Nausea is usually the worst in the morning with symptoms gradually improving throughout the day.  For some women the nausea may be a minor inconvenience, but for others it is quite debilitating and vomiting may occur.  No matter what degree of morning sickness women may have, there are several things to do to alleviate the symptoms:

• Eat a few crackers 15 minutes before getting out of bed in the morning.
• Eat frequent small meals and snacks.  Try eating five to six times a day rather than three large meals.  Do not skip meals!
• Stick to bland foods and avoid spicy foods that increase nausea. Remember complex carbohydrates are easy to digest.  Protein snacks seem to help some women with nausea.
• Drink fluids throughout the day to avoid dehydration.  Don’t drink too much at once to avoid feeling full on fluids.
• Ginger has historically been associated with alleviating nausea.  Try ginger ale with real ginger, ginger tea, eating crystallized ginger, or ginger capsules to settle the stomach.
• Avoid strong smells that may upset your stomach and trigger nausea.  Smell a lemon or ginger when you feel morning sickness coming on.  Nausea is closely connected to our sense of smell.  The fresh cleansing fragrance of a lemon can rapidly help diminish the effects of nausea.
• Take your prenatal vitamins at night before bed or in the evening.
• Take a vitamin B6 supplement.
• Avoid getting overheated.

If none of the home remedies help you with your morning sickness, you may need help.  Ocassionally morning sickness can be so severe that medical intervention is necessary.  Severe morning sickness is known as Hyperemesis.  If you consistently cannot keep food or water down, talk to your doctor.  A doctor can prescribe medication to help alleviate vomiting and nausea.  Whatever the degree of morning sickness a women may have, she can look forward to the most precious reward at the end of pregnancy, a baby.

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