"Just eat a few saltines and you'll be ok".

I don't know about you, but as someone who suffered with

prolonged, severe morning sickness (which I affectionately call

morning noon and night sickness), when I hear someone say this,

I just want to slug them!

If you're suffering with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy,

you're not alone. Most women experience it to some degree

during their first trimester. If you're one of the unfortunate

few whose symptoms last longer than the typical 6-12 weeks, I

empathize. I've had the same experience with all 4 of my

pregnancies. I have learned a few things that helped however,

and I hope you can get some relief with these tips.

1. Getting your blood sugar regulated is priority #1.

One theory about why morning sickness is worse in the morning

(and for some women only occurs then) is because when you wake

up from sleep, you have low blood sugar. For some pregnant

woman, going 8 hours without food is just a bad idea.

You might find it helpful to eat a high protein snack before

bed, and even to eat a bite each time you get up in the night

to go to the bathroom. (Which in the beginning may be quite

frequent!)

Personally, I found that what I did first thing in the morning

was of paramount importance. I had to eat a few bites of food

while still lying down. So I either put some food on a plate

beside my bed or asked my husband bring me a snack first thing

in the morning.

Don't jump out of bed. Eat your snack slowly and lie still for

a few minutes afterwards. Then slowly get up and immediately go

to the kitchen and eat another bite. Again, emphasize protein.

2. Avoid foods that cause rapid blood sugar shifts.

Fruit juice, sugary snacks, processed cereal (the kind that

comes in a box), anything made with white flour, etc...these

types of foods cause your blood sugar to rapidly rise then come

crashing down, triggering nausea and vomiting. Eat protein foods

and whole foods.

Meat, cheese, yogurt (be careful here- try plain yogurt with

frozen berries mixed in. Most yogurt has way too much sugar in

it.), eggs, nuts, nut butters, veggies, and whole grains should

be your staples.

Even if eating doesn't appeal to you, coaxing yourself to eat a

little bit of a protein food every 2 hours will help prevent

vomiting. Don't leave the house without carrying a snack with

you.

3. If drinking water makes you sicker, try these alternatives.

It's very important that you stay hydrated. You're going to

need extra fluids to support the pregnancy, but many women find

that drinking water makes them more nauseated. Some things to

try:

Smoothies made with fruit, ice and plain yogurt or kefir. The

tangy flavor of these two dairy products really hit the spot

for me. They also sneak in some extra protein.

Water served VERY cold with a squeeze of lemon or lime.

Carbonated water with a small amount of fruit juice for flavor.

Weakly brewed iced or hot tea with lemon. The small bit of

caffeine won't harm your baby. Something about the bitter

tannins in tea may help ease nausea.

Citrus fruits and melons.

4. Avoid nausea triggers as much as possible.

Your nose is on hyperdrive during early pregnancy!

Stinky smells like poopy diapers, kitchen trash, even morning

breath may be impossible to totally avoid, but try your best to

avoid smelly situations.

Have someone else take out the trash. Have hubby change your

toddler when he's home. It's the least he can do!

And don't be shy about telling someone who has bad breath,

noxious perfume or cigarette smells on them that you're in a

delicate condition and need some fresh air. During my

pregnancies, my husband had to switch to unscented deodorant

and soap, otherwise I couldn't hug him!

If cooking smells make you ill, take a break from your usual

garlic and onion specialties. Don't be a martyr. Hubby will

understand that you can't make his favorite sausage and peppers

for a while.

Prepare meals that won't stink up the kitchen. Green main dish

salads with cold, cut up chicken, steak or hard boiled eggs.

Sandwiches are good too.

5. Try Aromatherapy

Put a couple of drops of lavender, mint or lemon essential oil

(these oils are generally regarded as safe to use during

pregnancy) on cotton balls and keep these in various

locations... the kitchen, bathroom, your purse and in the car.

Take a whiff when you feel sick. Put a few drops on your

pillow.

6. Take it easy- but don't forget exercise

I know, I know... exercise is the last thing you want to do

when you can hardly get your face out of the toilet! But if you

force yourself to take even a ten minute walk outside every day,

it WILL help.

But do try to take it easy, avoid stress as much as possible,

and rest as much as you can. You're doing the very important

job of growing a baby. Explain to your other children why

you're feeling poorly and that it won't last forever. Call in

favors and ask friends to come over to play with your 2 year

old for an hour so you can sleep, or ask them to cook extra

when they make dinner tonight and bring you a dish.

When you feel a bout of nausea coming on, try to lay down for a

few minutes in a dark room with your eyes closed. Sometimes if

you do this the episode will pass.

7. Focus on the positive

Sometimes when you're so miserable it's easy to forget what's

making you so sick! Remember that statistically, women who

experience nausea and vomiting of pregnancy are more likely to

carry the pregnancy to term.

One of my midwives told me that she always worries when a Mom

comes in for her first prenatal feeling wonderful...the chances

of her miscarrying are higher.

So rejoice in your strong hormones! Read pregnancy magazines,

birth stories on the Internet, look through maternity clothing

catalogs, do whatever you need to do to cheer yourself up and

get yourself in the mood for a new baby.

8. More Misc. Tips

Try eating candied ginger or sipping ginger tea. I found ginger

in capsules to be too harsh and they hurt terribly if they did

come back up.

Brewer's yeast capsules work for some Moms.

Try sucking on lemon slices when you're feeling a wave of

nausea.

Sip mint tea or chew mint gum to help dry up excessive

salivating that may trigger nausea.

If you have trouble brushing your teeth due to an overactive

gag reflex, switch to using baking soda for awhile. The foaming

of regular toothpaste may be too much. And brush your teeth in

shifts if you need to... first the top teeth, then a few

minutes later the bottom teeth, then your tongue, etc.

Avoid getting overheated or chilled. Extremes in temperature

can trigger vomiting.

Try Sea-Bands, available at large drug stores. They're designed

for motion sickness but helps some pregnant women.

Go with your cravings, within reason. For some reason, pizza

and Taco Bell always hit the spot during my pregnancies.

Clean the toilet daily, even if it's the only household chore

you can do right now. Better yet, have someone else do it. And

wear your hair up for awhile. If you're going to be throwing

up, at least you will have your hair out of the way and a clean

bowl to hug!