by Lucinda Davis

Created on: March 30, 2009

Pregnancy will certainly change your eating habits. I used to love eating bologna until I experienced morning sickness. I remember I could barely stand to look at it and I have not eaten it since I became pregnant twenty years ago. There's the old joke about pregnant women wanting pickles and icecream. I used to hate pickles before I became pregnant, but I did begin eating them during my pregnancy. The tart flavor seems to help prevent the nausea.

Toast and crackers will eat your nausea and sometimes prevents you from vomiting. I used to keep crackers on my night stand next to the bed and eat a couple when I woke up. Make sure they are low in salt because salt will make you retain water and it makes childbirth much more difficult.

Your nose can make you vomit so if you smell something that makes you queasy breathe into your hands until the odor goes away. Most of your taste is in your ability to smell so if you can't smell it then it probably won't make you sick. Unfortunately I couldn't even look at bologna without getting sick. I had to cook for fourteen people at an AFC home the first time I was pregnant and could barely stand to do the job. If you can recruit someone else to do the cooking then by all means let them.

By eating small meals you'll avoid morning sickness and heartburn. The larger the baby gets the less room you have for food so eat small portions often. You also need to keep food in your stomach or the acids in your stomach will make you feel ill. Avoid the spicy and fatty foods. Eat complex carbs like peanut butter or yogurt. Also chew your food completely and eat slowly, don't gobble it down.

Some people swear by acupunture and alternative methods. This is certainly an area you can look into but keep your doctor informed if you are interested in taking any herbs including ginger which is known for relieving morning sickness. Just remember that whatever you put into your body your baby is getting too. Probably the safest form of ginger is ginger tea or using it in your meals.

Get plenty of rest, exercise, fresh air and take your vitamins. Vitamin B6 helps guard against nausea. When exercising don't make any sudden movements. You wouldn't want to get out of bed too quickly either, slow and steady is best at this time.

If you are trying all of these things and it's not helping then see your doctor especially if you are losing weight or your vomit doesn't look right. It's important to gain weight when you are pregnant.

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