by Heather Huff

Created on: July 16, 2009   Last Updated: July 20, 2009

If you are newly pregnant or are the spouse or partner of one who is, congratulations! Having a baby is truly a miracle. On the other side of this miracle, there exists morning sickness. Nearly half of all pregnant women suffer through morning sickness, which is nausea, sometimes but not always, followed by vomiting (American Pregnancy Association). My doctor told me it is due to the sudden increase of hormones. Sometimes it is over by the fourth month, but sometimes it lasts the whole pregnancy.

It's amusing how it is called morning sickness because my ordeal started in the late afternoon and endured into the late evening, much to the dismay of my husband. There were ways that alleviated my symptoms, which may be very different from other women. It also may vary from pregnancy to pregnancy. Here is how I navigated the choppy waters of morning sickness:

Smells: Keep the house well ventilated when cooking and avoid any smells that may make you turn green. My husband decided one morning to fry up some bacon, which caused a terrible reaction for me. From then on, bacon was forbidden. You just never know when an unfavorable smell will creep up on you.

Food and Drink: For me, I couldn't drink too much water. Therefore, I drank other things, like orange juice, and vowed to drink plenty of water when the sickness subsided. One night, my dutiful husband prepared a dinner of spaghetti. At the risk of giving TMI (too much information), not long after dinner, I had a violent vomiting episode in which I thought I would need him to help clear my throat. Spaghetti has been off the menu since. So naturally, avoid what triggers a negative response and allow yourself to have what gives you a positive response. If eating a chicken club from Wendy's makes you feel better like it did me, go for it and don't feel guilty. Don't try to skip a meal either. You could always try the ginger ale and saltines routine. I did this a little bit with my first pregnancy, but the thought of it the second time around did not sound appealing.

There is definitely truth in eating small portions more frequently, which was recommended by my doctor. I followed this and it helped immensely. My small snacks would be cheese and crackers, sometimes fruit or yogurt. If you need to go anywhere, make sure to plan ahead and pack a few items.

Altoids mints or peppermint gum was a staple I carried with me always.

Vitamins: For some reason, the supplements I was prescribed by the doctor exacerbated the sickness. He recommended I take Flintstones vitamins instead, which I did, and it certainly helped.

Other methods: Webmd.com recommends acupressure where you place pressure on the inner side of your arm, in line with your middle finger and one-sixth of the way between your wrist and elbow. They also recommend ginger, which you can take in various forms (capsule or grated into hot tea). Also, there is a ginger hard candy I have heard of. Vitamin B6 and B12 is an option also, with the approval of your doctor. The doctor can prescribe a medication that is safe as well. This I tried the first time, but it didn't make a difference in my sickness.

As one can conclude, ways to alleviate morning sickness is a trial and error process. Some lucky women have no symptoms, while others do. It is best to keep reminding yourself if you do, it is only temporary and what you have as the end result is worth your discomfort.

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