Pregnancy, Parenthood & Playtime

Whether we want to admit it or not, no one LIKES morning sickness. In fact I had “morning sickness” my entire pregnancy with my first child, and sometimes I look back and think, “Wow, that was a miserable 9 months”. While it was exciting to be bringing my first child into the world, being in and out of the hospital with dehydration from throwing up so much was no walk in the park. I dreaded getting pregnant with my second child because I assumed it would be like that all over again, and this is when I learned how different pregnancies can be in the same woman. I flew threw my pregnancy, and never even threw up once!  (Which I am SO proud of) LOL!

So in light of my two experiences, I decided I would put together a little survival guide for morning sickness…

• Ginger Ale – Or anything really with ginger in it that doesn’t have a lot of sugar. I know that I started living on ginger ale in the mornings until I could actually get a glass of water down and keep it down.
• Stay away from products, foods, or drinks with a lot of  sugar will increase your nausea in most cases, not only that but everything you are eating or taking in, your baby is also!
• Mint – For some women, mints help. I know that wintergreen life saver mints worked wonders for me with both of my children when I would feel a little… under the weather, but others have said that peppermint, and other mints including mint teas have worked well. With the tea, you are also helping to stay hydrated.
• Saltine Crackers – The typical saltine crackers. If you do not eat something, even if you have no desire to eat, as your day goes on you will feel even sicker. Pick something bland and snack on it.
• Foods that are not very acidic are also very helpful. Like I already said… bland foods.

I know you may want to pig out, or even have a really good appetite, but believe me, be safe, the first couple weeks of pregnancy can really throw you off. One minute you are just fine, the next minute you are hugging the toilet. Ick!

Then there are sometimes you just have to throw up and get it out…

• Bring a plastic bag with you in your purse – Sometimes you are going to have to throw up and there won’t be a bathroom readily available to you. You may be in the car, or out in public. We know this is completely embarrassing, but it can be a lifesaver.
• Bring a towel in the car with you – I learned this with my first pregnancy. Sometimes if you are driving down the road, you may have to throw up, and pulling over, getting your plastic bag out, and making it into the bag simply won’t happen. The towel on the seat became a great substitute for the plastic bag without ruining my car seat.
• Just stay home! – If you can of course.

Nothing is worse than getting sick in public, but sometimes it happens. Once people know you are pregnant, it is definitely excusable without any question. A couple weeks ago, actually it was black Friday to be exact, and my husband and I were walking into babies r us, and we were behind a young woman. All of a sudden she ran to the garbage can at the entrance of the store and started throwing up. I looked at my husband and just said… “Poor thing, I know how that goes”.

It gets better in most women, I promise.
If you are getting sick more than the average women, or longer than your first trimester be sure to discuss it with your health care provider. There are some medical conditions that can cause this in pregnant women, and can require medical attention.

Good Luck!