8 September 2014
For many expectant women, the term “morning sickness” would probably best be replaced by something along the lines of “all day nausea”. Between 70% and 80% of pregnant women experience some degree of morning sickness, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy, although thankfully, for many this tails off after the first 12-14 weeks.
Having said this, if you are one of the lucky ones who is sailing through pregnancy without a queasy moment, then please don’t feel that this is somehow an indication that your pregnancy is less soundly established than those experiencing morning sickness with a vengeance. You’re just lucky and so there's no excuse for not doing your pregnancy exercises!
Likewise, if you are experiencing a nasty mix of nausea and vomiting which is making it hard for you to eat much, let alone follow the latest super-dooper, healthy pregnancy diet, please try not to worry that this is affecting your baby. Your baby is very good at syphoning off all that s/he needs from you.
Experts are not entirely sure why so many of us experience nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, and quite a few suggestions have been put forward. One explanation is that raised levels of the HCG hormone during the first trimester cause morning sickness, whilst another suggestion is that high levels of oestrogen are to blame. The finger has also been pointed at a heightened sense of smell during pregnancy, and it has also been suggested that low blood sugar levels first thing in the morning contribute to feelings of morning sickness. Finally, it has been noted that the hormone progesterone relaxes what is called the “smooth muscle” in the digestive tract and this slows down the passage of food which could well give rise to nausea and vomiting. One way or another, it’s really most unpleasant – I can remember it vividly!
Morning sickness can last right the way through pregnancy for some people but rest assured that for most mums-to-be it eases off significantly after the first 12-14 weeks
The first thing you can do is get yourself a copy of my FREE Morning Sickness-busting guide which you’ll find in the top right hand corner of this page – with 13 top tips on combatting morning sickness, I’m hoping that something will work for you.
But to get you started right now here are a few ideas that you can try:
Ginger has been used for thousands of years to relieve nausea, so it’s worth giving it a go. Try herbal teas which include ginger; crystallised ginger is yummy in small quantities; in handmade chocolate shops you can sometimes get ginger dipped in very dark chocolate; but Nairn’s ginger oat biscuits are my favourite because they are oats-based, they have a low GI which means that they release energy slowly and they taste really good.
Try to adopt the little but often approach to eating, so that your stomach is never entirely empty and your blood sugar levels never drop too low. Not eating at all will leave you feeling even more nauseous, so try to keep nibbling.
Avoid fried food as it is known to set off nausea. On the other hand, certain foods with healthy fats in them, such as avocados, are not only good for you but can also help to settle the stomach.
Give peppermint tea a go. Many mums-to-be report that its refreshing taste helps with nausea and also serves to mask the unpleasant metallic taste one gets in the mouth when feeling sick.
In a nutshell, hyperemesis gravidarum is what Kate Middleton had at the start of her first pregnancy and it looks as though she is suffering this time round too, poor thing. It’s an extreme form of morning sickness which is so severe that one becomes dehydrated and can need hospitalisation so that a drip can be inserted for rehydration. Fortunately it is not very common with approximately 1 in every 200-500 women suffering from this condition.