Managing Nausea in the First Trimester of Pregnancy
Managing Nausea in the First Trimester
Pregnancy is an amazing experience, especially for new moms. However, sometimes it is accompanied by unpleasant experiences like nausea, morning sickness and vomiting. These symptoms appear mostly during the first trimester and then naturally go away. There are few cases in which these experiences last throughout the pregnancy. Though the exact cause of nausea is still not known, physiological and hormonal changes likely play a role by heightening the sense of smell and making the digestive system more sensitive.
Nausea or morning sickness is truly uncomfortable but rarely serious. In fact, such symptoms affect about 70% of women during their initial stages of pregnancy and about 50% of them experience vomiting. In most cases, natural approaches are the best ways to deal with these symptoms and feel better.
Natural Remedies That Really Work
Nausea is something that most pregnant women are familiar with during the early stages of pregnancy. Though it’s a very unpleasant feeling and can arise in a variety of situations like after having food or sleep, there are various natural ways to deal with it.
Some of the effective natural remedies to manage nausea during the first trimester are:
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Ginger Therapy
Ginger is an effective herb for relieving the feeling of nausea or morning sickness. However, it might not be effective if you are vomiting. This aromatic herb has tummy-taming properties and works in a way similar to other anti-vomiting or anti-nausea medications. Additionally, unlike some prescription medicines, ginger does not have any negative side effects. So, if you are experiencing nausea or morning sickness, consider getting creative with ginger. Though ginger candies and capsules are easily available in the market, you can have freshly grated ginger in your morning tea or homemade ginger ale to deal with your queasy stomach and pregnancy nausea.
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Peppermint Aromatherapy
Chewing or eating items with peppermint flavours may help you feel relaxed and less nauseated. This fresh flavour masks unpleasant odours that may trigger the feeling of nausea. When feeling uncomfortable, consider smelling peppermint oil or sipping a cup of peppermint tea to reduce the feeling of nausea. While travelling, you may also carry a mint lip balm or a roller to avoid experiencing a nasty round of morning sickness.
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Slice a Lemon
Citrusy smells are great for reducing the feeling of nausea during pregnancy. So, pregnant women should consider smelling freshly sliced lemon as soon as they feel uncomfortable or have morning sickness. If you want, you may also scratch the peel of the lemon as it releases essential oil and brings down the feeling of nausea.
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Eat Little But Often
During pregnancy, women become nauseous when they are hungry or eat more. Remember, as the baby inside your tummy banks upon you for nutrients, you may often feel hungry during this period. When your stomach is empty, the acids keep on feasting on your stomach’s inner lining and can cause nausea. On the other hand, eating too much may make you feel queasy. So, to counter nausea or vomiting, consider snacking at regular intervals, However, eat in smaller portions and take frequent meals throughout the day.
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Stay Hydrated
If you are experiencing morning sickness often, make sure you stay hydrated to avoid such symptoms. To keep your baby and yourself healthy, it’s critical that you don’t fall into a cycle of dehydration. Try to have at least 10 glasses of water every day. To stay hydrated and keep your electrolyte level balanced, you may also include other fluids like green tea, watermelon juice, lemon slush, etc. in your diet. During pregnancy, the progesterone levels get increased and disrupt your digestion process. Thus, to improve your digestion, ensure to have water 30 minutes prior to or after meals.
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Time Your Prenatal Vitamins
Ensure to have your prenatal vitamins on time. Vitamins containing iron can exacerbate nausea. Thus, it’s a good idea to have such vitamins after meals and before bedtime. Try not to have prenatal vitamins on an empty stomach as it may aggravate your symptoms. However, if you are still not comfortable with your medication, talk to your doctor for an alternative option. Also, you may ask your doctor to provide you with vitamin B6 supplements as it has the potential to reduce your morning sickness.
Managing Nausea with a Wristband
Acupressure is a great technique to deal with nausea or morning sickness. This is a technique that uses gentle pressure to hit certain nervous centers to deal with a problem. According to professionals, the P6 acupressure point (located near the wrist, on the inner arm) is the nervous center to relieve nausea and prevents vomiting.
Nausea wristbands apply pressure to your P6 point to provide relief from nausea or vomiting. So, if you often experience morning sickness, consider investing in such wearable bands. These bands come along with an attached plastic stud for hitting constant pressure. By applying steady pressure, these bands stimulate your median nerve and stop your belly from sending an ‘I’m sick’ message to the brain.
Looking for an alternative treatment to prevent the feeling of nausea and vomiting? Nausea wristbands are clinically proven acupressure bands that sit on your wrist just like any other normal band and provide instant relief. Apart from pregnant women, the band can be used by people suffering from nausea associated with chemotherapy, motion, or post-operation.
Prolonged use of a nausea wristband does not pose any risk to your baby. However, if its prolonged use causes swelling, you may remove the band and use it again when the discomfort subsides.
When to See Your Doctor
In most cases, nausea or morning sickness is a temporary pregnancy symptom. However, if you often experience such symptoms and vomit regularly, consider talking to your doctor. Continuous vomiting during pregnancy may lead to dehydration, which is also known as hyperemesis gravidarum. This is a serious medical condition that can be treated with intravenous fluid injection and other emergency medication.
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