All-Day Sickness

Something like 40% of women struggle with morning sickness, and unfortunately, I'm part of that 40%.

It all began around 7 weeks and lasted until 15 weeks; two very miserable months of my life. After speaking with many women, I soon realized that the intensity and duration of morning sickness totally depends on the woman and the pregnancy. Now that I have finally recovered I'd like to share my experience with morning sickness (all-day sickness) and what finally helped me. I'm may be sharing a little too much, but one thing that helped me was knowing that other women were experiencing the same things I was, even if it was a detailed account...



Here is an example of my personal morning sickness:

• 5-6 days a week I would throw up as soon as I got out of bed. It didn't matter if I ate anything before getting up (saltines included), if I didn't eat anything I would still throw up (stomach acid).
• 3-4 days a week I would throw up all morning and early afternoon (6-7 times). I threw up everything! 
• Saltines, ginger ale, stomach bile, anything and everything irritated my stomach.
• Occasionally I would throw up throughout the night. Yes, starting at around 3 am I would spend the rest of the morning in the bathroom.

Unfortunately, I lost about 7-8 lbs during my first trimester and my midwives were concerned, so when I wasn't feeling sick (evenings) I would eat like a cow. I have gained back those 8 lbs despite the constant morning sickness, and I'm pretty proud of it :)

What finally worked for me:
I tried to get Unisom, but since I'm allergic to Benadryl the pharmacist suggested not using anything with anti-histamines. I was quite desperate by this point, so I did some reading online and got some good information. Morning sickness seems to be unique to each person. Some women suggested things that worked for me, other suggestions did not work so well. So if you are experiencing morning sickness, experiment and find what works for you! If something doesn't work, don't get discouraged, just try something else.

1. Pregnancy tea at night
   Yogi is a great brand, but anything with red raspberry leaves and peppermint will do.
2. Vitamin B6 in the morning or afternoon
   DO NOT TAKE BEFORE BED. I did this and slept for about 3 hours total. Then I realized it's a vitamin that boosts metabolism and energy... If you take it at night, make sure it's with Unisom or something that makes you drowsy.
3. Peppermint gum
   Most food leaves a nasty aftertaste and I've found that if I'm chewing I don't feel as nauseated.
4. Lots of small meals and snacks
   Most the time, I felt the most sick from hunger. I keep snacks on hand and eat before I get hungry.
5. (Gentle) Exercise
   Honestly, I don't feel like doing anything but laying on the couch like a bum. But once I started walking around the indoor track I started feeling much better.
6. Patience
   At one point I had to just put on my big girl pants and deal with it. Sometimes all you can do is stay positive and endure to the end.

The pregnancy tea has worked miracles for me. The day before I started drinking it I threw up all morning, and the day after I started taking it I didn't throw up once, and I have only thrown up once in the past 10 days since I started! The difference was like night and day.

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