The Ins and Outs of Morning Sickness

Morning sickness is caused by the increase of hormones in your body when you are pregnant. Morning sickness is called what it is because you are more likely to suffer the most severe nausea in the morning when your hCG levels are highest but despite the name morning sickness can strike at any time of the day or night. Most women only experience morning sickness in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy, others are not that lucky and may experience morning sickness throughout their whole entire pregnancy. If you are carrying multiple fetuses you are even more unlucky and even more likely to suffer from severe morning sickness.

Here are a couple of simple tips which will help you get you through the morning sickness:

• Even though the last thing you want to do is eat when you're feeling nauseous, it is the best thing to do. Make sure you eat breakfast.
• A dry piece of toast, as nauseating at it might sound is good to eat first thing in the morning.
• Eat smaller meals and snack throughout the day.
• Have a small snack at bedtime or when you wake up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
• Avoid greasy, rich, fatty and spicy foods.
• Suck on hard candy.
• Ginger helps a lot with nausea
• Wear an acupressure wrist band. Studies have shown that acupressure helps with nausea.

Because you lose fluids when you throw up, it is important to stay hydrated. Try sucking on ice chips or ice pops. Take frequent small sips of water instead of drinking a whole glass of water all at once. Some women find that taking small sips of ginger ale or peppermint tea relieves their symptoms. Ginger ale works especially well. Try not to resort to medication or herbal remedies as both can be harmful to your unborn baby, speak to your doctor before taking anything.

You need to keep hydrated, even though it is difficult it essential for you and your baby's health. Speak to your doctor if you have experienced any of this:

• You have not been able to keep liquids down for more than one day.
• You're vomiting blood, which may appear bright red or look like black coffee grounds.
• You lose more than 2 pounds.
• You have vomited more than four times in one day.

Severe morning sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum) may require a stay in the hospital and treatment with intravenous (IV) fluids and medications, including anti-emetics, which control nausea.