The excitement of pregnancy can turn to misery when morning sickness kicks in. Don’t worry, fertility naturopath and herbalist Nikki Warren, shares some ways to make yourself feel not so sh*t!
By Nikki Warren
The excitement of a positive pregnancy test can soon turn to misery for some women around week 6 of pregnancy, when morning sickness usually kicks in.
Then it hangs around until around week 14-16 of pregnancy.
Plus, if you’re under the age of 24, having a girl, or carrying twins it’s likely your morning sickness is going to be worse (sorry!).
But don’t worry babes, there are things you can do so you don’t feel quite so sh*t!
1. Snack, snack, snack
Try snacking on almonds and other nuts to stabilise blood sugar.
Plus make sure you’re eating frequently, preferably every 2 hours – eating foods high in chromium such as apples, raisins, nuts and cheese.
It’s also a good idea to eat something high in protein just before bedtime. This will help prevent blood sugar from dipping too low overnight.
Nuts or yoghurt are especially helpful. Keep some crackers or ginger biscuits next to your bed to eat before getting up in the morning.
There are several nutrients that help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. These include chromium, biotin and alpha lipoic acid.
Other nutrients involved in carbohydrate metabolism include vitamins B1. B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, magnesium, manganese and zinc.
2. Pay attention to your vitamins
Calcium and magnesium are calming minerals which are alkalising to the stomach and may help with nausea if you take them as a supplement.
And taking 75mg of vitamin B6 daily has been found to reduce the frequency and severity of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.
3. Sip on ginger tea
Ginger is a traditional remedy for morning sickness and has been shown to be effective at a dose of 650mg twice daily.
But it is important not to exceed 2000mg daily during pregnancy. At this dose, it has a blood-thinning effect and you should be cautious when taking with other blood-thinning medication such as aspirin or supplements such as fish oils and CoQ10.
Chewing on crystallised ginger or drinking ginger tea during the day is a safe bet and may help to ease symptoms.
4. Make yourself more comfortable (and no we don’t mean take a nap!)
If you are constipated, try having 2 kiwifruits at night to gently stimulate your bowels. Relieving constipation can help reduce nausea.
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