Quick Fixes to a Common Pregnancy Discomfort: Nausea

If you are pregnant, you probably already know that the number one pregnancy discomfort is nausea. Whether you are in your first trimester or nearing the end, you will find that having an upset stomach can make or break your day. However, there are several things you can do to help ease your symptoms.

During pregnancy, your hormones, HCG and progesterone may to be the blame for the pregnancy maladies. The HCG is secreted by the implanted embryo and stimulates progesterone production. The more HCG and the more progesterone, the more symptoms you are likely to have. Once the placenta takes over, progesterone production HCG drops and the symptoms will decrease. Here are some of the most common unpleasant side effects related to pregnancy:

- Low blood sugar
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Delayed emptying of the stomach
- After-meal sleepiness

There are ways to ease these symptoms. As most pregnant women know, taking many over the counter prescriptions are a big no-no at this time. You must find safe ways to get you through the worse symptoms without causing harm to your developing baby.

Avoid triggers: Avoid nausea triggers, such as cooking certain foods, and cleaning out the litter boxes (which you should not do during pregnancy anyway), or any other smell that might trigger a gag reflex. Often, normal smells that never bothered you before will have you running to the bathroom. These might include body odors, leftover food in the fridge, coffee, gasoline, solvent fumes, garbage, scented cosmetics and toiletries.

Know when you feel your worst: Plan your days around your feeling of nausea to avoid the triggers that make you feel sick. Go shopping and run errands during the part of the day that you are less likely to get sick and have the most energy. For example, if you know that you are more prone to feeling sick in the morning, do not head to the grocery store as soon as you roll out of bed. Don't over do it either, that can trigger getting sick or more fatigue.

Eat before your feet hit the floor: If you start the morning off sick, you are likely to stay sick for much of the day. Have a variety of easy-to-digest foods on your nightstand and eat a light snack before you even get up. Some common foods that are very good include oranges, crackers and gingersnaps. If you wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, you might consider a nibble or two.

Eat nutrient-dense foods: This is very helpful during pregnancy. Foods such as avocados, kidney beans, cheese, fish, nut butter, whole-grain pasta, brown rice, tofu, and turkey are all good choices. If peanut butter is too strong, try almond or cashew butter, and spread it thinly on crackers, bread, apple slices or celery sticks. Avoid spicy, fatty, or sugary foods; they can cause nausea and heartburn. Try to get as much protein as possible with out having to eat large meals that can make you sick.

Avoid an empty stomach: During pregnancy, an empty stomach may leave you feeling hypersensitive to saliva, and nausea will soon follow. Keep your stomach busy by drinking milk and having lowfat yogurt or ice cream before eating a saliva-stimulating food (such as salty foods, or dry foods such as crackers). Remember peppermint candies and gum may help nausea, but not on an empty stomach. Eat foods with a high water content to ease dehydration that aggravates nausea, such as fruits. Eat high-energy foods. Complex carbohydrates act as time-release energy capsules, slowly releasing energy into your bloodstream and helping to keep your appetite satisfied. The main food group represented here is grains (rice, corn, wheat, oats, barley), found in breads, cereals, pastas, and crackers. Make yourself eat. No matter whether you feel like it or not, eat something. If you don't eat, you will get an acid-filled stomach and low blood sugar. Nibbling on anything that makes you feel good to prevent an empty tummy.

Prenatal vitamins are your friends: However, these vitamins are not good for an empty stomach. So, to avoid nausea and a sour stomach common with prenatal vitamins, take them with your biggest meal to prevent nausea. In fact, take them right in the middle of your meal. Vitamins can be a big trigger of nausea-unless they are taken with a large meal. If this does not work, try taking it at night before bed, so that you will be asleep once it is digested.

Reduce stress. Some doctors say it is better for a baby in-utero to be spared a steady barrage of stress hormones, and stress can increase your nausea cycle. Try acupressure and/or acupuncture. Both Eastern and Western medical practitioners have found a trigger point on the inner aspect of the wrist, which if stimulated, may relieve nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy and other conditions. This is completely safe during pregnancy. A good prenatal massage is also very good for reducing stress. Many women feel that a good stress reducer works wonders on the worst pregnancy symptoms.

Avoid motion sickness: This means that you may want to be the driver and not the passenger while you are feeling sick. Also, if you are taking a long car trip, consider safe motion sickness prevention techniques such as ginger, sea bands and relaxing.

Dress comfortably: You should dress like you are pregnant and wear loose clothing. Many women find that anything pressing on their abdomen, waist, or neck is irritating and nausea triggering. You will have plenty of time for your other jeans-this is not a time for tight fitting clothing.
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Position yourself for comfort and prevention. Heartburn is another common part of the nausea-pregnancy package. This burning feeling, which is caused by reflux of stomach acids, occurs more frequently during pregnancy. For heartburn, keep upright or lie on your right side after eating.

As you can see, there are many ways you can help yourself through the worst pregnancy symptoms. Remember that pregnancy only last a few months, so make the most it while you can.