“Pregnancy nausea” or “morning sickness” is often the rather unpleasant first indication that you might be expecting. It affects most pregnancies although some women miraculously escape the nausea and vomiting associated with the first few months of pregnancy. If you are not one of them, be thankful if your symptoms fall into the “mild to normal category” of nausea during pregnancy, and that you are not in the approximately 1% of pregnant women who need to be hospitalized for the exaggerated form of this condition.

It usually strikes in the first trimester and is gone by week 14, but many women only experience it in their second trimester only and still other women only find relief after birth. Strangely enough, nobody seems to have been able to pin down a definate cause or cure for nausea during pregnancy, although there are any number of suggested culprits as well as magic bullets to cure it.

Pregnancy hormones are usually cited as numero uno in the list of possible causes – the sudden increase in estrogen, HCG (Human chorionic gonadotropin)and progesterone put a strain on the liver.
Other suggestions are:
the rapid expansion of the muscles of the uterus
the relaxation of the muscles of the digestive tract which affect digestion
emotional factors causing pregnancy stress
family tendency to morning sickness
nature’s way of detoxing and removing potentially harmful food and chemicals from the diet e.g. meat, cigarettes, alcohol

If you are not experiencing debilitating vomiting and nausea during pregnancy, dehydration, extreme thirst and starvation, heart palpatations, disorientation, rapid breathing and pulse (hyperemesis gravidarum) then read on. If you are experiencing any degree of the above then you need to be hospitalized, drip fed and monitored closely. For the avearge woman who just feels green on waking, here are a few possible remedies you can try:

Slow down. Eat something bland,savoury and dry on waking (pretzels, crackers, toast). Stay in bed for another twenty minutes, then get up gently. If you don’t feel nauseaus, try a fruit smoothie for breakfast (drink it slowly) or eat small portions of fruit such as watermelon, berries, orange. If you are nauseaus don’t eat anything but try to drink a little water,soup or fruit juice so that there will be something to throw up if needs be. Drink between rather than with meals and keep yourself well hydrated if you are vomiting.

Take a nap during the day if you can and keep your blood sugar constant with small meals. Unheated food smells less than hot food and greasy, spicy, fatty food is not on the menu. Instead stay nourished with lots of protein and complex carbohydrates.

Ginger remains an old favourite for nausea during pregnancy; fresh is more effective than powdered and chewing fresh ginger or infusing if for a tea is recommended as an anti spasmodic. B6 vitamins have also been used as a remedy for nausea during pregnancy and they can be taken in the middle of the day with your other prescribed pregnancy supplements, if mornings are bad. Food high in B6 would include eggs, chicken, whole wheat, yoghurt, legumes, fish, nuts and avocados.

Other medication can be prescribed by your doctor, and you could even try hypnosis and acupressure wristbands which are normally used for seasickness. Rest assured that by the time you find the relief for your nausea, week 14 will have rolled by and you will be symptom free. Just remember what worked for your nausea in pregnancy for the next time round!