Survival strategies for morning sickness

“Though some people tend to make light of morning sickness, it is no joke,” says Miriam Erick, M.S., R.D., a registered dietitian at The Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and author of Managing Morning Sickness: A Survivial Guide for Pregnant Women (Bull Publishing Company, ©2004, $16.95). “It is truly debilitating. A severe case can disrupt a woman’s career and family life and even threaten her long-term health. For such women, the old ‘crackers and jello’ mantra isn’t going to cut it.”

There’s no one-size-fits-all cure, but you can learn from Erick’s wealth of experience. Her book provides proven remedies, nutritional guidelines, and safe, nutritious recipes.

The book also covers the triggers and possible causes of morning sickness, presents the latest research on drugs and other treatments, discusses the effectiveness of acupuncture, holistic, herbal, and homeopathic treatments, and more. Real-life case studies from the author’s experience in hospital practice will help readers see that they are not alone—a realization that can come as a huge relief to women who are (insensitively) told that “it’s all in your head.”

Here, excerpted from Managing Morning Sickness and from Erick’s website are some tips on understanding, coping with, and defeating morning sickness:

Try lemons. “Eating lemons has been noted as a remedy for seasickness,” says Erick. “In my clinical experience, I’ve observed a strange but real therapeutic effect of lemons. You can sniff them, suck on them, or sprinkle them with salt and lick them. Lemon is a fragrance that works about 99 percent of the time! Not only is it effective in relieving nausea, it has been proven to relieve depression.”

Track your triggers. Do certain smells make you nauseated? Taking medication, eating, or drinking at certain times of the day? Being exposed to heat or humidity? Hearing loud noises? Being “jiggled” by a husband who tosses and turns in bed? If you chart your episodes of nausea or vomiting, you may discover patterns that reveal contributing factors.

Realize that bland isn’t always best. It’s almost a cliché to suggest tea, toast, crackers, and jello. For many women, bland foods are the answer. But others find success with such unlikely choices as “fireballs” (cinnamon candy), tater tots, sour cream & onion potato chips, and raw carrots and celery sticks dipped in vinegar. Quite simply, try whatever you think might work, no matter how odd.

Consider food categories—and trust your gut. Women seem to crave certain tastes/textures when they’re feeling sick. Pay attention to these preferences and give your queasy stomach what it wants. Managing Morning Sickness provides an extensive list of foods to try, broken down by taste and texture.

If junk food appeals to you, don’t feel guilty. Many women believe that if they consume anything on the “do not eat” list, the baby will immediately suffer. Although it is true that a pregnancy will benefit by better eating habits, in morning sickness, it is a very different game. What’s the benefit of eating well, vomiting, and having to take anti-vomiting medication rather than eating a few junk foods, foregoing medication, and not vomiting? It’s a game of trade-offs.

Consider “alternative” remedies. One study from Italy seemed to suggest that the Sea Band, an antiseasickness wristband with a bead sewn in that supposedly exerts pressure on a nerve connected to the vomiting center in the brain, was helpful in alleviating sickness.

Managing Morning Sickness reports on other remedies such as hypnosis, acupuncture, and foot reflexology. Common Western herbs such as cilantro, ginger, and peppermint and Eastern remedies like xiao hui xiang (small fennel), Jie Zi (brown mustard seeds), and pu gong ying (known in the U.S. as dandelion) have been found effective, but consult your doctor before taking any substance.

Erick advises, “Nurture yourself as best you can. Eat what you can keep down and let everyone else fend for themselves. And always keep in mind that no matter how terrible you feel, it has to be over in at least nine months.”