Galations 2:20-21

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly." Galations 2:20-21

Friday, March 13, 2009

Morning Sickness Remedies

Since very early on in my pregnancy I have been trying everything and anything to ease the morning sickness. Every day I get through I thank the Lord for bringing me one day closer to the end of all this. I've searched the internet and talked to friends and family about what worked for them. Here are some things that HAVE and have NOT worked for me..

Have NOT:

1. Crackers: This is the most common food people have told me eat right before I get out of bed in the morning and snack on throughout the day. NOT for me. I am so thirsty in the morning. The last thing I want to eat is a dry and salty cracker. Also, I'm not really a cracker eater and trying something I already don't really like is out of the question.

2. Cheese: I saw this one some website and thought I'd give it a try. I really like cheese. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. I had a piece of string cheese for a snack yesterday and puked it up 10 minutes later. Oh, and FYI: cheese is one of the nastiest things to vomit up! Won't be trying that again.

3. Travel-Eze Wristbands: My mother-in-law purchased these for me with very good intentions. I gave them a good try, but I don't notice any difference in my symptoms. They say they are "one size fits all." For children and adults. But they are almost too small for me and I have really small wrists to begin with. After an hour or so of wearing them, they begin to itch really bad and cut off my blood circulation. Thanks for the thought, Deb. I gave them a good go at it!

4. Pickles: I'm not trying this one again. The funny thing is that after I got enough courage to eat one, I ate 3 of them in one sitting. But the after effect was not pretty....

Now onto the things that HAVE worked:

1. Sleep: The more I sleep the better I feel. Plain and simple. I notice if I don't get proper rest, I have a really bad day. The nausea is really bad and the vomiting is worse.

2. Gatoraid: The blue flavor. I am addicted to this stuff. It's been hard for me to drink enough water, so this is really helping me stay hydrated and the extra electrolytes help as well.

3. Popsicles: These are literally like a drug for me. Any flavor but grape, please. Any time the nausea is way too much to bare, I grab a popsicle and I feel instantly relieved....until the popsicle is gone, that is. I could really eat a whole box in a day if i didn't have any self-control.

4. Vitamin B6: At first I didn't think this one was helping, but after doing some research I cut down on my dosage and find that is helping a little after all.


5. Food I can handle: Bagels, Toast, Toaster Streudals, Honey Nut Cheerios, FiberOne Honey Nut cereal, Jello, sometimes a light soup like Mrs. Grass, Pringles potato chips.

6. Boiron Homeopathic Medicine: My midwife turned me onto this. They come in little chapstick looking containers. They are little white pellets that you dissolve in your mouth 3 times a day. They have all different kinds, but one that she recommended for me is ipecacuanha. It helps with nausea, vomiting and hypersalivation. That's a pregnant woman! They have actually been working pretty well. The only downside is that it's about $8 for 5 days worth. Whole Foods sells them and there was a store right by the office, so that was convenient.

Weird foods I sometimes have the craving for that I wouldn't think women with morning sickness would even desire: Taco Bell....cheesy gordita crunch, plain chicken taco with loads of hot sauce....Taco lunchables...Chili's queso dip and chips.

6 comments:

Alisa said...

First of all, congratulations! We are so happy for you guys. I hope you are feeling better soon. Funny, I've had the same craving for Taco Bell...with all three of my pregnancies! It was the worst with Owen...couldn't get enough of that Taco Bell cheese!

Leanne said...

I can't seem to shake this double ear infection + sinus infection. 2 weeks already, c'mon. The ears make me really off-balance, dizzy and therefore a little nauseated. I also get motion sickness in the car, on a boat, on the subway, etc. My doctor just gave me a prescription pill for motion sickness to ease the discomfort. It works but it makes you really s-l-e-e-p-y. Though I know have to watch what sort of prescriptions you can take while pregnant. I've tried those wrist bands- they work for me sometimes. Have you taken ginger candy? I have good luck with hot ginger tea. Camomile herbal tea is great, too. Bananas seem to help me. I have found that Vitamin B helps ease headaches, too. I'm a big fan of holistic medicine. I will ALWAYS try holistic medicine before going to the doctor. I think we over medicate ourselves and there are a lot of natural remedies. I tried a bunch of stuff for my sinuses before I gave in to antibiotics. Have you considered seeing a chiropractor during your pregnancy?? I've been seeing a chiropractor on/off for years. I know some people think they are wacky but I found a lot of benefits. My current chiropractor, in Des Plaines, treats A LOT of pregnant women. Her practice is called Lifecare Chiropractic and Wellness. Dr. Katie is pretty young and she's really nice... in case you're interested. $8.00 isn't so bad to be honest. If it works, use it! Your morning sickness might last the whole 9 months or you might find some relief here soon.

I hope you feel better!

{Sorry, I wrote a book. I'm pretty passionate about alternative medicine.}

Racquel said...

Alisa: Thanks! I'm getting some TBell for dinner tonight :)

Leanne: I'm sorry your sinuses are still bothering you. Hope you feel better soon. Thanks for the ginger suggestion. I've have already had that recommended to me, but I HATE tea, for one. For some reason it just gets my gag reflex going (without the pregnancy). I also have tried ginger candies in the past and absolutely hate the taste. Glad they work for you. I have a friend who gets motion sickness in the car and they work for her as well. There are a few perscription medications I can take, but I'd rather not go there. I don't mind chiropractors. I've gone to one here or there in the past for various things. I'm not sure if I have to resort to that yet, though. If it lasts longer than 16 weeks in to my pregnancy I may consider it. Thanks for the ideas and for your response. I really hope you start feeling better soon. I'm sure your sick of being sick by now!

Anonymous said...

You may already know this, but besides avoiding foods and odors that trigger morning sickness, you should also try separating your liquid and fluid intake. Also try eating more frequent and smaller meals throughout the day. This is a pretty common recommendation for the management of morning sickness. You want to avoid making your stomach too full. Liquid adds a lot of volume to your stomach so liquid plus food is a lot. Hope this helps!

The Petersons said...

Oh Racquel! I was like you...my sickness would strike any time of the day! It was really hard, especially since I love to cook (as do you.) Sleeping was the thing that always worked for me, and eating whatever sounded good on a particular day. Giving in to cravings (in moderation) can help you get the important calories you need without making you sick. They sell some lollipops at Babies R Us that claim to help (Preggy Pops, haha.) It's probably like the popsicle thing, but a lollipop can last a little longer so you might try those. They have them on the Web site.
Good luck! It will get better, I promise!!

Racquel said...

Thanks Deborah! I've heard of the preggy pops before. I'm really trying to give into my cravings whenever I have them. I just don't get them too often yet. I'm hoping to get more soon. I'm so hungry! We are on week 10, so hopefully the end will come in the next couple weeks here!