Pains of Pregnancy

When you first find out you are expecting, there is the shock, the surprise and the quiet delight that you now have this little growing inside.

How wonderful this will be you think, as you imagine all the changes this little life will bring. Perhaps there will be stresses too, but you know it will be okay – there is a new life on the way!

Two weeks later, you cannot believe how bad you feel. This tiny fetus is making your life miserable with nausea, light-headedness and even vomiting. Surely, pregnancy should be better than this?

The answer is different for everyone; some may experience morning sickness which is mainly extreme exhaustion coupled with a desire to eat very little, and a strong aversion to cooking meat.

For others, it may be less severe, while a few suffer desperate illness, unable to even keep down water.

There are many ideas of what we can do to manage morning sickness. No one thing works for every woman, although some ideas work for most.

If you are in the early stages of pregnancy and have morning sickness, try the following to ease the symptoms somewhat :-

• Keep on eating and drinking. Many doctors say morning sickness is due to low blood sugar levels. Another new study says it is due to dehydration. Try to keep both your eating and fluids up. Eat small amounts often.

• Eat what you feel like – unless it is soap, coal or dirt (which all signal some sort of vitamin or mineral deficiency). Your body will tell you what it wants through your cravings.

• Sniff peppermints, or ginger to ward off nausea. Adding ginger to your food can also ease the urge to throw up.

• Avoid foods that make you feel awful. If possible, get someone else to cook meals so you don’t need to smell cooking odors.

• Eat foods high in protein and carbohydrates, and try to reduce fatty foods.

• Try to balance any cravings for junk food with some healthy alternatives.

• Chocolate has been known to help morning sickness – but if you are craving it all day, try a banana instead.

• Eating during the night if you wake up hungry or nauseous, and start the day with snack in bed. As one professional noted, the baby and placenta are taking from your body throughout the day, so you need to keep the intake small and regular.

• Rest when you can. Sit down if you feel faint, and if you are working, take naps during your lunch break, and when you get home. If you are at home with children, make sure you get a good rest throughout the day.

• Relax and don’t worry. Many professionals assure expecting mothers morning sickness is a good sign your baby is growing and taking what it needs from your body.

Many health professionals believe we are designed to avoid foods that are risky to our baby. Our reduced desire to eat some foods may be to help us avoid foods that may not be always fully cooked or fresh.

During the morning sickness weeks or month, it is good to try and eat as much fruit, vegetables and fresh nuts as possible. These are also often good natural sources of vitamins and minerals our bodies need.

During this stage, you may feel that pregnancy is playing a terrible trick on your body.

However, it is only a stage, and when the end comes, you will be that much closer to meeting your new baby whom you have held and supported inside you for so many months already.