Morning sickness during pregnancy can be a both physically and mentally challenging, draining your energy, hindering your ability to go about your regular life, removing the joy from all food and, if extreme, affecting motivation and will to live (I’m not being dramatic here – I’m just speaking from personal experience!).

The name morning sickness itself is misleading and downplays the severity of what many experience. For many nausea doesn’t just happen in the mornings and then leave you feeling fine for the rest of the day. Nausea and vomiting can occur at any time of day and sometimes occurs all day every day for a prolonged period of time. Medically, it is referred to as “Nausea and Vomiting during Pregnancy” or NVP, which is a more accurate term.

NVP most commonly occurs during the first trimester from about 6 weeks until about 12-13 weeks. Which might not sound long but when you’re in it those 6 weeks feel like an eternity. For the unlucky among us, NVP can persist well into the second trimester and even throughout the entire pregnancy! I personally did not start to feel relief from my NVP until 20 weeks into my pregnancy. The most severe form of NVP is called Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) and it can be truly debilitating, sometimes leading to hospitalisation.

Managing NVP

When NVP is not too severe it can unpleasant but managed with the following habits:

• Eating small amounts regularly (never leave the house without a bag full of snacks!)
• Choosing foods with mild flavours, soft textures and mild smells to reduce triggers
• Staying well hydrated with regular sips of water. If you have been vomiting a lot you may need to consider juice or electrolyte replenishing drinks. Juicy fruits can also be helpful (I ate a lot of watermelon and oranges!)
• Acupuncture can provide some relief and reduce nausea, coming in for weekly or biweekly treatments can get you through the worst of it.
• Herbal Medicines to settle the stomach can also be useful, come in and discuss with us if you would like to know more.

If you are suffering from Hyperemesis, apply all of the above but also consider (notes from my personal experience):

• Staying hydrated is much more difficult when everything that goes in comes back up, but dehydration aggravates nausea, so getting regular fluids in is crucial. A humble straw was my key strategy when I was on the brink of hospitalisation during my first pregnancy, as it allowed me to sip fluids without sitting up (as soon as I sat up, I would vomit). A straw or water bottle which allows small sips of fluids without having to sit up can make a big difference.
• Avoiding dry foods not only helped me regain fluids but were also much gentler on my throat when they inevitably came back up. Sadly, I often had to consider not just whether I could get a food down but what it would be like on the way back up. Bananas are a winner in this regard, as are other soft and mildly sweet foods such as yoghurt, chia pudding, fruit and smoothies. Mild flavoured soups such as potato as well as mashed potato or sweet potato. Of course, these things are also down to personal preferences!
• Acupuncture provided small amounts of blissful relief from the constant nausea, I still remember the wonderful feeling while was lying on the table with the needles in feeling almost normal! Unfortunately, when the NVP is this severe the effects of treatment can be short lived, however those periods of relief definitely helped get me through it.
• You can also talk to your doctor about medications to ease NVP, antinausea drugs such as ondansetron can be very effective.

If you need treatment and support to navigate your NVP, don’t hesitate to get in contact with our clinic.