Whether it be in the morning, afternoon, evening or through the night, sickness and nausea is very common in early pregnancy. Don’t be afraid, you are not alone!

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Is it really ‘Morning’ Sickness?

Although most cases of sickness in pregnancy are known as ‘Morning Sickness’, this isn’t always the point – it is just a catchy name as a lot of women tend to experience sickness in the morning. As for me, my ‘Morning Sickness’ appeared quite early on, at just eight weeks pregnant. I wasn’t actually sick very first thing in the morning, I was usually sick the minute I needed to leave for work – which did make me late for work quite a lot, however there was just nothing I could do. Luckily I had my great excuse to cover my back : )

What does it feel like?

Morning sickness can be different for each expectant Mummy. For some it is as straight forward as putting your head down the toilet and getting it over and done with, on the other hand, other Mummies unfortunately experience nausea and fatigue with their sickness, which can lead to them feeling very drained and poorly for long periods at a time. Luckily for myself, I didn’t experience nausea that much, just a few times when I was at work, I would feel sick but not be able to actually bring anything up – it wasn’t a nice feeling, so my heart goes out to those Mummies who have to deal with feeling sick each day.

How long does it last?

Research shows that sickness in pregnancy should only last for around 12 weeks (3 months), as your hormones should be settling by then, making your body used to being pregnant. This isn’t always the case though, as some Mummies do experience sickness throughout their whole pregnancy- as my close friend did. My sickness only lasted until my 12 week scan, funnily enough – it’s as though my baby knew I had been for my scan and finally met him, so ended my sickness haha!

What can I do to stop my sickness?

Speaking to existing Mummies, they all have their opinion on what works best to prevent sickness, however this is generally what worked for them, so don’t always expect that to work for you too. Most common and typical ways to overcome sickness you will hear of are:

• Rest as much as you can
• Keep yourself hydrated – drink as much water as you can (obviously don’t explode yourself), this will also reduce your chance of a headache
• Keep exercise to a healthy and low level – consult your Doctor or fitness coach for advice if unsure
• Mealtimes – reduce your portions, each less but more regularly. Light snacks e.g fruit, salad, crackers, Ryvita
• Take your time with everything – you are not a slug or couched potato, it is okay to do things a little slower – now is not the time to increase your heartrate!
• If there is anything that makes you feel sick (the smell, sight, or taste of something) just avoid it!

Ginger

There are also ‘Old Wives Tales’ that you will hear of, such as eating anything containing Ginger. I was advised by my Manager at work to go out and grab anything with Ginger in it, so I returned with Ginger biscuits, ginger tea and ginger breakfast bars – however all they did was made my mouth dry and turned me completely off the thought of ginger – even up until TODAY!

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I can go on forever talking about sickness, as I understand MOST women experience this in pregnancy, so please comment below if you feel there are any vital points I have missed, as new Mummies require this information to answer any questions they have.

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have, I am more than happy to help : )

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You have just read Part 1 of my First Series - TEN PROBLEMS IN PREGNANCY!

Keep your eyes peeled for Part 2 coming soon!