Let’s face it, morning sickness is one of those things that we often hear is associated with early pregnancy. Like many women, it was the one thing I was really dreading. As it turns out, morning sickness is the wrong name. I say this because it can happen at any time, day or night.

I spent hours scouring the internet for ways to cure my morning sickness and I’ll go into more depth about my journey later on in this post. But first, I want to share some of those tips and tricks I’ve learnt along the way. Because the chances are, if you have clicked on this post, it means you are suffering too. Without further ado, here is my top tips on how to survive morning sickness:

Eat before getting up

Trust me, this really does help. Keep some plain biscuits or crackers by your bed and eat one or two before you even step out of bed. I don’t know why, but without doing this, even a quick walk to the kitchen was enough to make me feel sick.

Eat little and often

One of the ways I was able to curb my morning sickness in the early days was to snack throughout the day. In addition to this, I also upped the amount of meals I was eating each day, but made sure they were smaller and more manageable portion sizes.

Foods that help

One of the key food groups that is said to help with morning sickness is protein. For me, I definitely found this worked. In those early days, I felt like I was surviving on omelettes (using eggs from within the current guidelines of course!)

Other foods which are said to help are bananas, rice, chicken and smoothies. Eating or drinking something ginger based is also said to help, as done drinking peppermint tea.

Keep hydrated

It can be easier said than done during morning sickness, however it is so important to keep hydrated. If you can’t stomach water on its own, try added a slice or two of lemon. Lemon is thought to help settle your stomach, so its like your getting two for the price of one.

Bland might be best

If all you can stomach is beige food that isn’t highly nutritious, don’t panic. At the end of the day, it is better that your getting food into your body at this point. Baby will be able to get the nutrients it needs from your daily vitamin supplement.

Take your supplement in the evening

In normal life, like most people, any vitamin supplements you take are probably first thing when you wake up. It is drilled into us when we first find out we are pregnant that Folic Acid needs to be taken daily, especially within those first twelve weeks. But what happens when your morning sickness is stopping you? Many women have found that it is easier to take your tablet in the evening and trust me, it helps.

Stay away from your triggers

Working out what your triggers are and trying your best to stay away from them will really help you to survive morning sickness. Quite often, for a lot of women, white pasta and bread can be huge triggers. In addition to this, so can spicy food. But triggers don’t always have to be food related. It could also be things like scent related. Mine has definitely been that.

The main thing is you work out those triggers and then steer clear of them wherever possible. Just remember, its not forever. You will be able to enjoy those things you used to love again soon.

Rest up

Try to get as much rest as you possibly can. Morning sickness is both physically and mentally draining, so it is important you take care of yourself. Especially when you probably aren’t fuelling your body in the same way you used to. Have a lie down, grab a book to read or simply watch a film. Just take it easy.

Distract yourself

This can be easier said than done when you are in the thick of it. However distracting yourself is a good way of “forgetting” the morning sickness, even if it’s just for a while.

Create a morning sickness kit

This is something not many people think about, but for me it was key. I created a morning sickness kit which I took everywhere I went and was always on hand. Inside it included plain biscuits, tissues, chewing gum, sick bags, lip balm and hand sanitiser. You could also put in motion sickness bands to use if you are feeling bad. The main thing is you tailor it to you.

I found that by taking this kit around with me, I was thinking less and less about the sickness. There is nothing worse than feeling sick and worrying that you don’t have the resources in case it becomes a reality. It is always better to be prepared.

My story

At the very beginning of my pregnancy, my morning sickness wasn’t too bad. It was what I’d say was manageable. Most of the time it would disappear if I ate something. By nine weeks it was starting to come and go and I thought the end was surely in sight. How wrong was I!

Fast forward to fifteen weeks pregnant and I still felt and was being sick. So much for it only being twelve weeks. After speaking to other women, many of them suffered with morning sickness for a lot longer. It was shortly after this time that things took a turn for the worst.

Within a twenty four hour period, I had physically been sick over twenty times. I certainly couldn’t keep any food down and eight hours in fluid was an issue too. I honestly felt like death. It was too much to even raise my head off the pillow. Even napping was difficult because I would still wake up to be sick.

In the early hours of the following day and with nothing left in me, I went to A&E. Bloods and tests were carried out before I was put on a drip and given an anti sickness injection. I was told I couldn’t go home until I had provided a urine sample and was even given orange squash in addition to the drip to try to speed it up.

Finally I was able to provide the sample and a diagnosis was made. I had Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Not many people know about it yet it affects one in three pregnancies and often needs hospital treatment. Whilst it isn’t thought to affect baby, it can lead to you loosing weight, with baby being born smaller.

With my now known diagnosis, I was given some anti-sickness medication to take three times a day. It was hoped that it would keep my sickness at bay and thankfully in the most part it has. In addition to the tablets, I was told to drink plenty of milk and orange juice, as well as of course water. I can safely say, a month on, I am feeling so much better and can manage my symptoms more easily.

Final thoughts

I hope you have found these tips on how to survive morning sickness useful. If you’re in early pregnancy and read my story, try not to worry. The chances are you wont be affected by Hyperemesis Gravidarum. However, if you are concerned or are unable to manage with the sickness, speak to your GP or midwife who will be happy to help you.

Other posts you might enjoy:

How I’ve found the first trimester of pregnancy

5 Tips For Creating Beautiful Bump Progression Photos