The worst part of the first trimester for most pregnant women is morning sickness, or as many complain - all day sickness. Morning sickness affects almost every pregnant woman differently. Cases range from slight and general nausea to dehabilitating vomiting that even lands some moms in the hospital.

Morning Sickness

There is no universally accepted cause of morning sickness other than your body’s reactions to hormones created by the pregnancy. Thus far a cure has not been developed, although there are ways to try and help manage the symptoms. The vast majority of pregnant women are affected by some form of morning sickness with symptoms beginning around six to eight weeks and lasting through the beginning of the second trimester or week fourteen.

Some women are lucky and breeze through the first trimester without so much as gagging on a toothbrush. Others wind up in the hospital with severe weight loss and dehydration. This extreme morning sickness is called Hyperemesis Gravidarum or HG. It should not be taken lightly – consult with your doctor immediately if your morning sickness is interfering with your hydration level or preventing you from consuming adequate amounts of nutrition.

Handling the Symptoms

While there is no cure for morning sickness, there are ways to handle the symptoms. Just like many things about parenthood, finding the solution for you may be a matter of trial and error.

Rest – It’s hard to feel sick while you’re sleeping, and you need plenty of rest anyway. If you start feeling bad, climb in bed, lie down and stay there as long as possible.

Eat – It could be that you only feel sick when you’re hungry. If that’s the case, eat! If certain foods sound especially good and filling, eat those. So long as you’re getting all of your nutrients, there is no reason to not eat Macaroni and Cheese with dinner every night – although you do want to watch your overall calorie consumption as well.

Snack – If the thought of food makes you ill, you still need to eat. Find the foods that are the least undesirable and snack constantly all day. Some tummies tolerate only small amounts, so graze all day to help keep your stomach settled.

Drink – If you’re dehydrated you’re going to feel worse, so sip on tepid water during your sick periods and drink plenty of water the rest of the day to keep your hydration levels up.

Walk – Exercise can help keep nausea at bay, so go for a light stroll. Of if the first few steps make your head swim, stop and go climb back in bed for another rest.