During the work week I almost never had any morning sickness symptoms but on the weekend is when I tended to get hit the hardest. Could it be because my weekend lifestyle isn’t up to snuff? I am not the type of person to say – oh well that is how it is- I need to know and fix things I want to enjoy my summer. I have a consistent schedule during the week and eat a lot healthier. Weekends were kind of willie nillie and when I am most likely to fall off my health wagon. I have stuck to my schedule all week and I have not had any morning sickness at all. Since I have been a psycho about researching this I think I figured a few things out. I have scoured the internet, read several books, and asked my doctors advice and these five easy steps are what is working for me.
- Chug a lug poo bear! I mentioned yesterday that the Doctor told me to drink a liter of water a day. Hubby reminded me that it is actually 2. I can tell you without a doubt my worst days were days I didn’t drink enough water. Because most beverages have additives water is the best way too go. Soda, fruit juices, and flavored teas have ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, splenda, aspartame, and sugar. Your baby doesn’t need these and god only knows what they will do to your baby and I highly doubt they are doing anything to help soothe the tummy! I am going au naturalle and adding lemons or limes or drinking St. Croix with natural flavors. If you just can’t do the water Doc recommended Gatorade – personally I won’t be going that route as it does have high fructose corn syrup. A healthier alternative is Coconut Water. I am starting to see this everywhere and what is great about it is that it does all the same things as Gatorade does but naturally without all those unnecessary ingredients and it tastes good! Drink em up Johnny!
- Diet Right- A growing baby needs fruits and vegetables not crap and junk. The days that I fell off the wagon and ate bad fast food are the days I felt the worst. When choosing your snacks and meals try to stay away from highly processed foods visit farmers markets and eat fresh fruits and veggies. Instead of the highly recommended saltine cracker- try a handful of trail mix. I keep some on my night stand and take a handful in the a.m. if I feel woozy-so much better than polly want a cracker! Eating a healthy diet isn’t enough what works best is small meals throughout the day every few hours. A steady supply of nutrition in small quantities versus a three large meals works so much better! Remember you only need to eat 300 extra calories a day during pregnancy so don’t go crazy.
- Supplemental lover- B6 is said to help with morning sickness some PNV’s are providing extra supplements to be taken throughout the day. I take additional B6 every 8 hours. I also take a Folic Acid Supplement daily. It is important to check the dosage so that you are not exceeding the daily allowance with what is also in your PNV. Most of the books I have read don’t suggest these supplements but I think it helps with morning sickness and why not supercharge development.
- Walk it off. My sister in law was a college athlete and whenever she doesn’t feel well she takes a walk. She said that it was something she learned in college that getting the body moving can ease queasiness and hangovers. Since pregnancy feels like a hangover I think the same rules apply. I take a walk every afternoon for at least 15-20 minutes. Some people take a cigarette break so why can’t you take a fresh air break at work? I head outside and walk around the block a few times or run an errand. If I can’t do that I try to do a yoga session when I get home. If I am really lucky I do both!
- Band It- Here is the skinny on the wrist bands for sickness- they are not all created equal. I walked around for a week looking like Richard Simmons with the heinous Sea Bands. They are awful and look even worse after a week wear. Get the Psi Bands- they are smaller- which makes them easier to conceal. They also have decorative varieties- which are still not cute but look a million times better than the Sea Band and are also water proof so much more durable. Still praying to the pregnancy gods for a blinged out version. Can someone please pimp my band!
So this is my sample schedule and I have not felt the slightest bit of morning sickness while on it. I don’t stick to it like glue and the times it may vary a little bit. If I still feel full from lunch at three I might wait until after four for a snack and then eat a later dinner and snack. The key is not go longer than 4 hours without food and to keep the portions small and healthy.
- 7:30 wake up and before I get out of bed eat small handful of nuts in the morning if I don’t feel at all woozy I skip it. If I am extra woozy I might also have an organic yogurt smoothie the triple berry from Trader Joes is my favorite.
- 9:00 half of healthy egg sandwich or quiche from Hannah’s Bretzel or Cosi. Hannah’s Bretzel is great because it is made with mainly organic ingredients. Cosi is probably not as healthy but it beats McDonald’s and tastes delish!
- Lunch time- A normal lunch for me always includes vegetable and a form protein. One of my favorites is a baked potato with a some melted cheese- no butter and instead of sour cream I put Greek style yogurt on it- it tastes just like sour cream and is so much better for you. I also have a small side salad with fruit. I take my b6 and folic acid at this time as well as drink a glass or two of water. I also save a cucumber from the salad to put in my water later!
- 2:30 or 3- I take a walk for fifteen to 20 minutes
- 3 or 4ish- afternoon snack- favorites- Berry Chill with Fruit- or a couple of organic whole grain crackers with light cheese from the farmer’s market.
- 7:00 Dinner- which is a smaller meal for me. Typical dinner is a small salad with a protein. A favorite is buffalo shrimp or chicken. I make my own buffalo sauce with healthy/organic ingredients and grill the chicken or shrimp. I put a ton of veggies in the salad and top it with my homemade blue cheese dressing (a healthy version I make with Greek yogurt, green onions, and pasteurized blue cheese.)
- 10:30 or 11- Dessert and a PNV- Favorites are strawberry shortcake or organic chocolate chip cookies. I found organic refrigerated cookie dough at Jewel. I love this because I can make a few at a time. I throw a couple in the toaster oven and have an amazing warm snack. They are small portions and the less I cook the less I eat! If I make the shortcake I use a little bit of angel food cake that I get from my local Amish bakery and add fresh strawberries and a dollop of whip cream that is free from additives. I try to buy whip cream in a can that doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup- what makes it great is that only has 15 calories per two tablespoons so no real guilt there. This meal is divine because the strawberries are a good source of Folic Acid and they are in seasn. I also substitute raspberries or whatever is fresh at the farmers market that week. These portions are small and the berries are the star.
The key is to stick to it because if I waiver…. I waiver! Give my plan I try if you are suffering from morning sickness I would love to hear if it works for you!
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