Nausea
Have you been feeling any nausea in your pregnancy? Here are my favorite ways to help you beat it. While all of my tips might not work, hopefully you will find something that works for you. Nausea is no fun and seems counterintuitive. You need nutrients to grow your baby but everything you eat seems to want to come back up. There are a few main reasons that women experience nausea in pregnancy and these are:
Anxiousness and nervousness about pregnancy: causes shallow breathing
Lack of protein and B vitamins
Low blood sugar
The body rejects the baby’s blood type (for moms who is RH-)
Changes in hormones
To prepare for pregnancy, midwifery books will say that nausea can be prevented pre-conception by adding 150-300 calories a day to your nourishing meals. This can be as easy as adding an extra nutrient dense snack or a small meal to your day. This builds up your B vitamin stores and protein which can help to stabilize your blood sugar and minimize nausea at conception. The placenta itself weighs about 1 1/2 pounds and is formed right after conception. This is an entire organ that you grow which is why it is so important that you nourish your body and baby.
The same can be said post-conception in helping to reduce your nausea. If you are not getting those extra calories, your body may resort to burning your fat as energy putting you in ketosis which can cause nausea i.e you are not getting enough food to grow your baby.
Top midwifery reccomendations:
Trader Joe’s no joke ginger shots
Meditate, get a massage, try acupuncture - breathing deep calms the nervous system, which in turn, calms the mind. The gut and brain are connected and it is no surprise that unplanned pregnancies can make a mom feel nervous, excited or nauseous. Calming your nerves may help to calm your upset stomach.
Deep breathing: works well to calm the nervous system and reduce anxiousness, also amazing to practice for your birth!
Eat your carbs with a protein to help stabilize your blood sugar
Exercise: walking, swimming, biking daily to help stabilize your blood sugar and help with sleep
Drink to quench your thirst
Eat until you are satiated, however much that may be! Your nausea may be a sign that you simply are not eating enough food and nausea can be a sign of this!
Lie in a dark room with a cool cloth on your forehead if feeling dizzy
Try bone broth, organ meats (liver is very high in B vitamins which are known to help with nausea) and cod liver oil
Ginger beer from Aldi and Chimes ginger chews (found at Marshalls and TJ Max) taken as-needed
Ginger tea
Papaya Mints by nature’s sunshine
Yummy snack ideas:
Almonds, olives and cheese
Cottage cheese
Bean salad
Greek yogurt
Meat
Bone broth soup,
Smoothie and chia seeds
Leftover dinner with protein (meat, beans)
Local Food/Recipes:
Ginger Tea - Grate fresh ginger into a cup of boiling water. Stir in some fresh honey. Enjoy.
Smoothie - 1 handful spinach, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 cup kiefir, frozen strawberries or berries, flaxseed or cod liver oil, favorite protein powder, chia seeds
Albondigas Soup - https://www.lemonblossoms.com/blog/authentic-mexican-albondigas-soup-recipe/,
Bone Broth - https://bravebroth.com/
