Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Some women have it easy, while some suffer from severely debilitating morning sickness during pregnancy. Here are some practical tips to deal with it.
I have been through 2 pregnancies and I have to say that, for me, morning sickness was the most unpleasant part of it all. And this after going through labor twice and even giving birth without an epidural. As painful as labor and it’s climax is, it usually lasts, at most for 24 hours. It is a short term problem.
Morning sickness on the other hand can last for up to 8 months and can be quite severe. While some women are lucky enough not to experience it at all, others have to endure it all day for several months. It is particularly hard to deal with when you are trying to put on weight during pregnancy.
From my personal experience, here are some tips for dealing with it:
While it is good to hope for the best, one also needs to prepare for the worst. If you plan to work through your pregnancy be prepared to be feeling sick and nauseous all day for several months. On the other hand if you really enjoy your work, it can be an excellent distraction from the nausea.
If you like to do research on the internet, most sites will tell you to eat healthy and recommend certain foods for morning sickness. I am no doctor, but that can be annoying. It is hard enough that almost any smell is an order of magnitude stronger than usual and they all make you want to hurl. In my case some of the recommended foods just made things worse.
The last thing we need is guilt about how we are harming the baby because of what we eat. But if all you can tolerate on some days is white bread and potato fries, then I would say go for it. And if that is all you can manage, then the stress from guilt is not going to make your baby healthier. If you made an honest attempt at the healthy stuff then let your conscience be clear.
While it is important to try and follow a balanced diet, stress is not good for pregnancy either. So on the better days I would eat as balanced a diet as I could manage and I learned to forgive myself on days I could not.
Every person is different and, little is understood about morning sickness. But that does not stop people from generously doling out advice. Some suggest following the latest research and others suggest age old remedies. For example, many recommend ginger tea. In my case ginger tea made things worse. High fiber and proteins are also commonly recommended. For me peanuts helped but channa definitely did not.
I also used the acupressure band on the wrist. While many swear by it, I only got mild relief.
For me, distractions really helped. Reading a really engrossing book or watching my favorite TV show or even doing some work that was particularly engrossing.
You need to experiment and see what works best for you and then adopt it. You are the one suffering, so your relief is more important than people pleasing.
During my second pregnancy a drug was available for morning sickness. It was just approved a year before I got pregnant. I am not comfortable with taking drugs that are newly approved because sometimes their long term effects are not known. Also this particular drug was pulled off the market once but further research has shown it to be safe. Yet the earlier issues with the drug and the very recent approval made me hesitant.
But the second time around my morning sickness lasted for 7 months. On really bad days, I would not be able to keep any food down and threw up over 8 times in a day. On those particularly bad days that occurred two or three times a month I took the drug. I am happy to report that neither I, nor the fetus suffered any ill effects. This drug has been in the market for almost 3 years now and there has been no further controversy. Still, you should educate yourself about it before you decide.
Finally it is good to remember that this too will pass. 8 months feels like for ever when you are feeling sick everyday. But it does end. When I experienced morning sickness for 7 months with my second baby, I began to wonder if it really was morning sickness or something else that would persisted even after the baby was born. Well, it did end the day the baby was born. So don’t panic. It has an expiration date.
So to all you expectant mothers, try to stay cheerful and hope you are one of the many women who morning sickness will bother only for a couple of months, if at all. Good luck with your pregnancy and parenting.
Published earlier here.
Image source: morning sickness in early pregnancy by Shutterstock.
Kanika G, a physicist by training and a mother of 2 girls, started writing to entertain her older daughter with stories, thus opening the flood gates on a suppressed passion. Today she has written over read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
Please enter your email address