Advice on Pregnancy and Motherhood

A close friend of mine had hyperemesis through her whole entire pregnancy. She was throwing up multiple times a day, and at one point became dehydrated enough to end up in the hospital for a couple of days. Nothing worked for her, until the doctor prescribed Zofran. She was then able to function as a normal human being and enjoy food (and life!) again. I know some are against taking medications while pregnant, but it was a life saver for her, and her little guy was (and is) totally healthy!

oh I feel for you...Pregnancy pops worked for me as did the seasickness band nu-band. Also, I know they can prescribe you something if you need it.

Sea Bands really helped me. They didn't make the nausea go away completely, but they kept me from throwing up - in fact, the few times i forgot them I did throw up and then looked at my wrists and realized I didn't have them on. Good luck!

hi -
a friend of mine who is a nurse and a midwife recommends protein before you get out of bed - before you "get vertical" is i think how she says it@!

good luck to you!@

Hi N.,
congratulations and good luck!!
I had morning sickness with my daughter - terrible!!! I lost at least 5 lbs during my first trimester. And - you have to know that I am a health food nut - lots of whole grain brown rice, salads, veggies - couldn't touch ANY of them while pregnant (first trimester). Come to think of it, I couldn't even take my prenatals during my first trimester - I was told my my nutritionist to just eat whatever I could and the baby would be fine. Once my naseua lifted, around 14 weeks, I was able to eat better and resume taking my vitamins. But- this is a tough time for you and be gentle with yourself!! Making another person is hard work!! Allow your husband to do his share and please let go of the guilt! Asknowledge that you are doing the best you can, and this is really hard work!! When you can do more, you will. Eat what ;you crave when you crave it, and don't worry about it!

What I swear by - Coke and potato chips - not even the health food kind - the really crappy kind!! The coke settled my tummy and the chips were dry and crunchy (actually, they were a little greasy, but somehow that was OK!). Funny enough, once the naseua lifted, around 14 weeks, I did't touch another Coke again (and I hadn't had one in about 15 years - didn't want it, don't miss it,but somehow, that helped me!).

Good Luck, and let me know what you find that works for you - I am newly pregnant too, and just at 5 weeks, just starting to get those early late night queasies...I am scared to think about what is coming!

Good Luck!
E.

You poor dear !!! Nothing worse than that morning sickness, is there? I used to have it at night...didnt feel nausea for a long period of time, just would feel sick, go upchuck, sit for few minutes and be ok.
As a mother of seven I can tell you all pregnancies are very different one from the other. As mother of three you must know this already.
Are the three all girls? My "morning" sickness was much much worse while carrying the boys and I, too, had gestational diabetes. My morning sickness went on far longer than the usual three months.
There must be medicines for this problem now..but as a very very last resort. And if your doc prescribes one, make sure it has been around for a LONG time...remember the Thalidomide babies? That was for morning sickness.
I had the "smell" thingy going on too...my mother-in-law lived next door and I had to take the baby over to her to change. One's sense of smell is diminished if one breathes through the mouth. With my grandson I turn my head away, inhale deeply and go for it (repeat as needed)
Perhaps you could also counter the odors that upset you with a pleasant smell..a "mojo" maybe? Can make one up at health food store.
A small bag of herbs that you LOVE the smell of ...wear it around your neck and smell it when you are attacked by evil odors.
I hesitate to tell you how to make an herbal tea that should help you significantly.
But I can advise you to find an herbalist, any health food store should have one at hand..and then ASK YOUR DOCTOR before ingesting any herbs.( They also have tea bags all made up for morning sickness.)
The soda crackers, ginger, gingerale never helped me either.
Black peppermint tea was good tho not everyone can use it as it can make the upset worse.
Eat little bits often..dont let tummy be empty. I found I could nibble on pretzels. You may have to experiment to find something that will lay on your stomache without upsetting it.
Move slowly, especially from prone to upright...sit for few minutes on edge of bed.
The tiredness is part of pregnancy..should ease up the mid trimester. Sleep when your baby sleeps. Rest with legs up as often as you can.
You sure have a lot on your plate and I wish you well, the rewards are worth it as you well know.
Tincture of time, this too , will pass.
God bless
Grandmother Lowell

N.,
Several of my friends who had severe nausa while pregnant found the use of "Sea-Band" really helped. They are elastic bands made for your wrist and work like accupressure on your wrist. You can find them in any drug store. Two of my children get car sick and I use them regulary for them. They appear to work great. It is a safe way to combat nausa. As far as feeling bad for your daughters lack of entertainment while you have nausa, kids usually fair very well. I had three year old triplets when I found myself pregnant. My mornings were laying in bed with each kid having a plastic cup full of dry cereal, watching kids T.V. shows. I felt guilty and they thopught they had died and gonne to heaven. Kids just want to be with their "mom". They do not remember the down time. Too bad, I did not know about the wristbands then. Good luck, this too shall pass.
W. M. now mother of four teenage boys, hectic, busy, and the joy of my life.

IT is probably mostly exhaustion. I know when I was on the MD diet it helped me alot. I am sure you are taking your vitamins but if you need more effective vitamins, my company has very bio-available vitamins as well as non toxic cleaners which are also helpful for reduceing reactions etc.... Good luck the 4th baby is sure to be a hit!!
C. W.
www.LiveTotalWellness.com/Arizona

whole foods had an all natural supplement, I think it was called good mornings, I used to take it at night and in the morning and it helped with the nauseau alot, as well as their ginger chews and pops.. good luck, and dont worry about feeling like a bad mommy, youre fine!

Hi N.
The only thing that helped me was fireballs...go figure. I think the cinnomon in them was what did it. I don't know that it will conflict with diabetes. Good luck

Hi N.,

I also had terrible sickness with my pregnancy. I found some information on homeopathic medicine as alternative treatment. I tried two of them and they really helped ease it (not completely take it away, but certainly helped), pulsatilla and ipecacuanha, both can be purchased at Whole Foods in the health section. They saved me on many days. Here is a website link with some more info:
http://www.alive.com/2866a9a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=216

I hope you can find some relief it is so terrible. I can only imagine how hard it must be with other kids to take care of and go to work!!!

Good luck
F.

Hi N.,
My first pregnancy they gave me something (only available in Utah), then in NH they told me to take a sleeping pill (start with 25 mg as they will make you tired) and a vitamin b6, 25 mg. Ask your doctor about this. It helped me! Good luck!

Hi N.,
When I was pregnant, I was sick from the day I missed my period till the day I delivered. I couldn't keep anything down and puked all day long. There is a medicine call Zofran that your OB can prescribe for you. If is very expensive, but insurance will cover. I tried to use as little as possible, and in my experience it worked very well in the beginning and then my body got used to it and it didnt have the same effect anymore. But if you dont need to use it for so long, it is a very good drug and it works wonders.
Good luck,
M.

Sounds like you're in a vicious cycle - the more exhausted you get, the more nausea, the less you eat, and then you get exhausted. Repeat!

You already have 3 kids so of course you are exhausted! Different forms of ginger can help with stomach upset, so it's goodo to continue that, although you might try it in different forms, such as adding fresh or dried ginger to any foods you can manage to eat - chicken or any type of Asian stir fry might be good options.

A lot of women have great luck with Reliv nutritional products - if you call the toll free number, they will connect you with a well-educated distributor in your area. The number is 1-800-RELIV-US. Reliv is a research-based food science company with 20 years of experience and many business accolades. Their products are 100% food, totally safe as a prenatal (you can show the label to your OB/GYN if you aren't sure), and they help to get the nutrition into you. Many women get some relief from the nausea, but those who don't see a difference at least know they are getting great nutrition even if they are not eating very well the rest of the day. I have so many friends who have done well on it, and they have healthy healthy babies! There's also a terrific kids' product, and special formulas for people with specific issues they want to address (menopause, MS, heart, disgestive, and so on). People world-wide are getting life changing results with general energy, allergies (nasal and food), IBS, acid reflux, colds & flu, and many other conditions - the products support the immune system, so the body heals itself. Nothing is a miracle cure per se, but definitely look into this. The website (reliv.com) is really designed for distributors so it's not the best way to find out more about the product - You are better off talking to a real person who will then connect you to others - in your case, you would get to talk to other pregnant moms or recent moms who used it during pregnancy. The stories from other real people are what you need to hear! Good luck - let me know if you want more info before calling.

I have no advice to give on how to beat the nausea, but I do want to tell you to take it easy on yourself. Don't beat yourself up because you are sick as a dog all day long. You are not a terrible mother, and you are certainly not lazy. You're cooking up a baby and clearly that is very hard work! The only practical advice I can offer is, for all those well-meaning friends who ask, "Can I do anything for you?" let them help. Arrange playdates for your 2-year old so that you can rest and she can have some fun with other kids for a while. And definitely relax your housekeeping and food prep standards until you are feeling better. Hopefully the nausea will abate soon. Good luck!

I am so sorry you are going through this! The only thing i can suggest for the morning sickness is Zofran. The docs gave it to me and then after i went through all the pills the insurance company would allow i fought with the insurance complany until they gave me more. I am 8 months pregnant and STILL taking at least one zofran a day. I also have a VERY active 18 month old and a two and a half year old. This whole pregnancy has been horrible. I was never this sick with either of my first two. There are times when both kids have spent the entire afternoon in their cribs becasue i simply couldn't take care of them properly and at least in their cribs i know they are safe. I feel HORRIBLE that i have to do this. I also know what you mean about always lying down and not really doing stuff with the kids becasue you simply can't. I just keep telling myself that this, too, shall pass. I say that over and over and over and over and over... and hope that maybe, one day, i will actually believe it.... :)

Good luck

I went through the same thing with number two!! And I was packing to move!! Don't worry about being a bad mom. Make sure the little one is safe and do what you need to do to feel well. Now you have two to mother!! You're little one will learn a little independence and be all the better for it! I made a snack drawer my daughter could reach with single serving snacks and juice boxes, after she asked, she could help herself and bring it to me. I'm sorry to say there were days she lived on fishies, but she did survive! As far as miracle cure- I found Jolly ranchers or coke syrup over crushed ice was about all I could tolerate for about 12 weeks. It did pass, although I never thought it would! Do you have anyone who could take your daughter sometimes to give you a break? I do hope you feel better soon!

I'm pretty much with you - 11 weeks today and I have a 3 year old.... of course, being a little older, she's able to understand a "little" better, but really not much. I've felt horrible too - staying indoors on beautiful days, sitting around on the couch, stuffing my face with any type of cracker, cereal, bagel, toast etc. that will help feel better - and I have felt pretty neglectful as far as playing and being "happy" around her. Remember that most people do start to feel more like themselves after the first trimester is over... and if not, usually by 14 weeks or so... It seems like forever away, but we're almost there! In speaking with my friend who recently had her 3rd, and was VERY SICK while caring for her 3.5 and 2 year old, she reminded me that it's a short time in their lives that they are not going to remember that mommy was lazy, or sitting around complaining about not feeling well, or having them watch more TV, or what have you... and you do need to take care of yourself for another healthy baby! She was right - even though we are programmed to feel guilty if we aren't tip-top moms... remember that the baby growing inside you needs you too. Just like the previous babies did. On another note, the best thing for my nausea has been toast with peanut butter, carbs, carbs, carbs....anything that makes me feel full and not hungry. Sometimes cereal helps, but then the milk aftertaste sometimes does me in.... Everyone is different and you have to find what is right for you. Some people really recommend those motion sickness bracelets and "preggie pops", but I've tried neither. People also swear by the REAL gingerale - not like Canada Dry or Schwepps - but an all natural one. Another friend of mine that was pregnant with twins and pretty sick said that black licorice helped her (personally, I hate the stuff!). I think Trader Joes sometimes sells natural stuff like the licorice and gingerale. It might be more palatable than ginger tea and more powerful than ginger snaps. Be thankful that hubby is picking up the slack at home, and remember that the majority of people are not sick the entire pregnancy! Good luck and I hope you feel better soon!

You poor thing! I had all day sickness with my first and it was terrible. I let it go on for 4 months and then I decided enough was enough. I went to an acupuncturist the day before Thanksgiving and was actually able to eat (and more importantly, keep down) a little bit of food. I went a total of 6 times in a 2 - 3 week span and it got me to the point that I could eat food. I still had good aversions, but they were not as strong as before....acupuncture is very relaxing so if you are open minded I would say give it a try - you have nothing to lose, so if nothing else you'll get a nice little rest...good luck!

ginger tea, made with real ginger, might be helpfull. it's an old remedy passed on from my grandmother. also, might you be carrying more than one baby? this may also be the cause if you are. you also might want to try chiropractic care and/or acupuncture. good luck and congratulations!

God bless you! First, you are definitely NOT lazy, put that right out of your mind. You are exhausted and you don't feel good and you have a lot of demands on you! We put way too much pressure on ourselves, we're not superhuman, but we think we need to be in order to be a "good mother". Have you tried a naturopathic doctor, or talked to someone in a health food store about nausea? Maybe something with real ginger would do the trick, maybe they have a real ginger cough-drop type thing that you could have throughout the day? I don't know - I was lucky with both of my pregnancies, I did not have nausea and I feel for you. I guess I don't have any advice except stop telling yourself you are lazy, you're doing the best you can and I hope your nausea will pass soon. Your toddler won't suffer any ill effects from this short period of her life. Mommy is doing the best she can!

Hi N., My husband bought me a motion sickness watch at the Bass Pro Shop. It gives a small electrical stimultion to the inner wrist, you can adjust the level. I couldn't live with out is during my two pregnancies. It worked for friends as well. Patients going through chemo therapy use them for nausea. Deb

Oh N. I know it is so hard. My first child was 15 months old when I became pregnant with my second. I had morning ,noon and night sickness the whole nine months with both of them. I actually lost weight both times. I couldn't keep anything down and was exhausted! (the smell of ice would make me throw up)and i didn't work nights like you do. I can't imagine! My doctor gave me a prescription called zofran that really helped me. you are not lazy!! you are creating a little human. sombody compaired it to building a brick house, your body is working over time putting all the pieces together even though you don't actually see the building process your body feels it! You just do the best you can for your 2 1/2 year old and things will work out. I used to lounge around read her books, watched movies ( more than we should have), did puzzles, coloring books, playdough, anything low key that would occupy her. Hopefully you will feel better soon. Try and remember it is only temporary and will get better. I hope this helps a bit. Feel better soon! And congratulations on the new addition to your family.

Hi N.. Congrats! With my second I was terribley sick. I lost 8 lbs so I was put on medication to help with nausea. It helped alot along with anything peppermint especially tea. I ate mostly oatmeal and yogurt while I was pregnant those were among the very few things that didn't make my stomach turn. Good luck

I am sorry to hear that you are so sick. I just wanted to warn you about ginger. Be very careful with it. It is a natural abortive.
Good luck with all of your advice. I never had very bad morning sickness, so I don't have anything else to add.

Oh, I was sick for all 6 months of my pregnancy (yes- he came 3 months early). My OB wanted to avoid prescription meds if possible - I almost went that route until a midwife made a few really helpful suggestions -
- Tablespoon of heavy syrup from canned cling peaches. The biggest help of all - I lived on cling peaches. MUST be the heavy syrup. A little bit through out the day. Not for diabetics though.
- oyster crackers - or any soda cracker, as it is the baking soda that helps settled the stomach. Oyster crackers were small and easy to nibble.
- nibble on something - protein is best - before getting out of bed.
- vitamins only when stomach was settled. My OB gave samples of several types to see which caused the least distress
- once you keep a little down, nibble every 20 minutes.

Be careful with mint and ginger, common teas for upset stomach. If you have reflux (common with pregnancy), they can aggravate the condition and make you feel worse.

Talk with your OB - let her/him know that this is more than just regular morning sickness.

HI

Been there, done that! Make sure your OB knows of your sickness problem so they can monitor your wieght. They can prescibe something for you too. Try chewable vitamins instead of the whole swallow kind. My OB actaully said Flinstones were ok. Lemon and ginger help a bit.

Good luck. It won't last forever and it is always well worth it as you know!!!!

M.

I can't tell you how happy I am to read your note. I too am going through the same thing.... even 10 weeks prego with a 2 1/2 yo son! How odd. I have heard taking B6 vitamin helps nausea. I have not tried it yet... almost because I have been too sick to go look for it. I also had the doctor tell me there are pills out there you can take for how sick you are, yet another thing I have not tried. I have not found anything that tastes good and been very nauseous and have had a cold and migraines on top of it. I absolutly understand everything you are saying. I work full time as a teacher and when I come home, all I want to do is go to bed, however, thats impossible because of my son. At this point, I am going to wait it out the next couple of weeks and pray it goes away at week 12. When are you due??? I hope you feel better and my sympathies are with you :) Conratulations!

The SAME exact thing happened to me and my spirited daughter was also 2 1/2. I was so sick and could not even move off of the couch due to pure ridiculous exhaustion. I wore those "sea bands" around my wrist and that helped somewhat. You can get them at the drug store. I ended up so sick that they had to give me medicine to help stop the nausea. If it is too much for you ask the doctor to prescribe a suppository called phenergan or something. It is totally safe. It will pass eventually. Good luck.
D.

I had a horrible experience w/ morning sickness myself. I used Sea Bands my whole pregnancy. Get them at your local pharmacy or healthfood store. In addition, I used Preggo Pop Candies (they're sour, but they work) and GinGins (check your local healthfood store for GinGins and something called All Natural Ginger Brew). They were the ONLY things that got me by. Also, it helped NEVER having an empty stomach, and that meant eating a few saltines or ritz crackers with a little ginger ale before I even swung my feet out the bed in the morning. I remember getting up in the middle of the night feeling sick too and I always had a cracker and a sip of gingerale then too, even though I didn't want it. I never took my prenatal vitamin on an empty stomach. Usually that meant waiting until I kept a meal down for more than 30 minutes in the morning and then I took it asap. You can also try taking your prenatal before you go to bed too, to alleviate the chance that you'll throw it up as well, since it's important to take those now. I tried avoiding all smellables - restaurants, having smelly foods cooked in the house, etc. Which is hard, because when you're pregnant, you can smell for miles! It's a really, really tough time. It seems counterintuitive that you'd eat when you're sick, but do try to always get something in, even if it's a cracker. I had success with graham crackers & wheat thins when I got sick of saltines or ritz. I also stuck with cold foods that didn't need cooking or had much smell in the beginning too. I also had the misfortune of having someone here at work that had smelly food all the time and some personal/hygiene issues that were incredibly hard for me. I rubbed a little lavender oil under my nose for this - maybe you could try this (or some other scented oil that you like from your healthfood store) right before you have to change your toddler's poopy diapers? The lavender made a big difference for me too! Make sure it's a smell you LOVE, or you'll be sorry! I thought I was going to have to have a prescription, but I avoided it by doing these things & toughing it out instead. Of course taking a prescription isn't the worst thing in the world if you can't keep stuff in otherwise. The tiredness is something that came and went my whole pregnancy and there wasn't much I could do about that it seemed.

Good luck & congrats!

Maybe a bit late on Thursday to ask your doctor about this...I did, and this is what she recommended: half of a unisom pill with a B6 vitamin. It did the trick for me. Cut the nausea in half when I had my second child. I was sleepy but at least I could get up off the couch and wasn't vomiting 12X a day. There was a drug with this combination of ingredients in the late 60's early 70's -- my mom took it throughout her pregnancy with me (I'm 39). They stopped selling the drug in the US, but I know when I was pregnant they had in Canada. (This was all during the Thalidomide scare -- but the incidence of birth defects wasn't any greater with this drug than would occur normally.) I did lots of research, but in the end -- "I" was the living proof that it was safe.

Canada seems much more understanding about "Vomiting and Nausea in Pregnancy". I did a lot of googling and found some helpful websites from Canada. How can you be expected to work and care for another child when you can hardly get up or eat! Geesh! Ask your doc, do some research and Good luck!

My children are made of: granny smith apples, top ramen, and marmite on toast.

I've heard that "morning" sickness is related to fluctuating blood sugar levels. Perhaps eating some protein and high fiber foods at each meal, and maybe in between, would help sustain your blood sugar better. Foods with sugar and white flour will cause your blood sugar to spike and then drop, so I'd avoid them, but whole grain alternatives might help.
I really hope you feel better! Congratulations to you and your family! Happy, healthy pregnancy!

N.,
I had pretty horrible all day sickness with my pregnancy. I finally tried accupuncture and it seemed to help. Not only did I have some traditional accupuncture, but she also applied some pressure point things that would stay in place for a couple of days (tiny beads held in place with a band aid type thing.) I prefered to try this route to any kind of medication.

I also found that I had to take my time getting up in the morning - not easy to do when you have an active toddler, I know, but on the days I got up and tried to rush through my morning I always wound up losing my breakfast.

Oh N.,
I totally empathize!!! That was me all summer long. I felt like the worst mother in the world...I have a 2 year old son who has a ton of energy. I was not able to find any miracles, but I heard ginger can help. I hate the taste, so couldn't do it. I think they sell ginger candies at trader joes! If it helps at all....my nausea got so much better around 13-14 weeks and I now have my energy back, probably around 17 weeks. I know how hard it is to get through the day....but don't feel bad, your daughter won't remember it at all. Just keep napping as much as possible and just remember it will end!!!!!! I wish you the best! Congratulations! D.

Hi N.,

I feel for you. I am a nurse and I was working 7PM-7AM when I got pregnant with my now 7 year old. At the time I also had a 13 month old so I have an idea what you are going through. Because I worked 12 hour shifts, it was only 3 nights a week that I worked. I will say, I had a sitter who watched my one year old from 9AM until 2-3PM after nights that I worked so I could sleep. You need to get more rest.

I also had horrible morning sickness, which, I guess, is a misnomer, since I was nauseaus and exhausted 24/7. I tried the usual saltines, ginger tea. They helped some. Then I tried accupressure wrist bands and to my surprise they were very effective. They did not eliminate all the nausea and did nothing for the exhaustion, but, I remember being addicted to them. I never wanted to take them off. Unfortuneatly, you must take them off occasionally or they will really dig into your wrists. Best Wishes. Hang in there; this too will pass.

J. L.

Oh my, N., I feel for you. I was not sick at all with #1, but I was quite sick with #2--although, I don't think I was quite as sick as you seem to be. The only things that I could keep down (I swear!!!!!) were steamed clams with drawn butter and fast food from McDonald's--literally the Big "n" Tasty meal with french fries and coke. I hope that just reading this doesn't set you off, but those were the two things I lived on for a good part of that pregnancy.

If you can make it to tomorrow, your doctor should be able to help you. They do make medicines to help with such horrible nausea and vomiting. My prayers are with you.

Hi N.,
I am 21 weeks pregnant and have had hyperemesis with both of my pregnancies (extreme morning sickness) and it lasted until about 16 weeks. There is no miracle cure-all, but to know that you are not alone. I would sip caffiene-free coke all day and only eat when and WHAT I craved at the moment (which was rare). Don't worry about nutrition right now. Your baby is just fine. Eat WHATEVER sounds good. Also, don't think of yourself as a bad mother. This will pass and your daughter will be okay watching videos and having a sick mommy on the floor. Please don't feel guilty. Overall, you are feeling run down because your body lacks any food (or barely any) and it is normal to feel tired in your first trimester. If it continues to be bad, I would ask your doctor about IV treatments of fluids that you can get at your hospital. These treatments would give me a week or so of energy and a better stomach for awhile. The important thing is to get some fluid in your body, but I know that is even hard sometime. Do what you can N. and know that you are doing the BEST you can. Don;t worry about cleaning, cooking or anything else. Just rest. Hang in there!!!!! D.

I have heard that the scent of lemons is very helpful for nausea. I found it helpful to eat as soon as I felt hungry or even before so I could kind of keep my stomach "primed" all day. I know how hard that is though if you can't keep things down. Have you tried any other types of tea. I've never found ginger tea to be very appetizing anyway (to each his own) but they do make a pregnancy tea that I found quite delightful. And if you put a little lemon in it maybe it would help more.
Rest whenever you can, even if you feel like you're being a bad mother, it's much worse to not take care of yourself and listen to your body. Maybe you could even find ways to interact with your daughter while you were laying down. She may even start to notice that mommy's not feeling well and lay down with you and try to make you feel better. Or she could be like my daughter and laugh at you while you throw up.
Take care!

hi N.,
congratualations first have you tried sea bands they are braclets hte soem people wear on boats the apply gentle pressure on your wrists an it helped me with nausea. exhaustion will make syptoms worse so try and sleep more if you can. good luck mother of four 13 11 8 and 17mths a bit of a surprise also K. d