How to cure Morning Sickness

In the first 4 pregnancies, I was a basket case - I’d dread going to bed because I knew I was going to be sooooo sick in the morning.

 

This time, when I felt it coming on, I decided to see if I could in fact stop it altogether.  I did... and so can you!

To cure my morning sickness, I first had to look at what made the morning sickness worse.

Problem 1: Not eating right.

If I had one of those days where I didn’t eat right, meals were badly timed or skipped, I’d guarantee a horrible morning the next day, which would in turn cause me to roll into another day of not eating right.

Solution: control your meals as a matter of priority.  Look at all the things that are getting in the way of you eating, then fast forward to tomorrow and you’ll see that all those things will be so much easier without morning sickness.

Problem 2: Going to bed full

I actually discovered this after birth number 4, eating a big meal before bed feels comfortable and normal (or is that expected).  But Every time I do it, I feel tired and heavy in the morning.  I can only assume that it is because the body needs movement to move food down the pipes, so a big meal sitting in the stomach just stays there overnight.  Morning sickness kind of feels like you’ve eaten something that has gone off.  Combine this with a meal that has been sitting undigested in your gut for 8 hours and you’ve got a recipe for a hard morning.

Solution: Eat an early dinner.  Our kids eat at 5, so we do too.  By the time we go to bed the meal has moved past the stomach to where it is needed.

 

Problem 3: Low blood sugar in the morning.

Growing a baby inside you requires quite a lot of energy, and blood sugar levels drop steeply in the night, giving the same sick feeling a diabetic has.

Solution: If you wake up for a toilet stop early in the morning (after 1pm), have a shot of my morning sickness smoothie before going back to bed.  After a while you’ll get used to waking up 30 minutes before you actually have to wake up, just so you can take the shot (and it works miracles).

Morning sickness smoothie: blend half a green apple, handful kale/spinach leaves, half a cup ice and a small piece of ginger
leave in the fridge overnight.  30 minutes before you're meant to wake up, have a shot and go back to bed.

Problem 4: Staying in bed sick

I used to lay in bed and spend most of the morning sick.  But laying in bed seems to just make it last longer.

Solution: The body needs to know that it’s woken up, so immediately upon waking, do some relatively intense exercise (like 50 quick squats, or run around the block).  Morning sickness generally tend to be in the first trimester, when you’re not even showing, so you don’t need to exercise like you’re 9 months pregnant.  Get up and crush a quick workout.  Even if you’re feeling a little woozy, kicking your heart rate up does wonders for your morning sickness, and is the best start to the day!

 

After your workout, finish the rest of the smoothie and enjoy being pregnant, without the sickness!