Morning sickness? Or ALL DAY BLEURGH!!

[Achm]

Ok at 8 weeks I'm feeling low. Struggling to do or eat anything! I thought this could be a central store of tips for anyone on the queasy side of life!!
I know the things that work change every 5 mins, but it's always nice to have something else to try next time! Here's my list, feel free to comment or add to it!
Ginger beer
Mints, polos, chewing gum
Fizzy drinks, coke, orangeade
Bitter lemon
Ice lollies (it was line calippos, now lemonade lollies)
Lemon sherberts
Microwaveable chips with lots of salt.

[Indomitable]

I've been looking at some of the research regarding using ginger for pregnancy sickness.

Some studies suggest it's as good as a placebo (which is good enough for me!) but some suggest that 1g ginger daily is as effective as taking metclopramide. (Which is even better in my book).

I don't know how you'd go about eating 1g of ginger - I don't know how much ginger beer you'd have to drink (in fact, I'm sure I saw somewhere that ginger beer is often made using ginger flavouring than actual extract) but I've found the Boots own brand pregnancy vitamins have the equivalent of 1g ginger in them.

The effect seems to build up, rather than being immediate.

I started taking the boots vits a couple of days ago, and I'm not expecting the nausea to hit properly till the weekend. But it might be worth a try?

This study compared ginger to vitamin B6, stating that vitamin B6 has already been shown to be good for reducing severe nausea. It found that 1g powdered ginger was just as good.

This link should take you to the search results I used. I have applied a lot of confirmation bias here!

The Cochrane Review on Nausea & Vomiting in Early Pregnancy is here, but it basically says there's not enough evidence to recommend any one thing (including medication). But it does note the recent studies showing that ginger has been shown to be better than a placebo.

Sorry, I know that's probably not what you wanted! From memory, I think salt & vinegar crisps and orange juice ice lollies were my thing last time.

[CarrieLouise25]

I've been taking higher levels of B6 and it's definitely helping.

I was sick (vomiting) from 3-4 weeks. All day nausea that had me climbing the walls every day since. BUT since the B6 got in my system, it has been more manageable.

I'm 9 weeks now, and get really bad days still, but overall I can work and look after my other children without feeling like I'm dying (so much).

I take 3 x 25g a day.

Good luck x

[CarrieLouise25]

I meant 25mg!!! Sorry x

[Indomitable]

Ooh, that's the recommended dose in that study, Carrie! Glad it's helping.

(I really hope this 1g of ginger is equivalent to the B6 dose)

[Achm]

Right, next stop boots for some ginger vits! Or would b6 be better??? Ginger beer stopped working after week 6, I really need something that's going to have an overall effect rather than feeling better for half an hour!
Thanks for all the comments! X

[Indomitable]

Can you get both?!

[Indomitable]

I don't think you can get B6 at a high enough dose over the counter.

[CarrieLouise25]

Take both ginger and B6. Just don't overdose on the B6.

Took a good 3-4 days to get into my system, so don't give up hope if it's not working x

[CarrieLouise25]

Just buy normal B6 vits, and adjust the dose accordingly. I have 10mg tablets that I bought from Tesco, and I take 3, 2 and 2 (every 6 hours) and that gives me total of 70mg a day, and the midwife usually recommends 75mg, so close enough x

[Saltedcaramel2014]

Good thread. I'm ten weeks and really struggling. I had a bit of nausea with DS1 but nothing like this all-day thing. I've just messaged DH for ice lollies and ice cream which help (I guess the numbing effect).

The thing that has made the biggest difference for me has been how I eat - frequent grazing and no big meal apart from cereal for breakfast. Bland foods and fizzy drinks like ginger beer or purdeys. Eating food cold rather than hot so it smells less really really helps me.

I've been drinking chopped ginger in tea but haven't noticed any easing of symptoms. Eating dried fruit every day has kept digestion going which obviously helps ease bloating etc, but doesn't fix nausea.

Anyway interested to hear what works for others...

[bumblebeebboi]

I'm not feeling traditionally queasy like I'm car sick but I have had this horrible acidic feeling in my stomach. Like when you're starving hungry only there are loads of things I really really don't fancy. But eating is the only way I can make the horrid stomach feeling go away!!!

Hence I'm going to end up huge.

Is this pregnancy nausea???

[Heidi122]

Feel your pain. I'm 7 weeks and whilst I have no appetite just graze on rubbish most of the day (cheese helps) my main problem is fatigue. I'm so so so so tired and I can't do anything. It's like a constant hangover minus the wine the night before I am so guilty I can't give my toddler the attention he deserves during the day but I have no energy to even move. Blah........ Never been so excited to see hubby walk in door as I am now

[CarrieLouise25]

Hi Saltedcaramel2014, the all day thing sucks.

I had vomiting with my first really bad, and then the all day nausea with my second and it was pure hell.

This time around I started throwing up so early on, I knew I was in for another bad one, but the B6 has really helped.

I did tonnes of research. Turns out that no one wants to touch pregnant women since the whole thalidomide episode, so there is nothing out there to help. However, the Canadians have this miracle nausea cure which is a combination of B6 and Unisom (a sleeping pill). So after more research on B6 it looks as though it is recommended by midwives over here.

However, I didn't have any help with either pregnancy. God I wish I had known about this before. I wouldn't have waited so long to conceive the next!!!

My top tips:

Eat porridge before bed
Go to sleep much earlier
Have food by your bed for the morning (Bananas work for me)
Eat all day long. Snack snack snack. Don't let your stomach be empty.
Drink plenty of water.
Take B6
Get a decent pregnancy vit with ginger, take before bed.

Good luck everyone x

[Saltedcaramel2014]

It's how I'm feeling, bumble. Though only if I leave gaps big enough to get hungry on - I try to never get hungry, hence the grazing. Occasionally try some nuts/seeds etc but mainly crackers and crisps.

[Saltedcaramel2014]

Thanks for the wise words, CarrieLouise - really interesting background and I will get on it with the b6.

I am in bed/asleep whenever not feeling guilty about neglecting toddler (I hear you on that, Heidi)

[bumblebeebboi]

Salted eating doesn't make it go! Utterly ridiculous.

Doesn't help that I only feel like eating piles and piles of pasta.

[Saltedcaramel2014]

I thought you said eating did make the feeling go away... Am I being dense?

Pasta is the thing.

[wheredi]

I'm really suffering today with it

Coming up 12wks and feel like death. no actual vomiting but the worst nausea. It wasn't too bad for a few days but yesterday and today it's came back with a vengeance!!

Nothing's helping. Sniff.

[CarrieLouise25]

Sorry to hear wheredi

Nausea is the pits. Hope you have a better day tomorrow.

Have you got your scan soon to focus on?

Counting the days until 12 week mark x

[bumblebeebboi]

Sorry I am hormonal and not expressing myself very well. It sort of makes it go but sometimes it doesn't. Just eaten 2 bowls of pasta and its still there.

Will try some of these tips.

[wheredi]

Thank you

Scan is tomorrow morning! Can't quite believe it.

[wheredi]

Eating makes mine go for the short time I am physically eating!

Hence why I am stuffing my face constantly and going to be the size of a house before I know it.

[CarrieLouise25]

bumblebeebboi so with you on the hormonal bit! I must admit, the last 2 it was bad, but I don't remember being sick/nauseous AND starving all the time. It's a weird combination.

As soon as I eat, my stomach feels completely empty.

I really don't like it, because I was already on the tubby side before conceiving! I'm going to be huge!

wheredi how exciting!!! Something to focus on apart from the god awful sickness. Good luck with your scan tomorrow, hope all goes well x

[Saltedcaramel2014]

Oh, I get it, yep. I was trying to be positive but it's the same here, while food is actually in my mouth I feel better, but that's about it.

Focusing on scans is a very good idea - good luck wheredi

[Achm]

Yes, I'm the same. I generally feel 'normal-ish' when I am actually eating and ok ish for a bit after but quickly feel sick again.
And we all need to let go of the guilt, I've got older kids to look after and even though they don't need me like a toddler, I feel terrible just leaving them to it and napping/ lying in bed most of the day. I just have no energy but really want to be doing stuff as I've got some time off work. The last two weeks when I had to work were terrible!!