Please everyone I need your best tips for dealing with first trimester nausea!

[mscongeniality]

Hi all,

I'm thinking about ttc child number 2 but my first trimester with my first child has left me quite traumatised. After he was born I swore I wouldn't have anymore kids but I'm finally at a place mentally where I'm ready for another.

I had horrible nausea starting from about week 6 till week 12. The worst part was that it was constant and unrelenting because I couldn't get relief from throwing up. I had to force myself to throw up maybe a handful of times and would feel better, but it didn't happen easily. So I pretty much struggled through like this all day and night. I know some people have it much worse with hypermesis, but not being able to throw up is really awful too. Anyone had that?

Could you please share what worked best for you to deal with the nausea as well, including any prescribed medication because this time I'm going to ask my GP for help. I've tried the usual: ginger ale, crackers, milk, carbs etc but I want to cover all my bases so I can be more prepared this time!

I was similar to you in every one of my pregnancies - by the third time I’d worked out what helped alleviate the nausea (but not get rid of it, sadly). Here’s what helped for me:

• Eating small handfuls of almonds slowly, chewing each one well
• drinking anything lemon/lime flavoured. Squash or cordial with water or sparkling water was good.
• cucumber slices (this only worked in my third pregnancy, I couldn’t have stomached it in the other two)
• getting enough sleep - tiredness made it much worse.

I had bad nausea each time but to a varying degree and for different lengths of time, I had 14 weeks low level sickness this time round but only 3 weeks in my second pregnancy. Good luck - I know it doesn’t feel like it but it will pass.

Also seabands really helped this time (didn’t seem to make much difference in the other pregnancies though) and yes to salt and vinegar crisps.

I'm on my third (currently 10w) and not escaped it with any of them. Counting down the weeks until I will hopefully feel close to normal again. I hate the first trimester so much!

Means to an end though... if you want another you just gotta roll with whatever nauseous card nature deals you.

This may sound odd, but have you tried having a hot shower?
I have episodes of severe nausea and vomiting that usually end up with me on an iv in hospital, but when I'm unwell the best things for me are medication (cyclizine, ondansetron and levomepromazine were my magic anti emetic combination - also ask about non tablet options, the strips that melt on your tongue were a godsend to me!), sucking ice cubes for a bit of hydration, and taking a shower as hot as I can.
The shower only helped while I was under the water, but when the nausea was so unrelenting that I was incapacitated, even a few minutes of relief was bliss!

Wishing you the best for everything, and crossing my fingers that you won't feel so sick this time!

Reading along with interest... I am 5+4 and it hasn't kicked in yet but last time with DS I vomited yellow bile every morning from about 8 weeks until the ELCS. I don't think it counts as HG but it was v unpleasant! There was a very dark period from week 8 til about week 12 where all I could stock was McDonalds fries. I put on 10kgs in the first trimester 😳

Oh my god, so glad to read some of these ideas. 7/8 weeks with DC3, the nausea and exhaustion is so debilitating. Not telling people about baby yet after a miscarriage earlier this year. However, I think my secret may be out if I carry on like this. Just hoping things ease off a bit.
Thanks for the tips!