How I Avoid Morning Sickness

I've been wanting to sit down and write about morning sickness for awhile so here goes!

     Firstly, I have successfully never thrown up during pregnancy unless it was a short bout of the flu 6 months pregnant with my first son, or overstimulation of the uterus for 24 hours a week before having my third son. Some people will say genetics...luck...all pregnancies are different, etc. While there may be some of that present, I worked hard to avoid morning sickness and found some keys to success:

1.   Good prenatal vitamins are a MUST. If the dosage is 1 a day, it's not a really good vitamin. You need quality and quantity. It's worth the money to invest in no morning sickness! I use Vita Natal Prenatal Vitamins (4-6 a day). I have tried other brands, but I keep going back to this one because it works. If I'm consistent in taking them, I don't notice nausea.

2.   MUST EAT PROTEIN!! I cannot stress this enough. While pregnant, your body is growing another human being. Fitness gurus constantly push getting protein to feed your muscles after working out so they can grow and repair...how much more so do you think you need to grow a baby?? If you do not eat it, you will most likely throw up and be nauseous all the time. More than likely, you'll end up with health issues later in pregnancy. Eat at least 90 grams of good quality protein a day.

3.   Stay hydrated, drink water. Because of the extra blood from pregnancy as well as placenta fluids and your organs working more than normal, your body will require more fluids than before. Keep yourself flushed and rejuvanated by drinking at least 1/2 a gallon a day, working your way to a gallon. This will also help ward off urinary tract infections. I like buying a 1 liter water bottle, like Aquafina or Dasani, then refilling it throughout the day. Four of these is a smidge over a gallon, so my bare minimum is 2 a day. I take this bottle wherever I go.

4.   Fruits and/or veggies at every meal. This may be difficult to incorporate...I know it was for me at first. Fruits and vegatables contain perfect balances of the vitamins and minerals our body needs and in perfect quantities for the body to digest. For example, most people think that drinking milk = getting a lot of calcium, but it needs magnesium in order for your body to digest it. If milk has no magnesium, then you're absorbing little to no calcium. However, if you eat a cup of raw spinach, it has the perfect digestable balance of calcium and magnesium, so even if there's a small amout, you're getting all of it instead of little to none from a huge quantity.

5.   Don't forget plenty of sleep! Give your body a break and let it rest! Being pregnant is a big adjustment, especially in the beginning, both for you and your body. Not sleeping enough can aggrevate morning sickness.

6.    Eat when you wake up. Don't put off eating once you wake up. Even if you don't feel like eating, or you've never been a breakfast person, grab something small like a banana or a fruit smoothie, even a piece of cheese. Morning sickness usually comes from your body searching for nutrients and not finding what it needs, so get a head start on it and feed yourself!

7.    Have a small snack before bed. Make it a yogurt cup (I love Chobani Greek Yogurt!), a handful of nuts, a cheese stick or 1 serving of cottage cheese. If you stick to something high protein, it'll last all night to help prevent morning sickness, PLUS when you are in post partum recovery mode, this is a great fat burning secret to already have established!

8.   Stay away from sugary treats and fried foods. Yes, I do have to touch on this one! These empty calories are no good and won't satisfy you, thus if they aren't contributing to your body's need for nutrients, you've basically wasted an opportunity to keep morning sickness at bay. Also, pigging out on these foods won't help weight gain, AND during pregnancy you're more prone to yeast infections. Foods and drinks high in sugar feed yeast.


         In the beginning stages of pregnancy, there's a lot going on. You've got the added blood running through your body, tons of new hormones getting themselves established, and a higher demand for nutrients suddenly required. I do mean nutrients, not calories. According to mainstream experts, it's only in the second trimester that you need 300 additional calories a day for your growing baby. However, in the beginning, it's nutrition that is a vital key in keeping morning sickness away. Focus on these key points, and you'll find yourself feeling energetic and empowered.  


~~ Caroleena