Morning sickness and pregnancy go hand in hand. Some people experience mild symptoms but some unlucky peeps suffer with really debilitating morning sickness. Read about our blog writer Zoe's experience with morning sickness during her two pregnancies and products she recommends to help.
In the movies you know when a character is pregnant because the woman throws up, works out the dates of her last period and then finally takes a test to confirm what she's been thinking. Then fast forward to the glowing baby bump shot. The morning sickness is miraculously gone, along with all the other wonderful pregnancy symptoms. Oh if only pregnancy was that easy right 😄
With both my pregnancies I was struck down with morning sickness and guess what...... morning sickness isn't just in the morning! The sickness crept up whenever and wherever it wanted.
MY FIRST PREGNANCY
In my first pregnancy the sickness first began at about week 5 and the struggle was real. I would throw up first thing making it difficult to shower as I was hovering between the toilet and bathtub. My journeys to work were interesting and anyone who had coffee or wore a strong perfume were my mortal enemy, causing me to swap carriages at the next tube station. I felt like a dog marking their territory as I had to stop to be sick so often - trees, lamp posts, drains, I couldn't get five feet without needing to throw up. In the end I created my own morning sickness survival pack to carry with me while out and about. The pack included; a plastic bag, travel toothbrush / toothpaste, snacks and sweets.
Work was tricky but my desk was right beside the bathroom so I didn't need to walk by anyone directly which meant keeping the pregnancy secret was slightly easier.
I didn’t realise quite how sick I had been until the nausea lifted in week 15/16 weeks. I stopped officially being sick during week 20 which was very exciting as I was finally able to enjoy pregnancy.
MY SECOND PREGNANCY
With my second pregnancy, morning sickness began around week 6. I described it to my husband as motion sickness, every time I moved I was in for a surprise. I felt like I was living with a permanent hangover - but one that lasted 18 weeks!!!! My two and a half year old was amazing, rubbing my back while I had my head in the toilet bowl and bringing me my bottle of water or tissues when requested.
One of the worst thing I found about morning sickness is society expects you to keep your pregnancy a secret until 12 weeks. So many days at work I just wanted to roll up into a ball but that wasn't possible. With my first pregnancy I kept it a secret until well after the 12 week mark. With my second pregnancy it was super difficult to keep it a secret. I mean running after a toddler in the playground and then having to dash off into the wooded area to throw up kinda gave the game away. It made sense to tell to my mum friends early on so that they could be on hand to watch my little one until I emerged from the woods.
WHAT HELP IS AVAILABLE?
I spoke to both my midwife and GP and asked if there was anything that would help alleviate the vomiting. As I was holding down water I wasn't diagnosed with having Hyperemesis Gravidarum - so they weren't keen on prescribing any medicine. Unlike regular pregnancy sickness, HG may not clear up completely until the baby is born, although some symptoms may improve at around 20 weeks.
They suggested I drink small sips of fluids, eat small meals often and try ginger. I spent days Googling ‘can morning sickness kill me?’, ‘when does morning sickness pass?’. There wasn’t one single answer as it differed for everyone.
In both pregnancies in true British spirit I kept calm and carried on, believing there wasn’t much that could be done for the morning sickness. More recently I have found out about a charity called Pregnancy Sickness Support who offer a load of support for people suffering, including self-help techniques, treatments and more, so definitely worth going to for support.
There isn’t a precise reason why some women suffer morning sickness and why others don’t. Having suffered with it with both my pregnancies, I believe hormones play a large role and sometimes our bodies are just not ready for the sudden rollercoaster of them growing a baby but I’m no doctor so I could be completely mistaken.
MY MORNING SICKNESS SURVIVAL PACK
I’ve come up with a list of a few aids that may help ease the nausea or that are worth carrying around in your bag while you are going through this phase of pregnancy that helped me.
Motion Sickness Bands - £3.89
If you are in your first trimester in winter these Motion Sickness Bands are easy to hide under your jumper or cardie but in the summer they may give the game away if you aren’t ready to tell people at work you are expecting.
Check Motion Sickness Bands on Amazon.
Travel Toothbrush & Paste - £13.50
If you are suffering from vomiting during the first trimester don’t forget to keep a travel toothbrush and paste in your handbag as there is nothing worse when you are feeling ill than fuzzy teeth and tongue.
Check out Travel Toothbrush and Paste Set on Amazon.
Tissues - £3.99
Always keep a pack of Kleenex tissue in your bag to wipe away those tears from being sick.
Check out Kleenex Tissues on Amazon.
Wipes - £2.66
Hand and Face wipes are a handbag essential to wipe away any spills and keep your hands fresh and clean.
Check out Storksak Hand & Face wipes on Amazon.
Water Bottle - £19.99
Staying hydrated in pregnancy is super important and double extra important if you are suffering from morning sickness so try and remember to bring your water bottle wherever you go!
Lip Balm - £4.99
There is nothing worse than cracked lips when you feel nauseous all the time so keep hydrated and remember to use lip balm. Even something as small as lip balm can make you feel much better after a bout of throwing up.
Ritz Crackers - £1.00
My midwife and GP suggested dry crackers but I couldn't stomach plain crackers and they gave me dry mouth. I decided to try Ritz Crackers and the salt gave the crackers flavour and instantly helped even if for only a moment from the nausea.
Check out Ritz Crackers on Amazon.
Sherbert Lemons - £9.99
Someone recommended hard boiled sweets to me and having tried multiple types, sherbert lemons worked for me. The sweet and sour taste hit perfectly and although they did not prevent me from being sick helped ease the nausea.
Check out Sherbert Lemons on Amazon.
I wish you a speedy journey with morning sickness and hope these products help you out.
Zoe x
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