Tips for managing morning sickness

<img src="https://media.deseretdigital.com/file/4eb4f13418.jpg?resize=width_300&c=2&a=15f0fca0" /><br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Editor's note: This article was originally published on Katie Clarks' blog, Clarks Condensed. It has been republished here with permission.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I vote that they rename morning sickness. It really gives people false expectations that once they get through the sickness in the morning, it won't come back the rest of the day.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Don't get me wrong; when I was pregnant, I definitely had morning sickness. Along with lunch time sickness, middle of work sickness, driving home sickness and all evening long sickness.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> And it didn't end after the first trimester like people make you think it will either. Nope, I was pretty much sick the entire time I was pregnant. I knew I would be. My mom was very sick with me, and I just had a feeling that I would be getting payback when I was pregnant. Payback it was.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I didn't feel like any tips really worked that well. And I pretty much always felt sick. I threw up on the way to work, and the way home. Right when I woke up and before bed. I can never eat Taco Time again, and I feel embarrassed every time I think about when I was walking down a hill from BYU campus, and I just started throwing up … with lots of people around me.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> With that said, here is everything you need to know about morning sickness — what it is, why it happens and how you can manage it.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> What is morning sickness</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> First off, I want to talk about what is morning sickness.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Seventy percent of women experience nausea early in pregnancy and about 50 percent experience vomiting. After the first trimester of pregnancy, about 50 percent of those who had early pregnancy morning sickness will feel totally better. However, many will continue on to be sick for the entirety of their pregnancy.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Morning sickness can be as "simple" as feeling a little sick to your stomach, to full on throwing up multiple times a day to the point of dehydration. No matter what kind of morning sickness you may experience, just know that it's OK to rest. Don't let anyone make you feel like you're being a wuss! No one truly knows what it's like to go through morning sickness unless they have themselves, and even then, everyone's experience is different.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Most morning sickness will strike around six weeks, but sometimes it will happen later … or leave, and then come back several weeks after. I remember going to an appointment at WIC when I was about six weeks pregnant, and proudly proclaiming that I wasn't sick at all. The nutritionist gave me a knowing smile, and said, "Well, wait a few more weeks before you get too excited."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Ha. That's all I have to say. Because morning sickness came on full force about one week later.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> So, what causes morning sickness? I'll talk about that next.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Morning sickness causes</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> There is not one big, catch-all reason for morning sickness. There's a wide variety of factors, but when it comes down to it, you may never know. And just because you were sick with one child doesn't mean you will be sick with all of them, and vice versa. However, here are a few reasons that have been found to increase the likelihood of morning sickness (summarized from BabyCenter.com)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> hCG</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> (human chorionic gonadotropin): When you are first pregnant, your doctor may monitor your hCG level, which is a hormone that rises extremely fast during the early stages of pregnancy. While there's been no definitive study saying this is the cause of morning sickness, it does correlate with the timing of when a woman may first experience morning sickness. When a woman is carrying multiple babies, her hCG levels will be higher, and morning sickness is very common among women expecting more than one baby.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Increased sense of smell</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I think this definitely contributed to my morning sickness. When you are pregnant, you do have an increased sense of smell … which is not always a good thing. Things that may not have bothered you before may smell stronger than ever before, causing you to get sick.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Sensitive stomach</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This may not be the case for all women, but for some reason, pregnancy can make your digestive system a little wonky. BabyCenter also said that some studies have shown that the presence of Helicobacter pylori, a stomach bacterium, may increase the likelihood of morning sickness. I found this very interesting, because, shortly after Jack was born, I had positive results for h. pylori.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Who gets morning sickness</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Most often, you will never know if you will get morning sickness until you're actually pregnant. But, in case you are wondering if you have a higher chance, here are a few factors that may increase that chance:</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">     Having multiples (twins, triplets, etc.)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">     Experienced morning sickness in previous pregnancy (for instance, I have a sister who got sicker and sicker with each pregnancy, and this was the case for my mom, as well.)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">     History of migraines</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">     If your mother or sisters have had morning sickness, you're more likely to, as well (pretty much, I was doomed from the start.)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">     You are having a girl. I don't know if I totally believe this, but apparently there was a study that shows women carrying a girl are a lot more likely to be sick.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Dangers of morning sickness</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> For most women, morning sickness will just make them miserable. However, if, beyond the first trimester, you don't gain any weight, can't keep any food or water down, you may be at risk for various complications.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The most serious complication is called hyperemesis gravidarum, which happens in about one out of every 100 pregnancies. Kate Middleton brought a lot of attention to this during her pregnancy, and I'm glad it did (though I'm not glad she was so ill.) If you have hyperemesis gravidarum, it's not just an occasional bout of nausea, or throwing up every now and then. It's a serious illness that often can land you in the hospital, and can cause complications with your pregnancy. Thankfully, there are medicines that can help with it, but many women who have it often have to get IV drips to rehydrate them.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Morning sickness survival kit</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> While I had a hard time finding anything that made me feel 100 percent better, there were a few things that helped. And, when all else failed and I still felt sick, there were a few items I had to have on hand. Here are a few ideas of items you might always want to have close by.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Preggie Pop Drops</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I was skeptical about these, but honestly, they did take the edge off. Plus they taste delicious!</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Bowl or bag</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> As much as I hate to admit it, there were many times I was in the car, or work, or walking on campus, and I just had to throw up. And the times where a bowl or bag was handy made life so much easier.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Mints or toothbrush/toothpaste</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This is probably self-explanatory, really, but if you get sick … you'll probably want to get that flavor out of your mouth.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Facial wipes</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Just to wipe your hands, face, etc.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Water or Gatorade</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> It's very important to stay hydrated while pregnant, especially if you have a lot of morning sickness. However, water can be hard to keep down if you have a sensitive stomach. Gatorade is a good choice because it replenishes the electrolytes you lose (be sure to not get one of the zero or low calorie ones, because they have aspartame or sucralose in them! Not so good for you, or your growing baby.)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Hair Tie</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I was grateful for having one of these.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Snacks</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> (variety)</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> How to deal</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Let people take care of you</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I don't care how independent you are … if you are feeling sick, let people take care of you! It might be the only time in your life you can truly justify it (growing a person is hard!) Pregnancy is not a time to be prideful!</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Track Food/Smell Triggers</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Inevitably, you will have some kind of food (or many foods) or smells that you can't stand. One of my sisters couldn't even be in the same room as a sausage, and another couldn't be near ham. If you keep track of what makes you feel particularly nauseous, it can help you avoid the triggers more effectively.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Sleep lots!</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Truly, this is the best thing you can do … albeit, it can be the hardest, I know. But sleep whenever you can.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Relax</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Morning sickness remedies</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Ginger — chews, crystalized, capsules</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Ginger helps settle stomachs. I actually tried some ginger crystals once, and while I did not love the flavor, it helped a little bit.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Medication</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> If you are absolutely miserable and can't even function, consider asking your doctor for a prescription. I don't think that every woman needs medication for morning sickness, but if you really feel like you can't go on, I'd recommend talking to your doctor. The most popular kind is Zofran, but I'm sure there are other kinds as well.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Vitamin B12 + Unisom</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A nurse at my OBGYN office recommended this as an alternative to getting a prescription medicine. I tried it a few times, right before I got out of bed, and it helped at least ward off my morning sickness for a while. Be sure to ask your doctor for proper dosing.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Frozen Gatorade cubes</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I heard of someone doing this, and I thought it was a good idea. If you have a hard time drinking anything, maybe just suck on a couple of frozen Gatorade cubes. It will help with hydration and replenishing electrolytes, and might be easier on your stomach.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Zinc supplements</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Just a tip I found online somewhere. Zinc apparently calms nausea … who knew!</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Lemon drops</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Just constantly sucking on something can help you fight the urge to throw up, and lemon is supposed to be good for helping with nausea.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Saltines</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Bland, plain and not likely to upset your stomach</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Anything peppermint or lemon</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Don't ask me why, but these are apparently good for settling stomachs. In my opinion, I feel like any smell was too strong while I was pregnant, but it's worth a shot!</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Essential Oils</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I'm just starting to learn about essential oils and pregnancy, but some people swear by them. Lavender can help you sleep, peppermint and oregano can ease nausea.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Have a snack</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> right next to your bed for when you wake up in the morning. For me, I would literally throw up five seconds after getting out of bed and just eating a cracker or something gave me a little more time.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Avoid spicy or greasy foods</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> … no matter how much you crave them! This can really aggravate acid reflux, as well. Which, in turn, can make you throw up.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Wear motion sickness bracelets</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> These can be purchased at drug stores, Walmart, Target, etc.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Get out of bed slowly</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> … no need for any sudden movements!</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Eat small, frequent meals, every few hours</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Never let yourself go hungry if possible!</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Did I miss something? I'd love to hear your input!</div>

Tips for managing morning sickness

Editor's note: This article was originally published on Katie Clarks' blog, Clarks Condensed. It has been republished here with ...

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4 Americans: How Health Care Law Affected Them

<img alt="Lloyd Turner, Shawn Turner" border="0" height="360" itemprop="image" src="http://a.abcnews.com/images/Health/WireAP_5a27ab0fb717441fbf64ba69641b3bd7_16x9_992.jpg" width="640" /><br />  More than 7 million people have signed up for private health insurance under the system introduced last year for those who were uninsured or had policies considered substandard.<br /> What happened to them since has varied greatly.<br /> Many have been happy with their new insurance, according to polls. Others are encountering a variety of snags — high premiums, telephone runarounds or difficulty getting care. Together their experiences provide a glimpse of how the largest social program launched since Medicare has worked out for the people involved.<br /> With lessons learned, the program enters its second year with enrollment beginning Saturday.<br /> ———<br /> NICK OF TIME<br /> Shawn Turner didn't realize it when the health insurance program debuted last year, but she would become a dramatic example of its purpose.<br /> A 54-year-old medical transcriptionist in the tiny Illinois village of Cisco, Turner had gotten health benefits through her job for 15 years. "The main reason I worked was to get the health insurance," she says.<br /> Then, last year, she lost coverage when her employer outsourced her work to an Internet-based transcription service. Her husband, Lloyd, who owns an auto body shop, had been on her policy so he lost his insurance, too.<br /> In December, the Turners signed up for a "silver," or medium grade, plan on the new government website listing policies available. They would pay $236 a month and the government would pay the insurance company $830 a month, a subsidy based on their estimated $22,000 income. Their deductible was $750.<br /> A few weeks after her coverage started, she was suddenly doubled over with abdominal pain that sent her to the emergency room. It was uterine cancer.<br /> "I was in shock, just kind of numb," she says.<br /> From late January through July she endured two surgeries and chemotherapy. Blue Cross Blue Shield covered more than $265,000 in medical bills, a sum that otherwise "could have wiped us out I would imagine," she says.<br /> Today, Shawn Turner says, her doctors believe she's cancer free. Her once-lustrous brown hair is beginning to grow back after chemotherapy. She's preparing to look for a part-time job as her strength returns. The Turners were able to keep their small house on the edge of town surrounded by corn and soybean fields.<br /> "We got to keep our livelihood and we didn't become a detriment to society and our hospitals got paid," says Lloyd Turner.<br /> ———<br /> MORE FOR MORE<br /> For 10 years, Steve Duchesne, 49, carefully purchased health insurance that covered what he believed his family of five needed — catastrophic illness and injury — and that omitted what it didn't, such as full vision care services and treatment for drug abuse.<br /> Now, under the new system, he has more insurance than he's ever had, but at a higher cost, and he's not happy about it.<br /> The public relations consultant's old plan was canceled because it didn't include all the minimum services required under the new law. His monthly health insurance costs have risen from $645 a month to $1,033 a month for the new policy.<br /> "We're a middle-class family with what I consider a middle-class income for our area," says Duchesne, who lives in Redondo Beach, California. No subsidies were available for a family of five with a household income of more than $110,000.<br /> Duchesne says he's had to drop his adult dental coverage, reduce his contribution to his individual retirement account and cut other household expenses to make up the cost difference.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

4 Americans: How Health Care Law Affected Them

 More than 7 million people have signed up for private health insurance under the system introduced last year for those who were uninsured...

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