Easing a Queasy Stomach

Darrell Miller

08/30/05

Date: August 30, 2005 05:45 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Easing a Queasy Stomach

Easing a Queasy Stomach

For some women that awful, green-around-the-gills feeling is pregnancy’s first sign. While the “morning” part of morning sickness can be a misnomer—it can strike anytime from midnight to mid-afternoon—the sickness is all too real. “It is truly debilitating,” says Registered dietitian Miriam Erick, Author of Managing Morning Sickness (bull Publishing), Who specializes in aiding queasy moms-to-be. “A severe case can disrupt a woman’s career and family life, and even threaten her long-term health.”

Eating a few whole-grain crackers before getting out of bed (a time-honored sickness stopper) works well for many would-be moms. Others find relief in lemons; “You can sniff them, suck on them or sprinkly them with salt and lick them,” says Erick. If neither of these methods work, Erick suggests tracking your triggers: What smells set you off? What times of day are you most vulnerable? Does heat and humidity do you in, or is it a toss-and-turn bed partner that’s the problem?

Another approach is to go with your cravings for certain types of foods. If you hanker for something salty, try tomato juice; for a tart taste, turn to lemons or salsa. Raw zucchini provides the crunch that some women crave, while pumpernickel bread and hummus impart an earthy note. Some women even find that spicy foods, such as chili peppers, do the trick. Ginger—in tea, pickled or capsule form—is a spicy substance with a sterling reputation for taming unruly tummies. Don’t worry that spicy stuff will trigger premature labor—that’s just one of the many myths surrounding pregnancy.

“Eat what you can keep down and let everyone else fend for themselves,” Says Erick. “And always keep in mind that no matter how terrible you feel, it has to be over in nine months.” (Call your practitioner if you suffer from extremely sever nausea and vomiting that lasts beyond 16 weeks.)

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