Quick Tips for Morning Sickness During Pregnancy

Morning sickness.  Ugh.  Just hearing the words brings back flashbacks.  While morning sickness can be somewhat reassuring if you've had any early complications in your pregnancy, it is never fun, and- for some women- can be downright miserable.  Here are some quick tips to help you get through:

- Try everything.  Every woman and every pregnancy is going to be different.  Things I tried my first pregnancy didn't work the second time, as well as things that hadn't worked the first time, did sometimes help the second pregnancy.  Things like ginger gum, ginger ale, sea bands, ginger tea/drinks, crackers on the bedside table, eating something small first and something bigger second, trying preggie pops/drops and many more recommendations were all things I tried at some point in either pregnancy.

- Try to rest as much as you can.  If this is your first pregnancy, do your best to get to sleep earlier at night.  If you already have children, don't be afraid to ask for help.  A spouse/partner, friend, or family member may be able to give you a hand with your older child in order for you to get some rest.

- Drink as much water as possible.  Decreasing dehydration can help you to avoid nausea.  Pregnant ladies who are dehydrated may experience more nausea than pregnant ladies who are well hydrated.

- Learn your own body.  There were days during my first and my current pregnancy where I was physically unable to accomplish anything.  There were days where I did call off of work, put on a cartoon for my son at home so I could lay down, or take some time at work to stop and get a snack or rest my head on a desk for a few minutes.  Your body is telling you something when you feel that sick.  While our culture sadly rewards those who 'push through the pain', this is not one of those cases.  Take care of yourself and your body/baby!

- Don't be afraid to ask for help.  There are some medications your doctor can give you for morning sickness if it becomes excessive.  There is no shame in admitting you need help to continue to do your daily tasks.  

- Take comfort in the fact that, in most cases, morning sickness doesn't last forever, and you will get through this.  I promise, the end result is far more rewarding than the path to get there!

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A trick of the trade #6

If there is anything that I have learned in my short number of years being a mother and buying things for babies, it's this: They are forever changing and "improving" products and you never know how long the one that works for your baby is going to be on the shelf.

Bottles, pacifiers, sippy cups, certain food products, even certain little toys...our children got accustomed to a certain type, and then all of a sudden I'd go to the store and they'd no longer have the exact product. I'd find in it's place some new "improved" version that my child was not a fan of.

So to play it safe, if you find something that your baby/child loves...stock up!! You never know how long they will sell your child's favorite version, and finding yourself without it because they no longer sell it can be a tragedy in itself!!

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A trick of the trade #5

Here's a little trick that might work for you.

Did you know that juice consumption up to the age of 4 should be limited to about 4-6 ounces a day? (According to Dr. Sears and several other sources.) But getting my kids to drink water was about as easy as getting them to clean up after themselves. But was we all know, drinking plenty of water a day is important.

My kids are picky enough eaters as it is. I figured if I could do anything right since they were eating so badly, I could at least figure out a way to get them to drink enough water, and not too much juice.

Feeling frustrated that they wouldn't drink water, but would drink juice, but shouldn't have more than 4 ounces a day, I decided to try a little trick. In about 4 ounces of water, I'd add the tiniest bit of juice (I'm talking maybe half an ounce, if not less). When offered that version of juice, my kids have been all over it! I don't know how they could like it, but they do. So they drink less than 4 ounces of juice a day, and are getting plenty of water! I call it a win!

Motherhood breeds ingenuity, doesn't it?

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A trick of the trade #4

I do believe that as long as I birth babies, I will be birthing bald babies. Which is totally fine. Bald babies are just as cute as follicly unchallenged babies. But, when it comes to bald baby girls, that means no hair to clip cute little hair clips in. Which is also ok. Because, of course, there are ways around such "problems".

Luckily, other moms shared their trick with attaching bows to bald baby girls. You see, all you need is a little bit of corn syrup or glue. (Yes...glue.)

See this here bow attached on my sweet baby girls head when she was 4 months old? It was attached with one of the two.

I started out with corn syrup. But, long story short, it was messy....and it didn't come off very easily. So then I moved on to glue. Now, before you possibly judge me, know that it is just regular old non-toxic, washable, Elmer's glue. And only a tiny little dab does the trick. With a tiny little bit of water, it comes right off. (Or sometimes, it comes off quite naturally)

So with a little bit of ribbon, and a tiny dab of glue (or corn syrup if you like sticky messes), your sweet bald baby girl can be properly adorned, too.

**It should be noted that I have heard of other components to use to attach the bows, but these were the two that I felt most comfortable with.

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