Morning Sickness Malaise: The Mother of All Pregnancy Complaints

Morning sickness. Whoever came up with a name like that for something that can leave you feeling miserable around the clock? It certainly wasn’t anyone who’s lived through it, that’s for sure.

If, like 80% of mamas-to-be, you end up experiencing some degree of morning sickness, you’ll probably find that it arrives on the scene a week or two after the pregnancy test turns positive and that it typically lasts until around week thirteen (although some women are unlucky enough to experience it for the whole nine months).

The symptoms of morning sickness (a.k.a. "nausea and vomiting of pregnancy") vary from woman to woman—and even from pregnancy to pregnancy). Some women feel a little queasy or they are put off by certain smells; others spend a lot of time bolting to the bathroom (so much so that they may feel like they've set up temporary residence there).

Here are a few mom-proven techniques for managing this particular pregnancy rite-of-passage. For more ideas, see The Mother of All Pregnancy Books.

Don’t allow yourself to get too hungry. Eating smaller, more frequent meals and snacking often will help to keep your nausea in check.

Don’t eat too much food at a time. That overstuffed feeling can trigger nausea, too.

Steer clear of hard-to-digest foods (e.g., greasy, spicy foods) and other substances that tend to trigger nausea. Perfume, cigarette smoke, coffee, and strong cooking odors tend to be perennial offenders.

Avoid clothing that fits tightly around the waist. Belts and too-tight pantyhose are a distinct no-no while you’re feeling queasy.

Pick up a pair of anti-nausea wristbands at your local maternity store. These bands are designed to apply pressure to the acupuncture points that control nausea. Some moms-to-be swear by them.

Tip: Carry around a slice of lemon in a plastic bag. Some moms-to-be find that sniffing a lemon slice helps to quell the waves of nausea.