Surviving Morning... Err "ALL-DAY" Sickness!!

While morning sickness is said to be a major symptom of pregnancy, not everyone starts that way. On my first visit to the doctor, I was prescribed medicines for nausea and vomiting. She gave me some more tips to deal with it and said that it was a part of the first trimester. I was yet to begin my reading and researching and the little knowledge I had about this was from friends and family.

Following a healthy diet to the T, I ensured I ate well and on time. As a week passed, I was mighty pleased with myself as I was eating healthy food, with fruits, coconut water etc etc, and I had not experienced anything even close to the famed sickness yet. 

Until one evening! While gorging on my favourite fruit, a watermelon, something made me run to the sink and before I knew it, I was throwing all over.

That was just the beginning. With every passing day, it only got worse. Soon, the better part of my days and nights were spent in the bathroom and within a week, I was completely washed out. Nothing that went in, stayed, with me developing a revulsion for everything I liked and hating food in general.

Hence, I renamed it to "all-day" sickness as it isn't something related to any time of the day at all. The Internet and the 'experienced ones' were full of ideas and advices, none of which worked for me. And as the days progressed, I tried a few things to make myself feel a bit better. 

Here are some of them that worked:

• Calorie intake being the focus, I kept chocolates and toffees at my bedside and in my handbag. This isn't recommended if your weight is on the wrong side of the scale though. My system didn't allow me to gorge on them anyway. Nothing sour suited me either, but the desi orange candies were just fine.
  
• I'd eat very small portions of food or fruits to ensure that there was less acidity which leads to more nausea. To be honest though, eating even that much seemed like a task :(

• My lunch and dinner comprised more of pulses and veggies and less roti or rice. These are lighter to digest and good for the system. Though whenever possible, I would have idli with sambhar. It suited both - my palette and system.
  
• One thing that really helped was harad churan. You get these at most places. These are salty and help change your taste. I always kept some in my bag and popped it in, whenever required.
  
• Peppermint was another savior. My hubs got some from a betel shop and a small piece worked wonders.
  
• Fresh slices of ginger soaked in a bit of lime juice helped combat the nausea too. You can keep a few in a small box close to you and suck it when you feel nauseus. Though, it's not recommended to take too much of this in the summers.

• The other thing I discovered, during this phase, were the benefits of Limca with some black salt. While this also reaffirmed my belief that Limca should be sold at the chemists, rather than a general store ;)! I did try the tetra packs of electral in various flavours too, but, somehow, couldn't go beyond a few sips.
  
• As if this all-day sickness wasn't enough, I developed lactose intolerance as well, which meant no milk or milk products. Hence, I took to having Horlicks in water every morning, which sufficed to some extent, or so I believe.
  
• Marie and Parle G became my favourites, as they are light and good as well as comforting to eat.
  
• Rest is the key here. I tried to sleep as much as I could. Also, most prescribed medicines for morning sickness may cause lethargy and make you feel sleepy. So, avoid driving during this period, if possible.

All said and done, this sickness didn't leave me till almost the end of my second trimester. These were just a few ways I ensured that I ate something and had enough energy to make those very frequent trips to the washroom. All the gyan about hormonal changes and blah blah blah only made me more irritable and I took to distracting myself with my work and reading fiction. While my weight gain was consistent, thankfully, after the first trimester, my appetite was gone. Yet, these things helped me survive the phase, if not sail through smoothly.

I'm sure all the mothers reading this would have some ideas and tips too. It'd be nice if you would share those here for others planning to becoming a maa :)

Be back soon. Till then, take care and stay precious :)

Before P, comes H

Image: Google

You know what's P here, though the H might be sounding strange. It's the most basic thing you need to take care of before, during and even post pregnancy. If you're still wondering, H refers to 'health'.

As we move on to other roles in life, our health is most neglected and takes a backseat completely. I, too, have always been careless; and while salary perks and job promotions kept coming, my health suffered. However, once I left my full time job, I was keen on feeling and looking better.

Yet, it was only during my pregnancy and now that I realise how important it truly was. Though I cannot take full credit here as it was also my hubs who ensures I eat and keep well.

These are some general things I feel every woman must follow, and more so, if you're planning to tread the family way.

• Exercise! Of course, you've heard it before. Everywhere! From everyone! But again, the more fit you are, the easier would be your pregnancy. It could be anything you enjoy-running, walks, a game, the idea is to build physical strength and stamina. Trust me, you'll need loads of it. On the other hand, if you're pregnant, don't do anything strenuous. Morning or evening walks with hubs would be great, both for emotional as well as physical well being :)
  
• Eat well and focus on your haemoglobin, iron, calcium levels. It dips during pregnancy, so the more, the better. Eat things you like; and if it's sinful, eat in moderation.
  
• If you're expecting, eat well but stay away from oily and fried recipes. Avoid ghee and butter too. It's a myth that you need to eat for 2 when pregnant. An extra chapati in meals or a sandwich in the morning and evening suffice for the extra calories you require, which are around 300. Eating unabashedly would only lead to massive weight gain; and while we all want a healthy baby, we don't need to double ourselves for that. On the flip side, don't try dieting either. You can lose all the extra weight post delivery.
  
• Do things you enjoy. Be it reading, shopping, lunching out with friends or anything else. Staying home all day, somehow, made me dull and I loved going out or spending evenings with my hubs.  Pregnancy brings on many mood swings. The only way I could deal with them was by distracting myself and indulging in things I liked doing.
  
• Check with your doctor about what you should eat and what not. Of course, everyone around you will have lots to advise on this. Yet, not everything is true. For instance, brinjal has no effect on the baby's complexion. However, it's heavy to digest and best avoided. And coconut water doesn't make the baby any fairer, but it's good for your skin and digestion.
  
• Most importantly, be happy. There's nothing else that matters more. Weed out those things that stress you. Whether you're planning to conceive or already have, being stress free is the key.

No, there's nothing that I've written that you haven't read or heard before. In the rat race called life, we tend to take our health for granted. But, if you're on the road to becoming a Maa, your health is crucial to ensure your baby's health and wellness.

Be back soon. Till then, take care and stay precious :)