Morning sickness is a common and unfortunate side of pregnancy. Not only is it off putting and seriously uncomfortable, the name itself is deceptive. While some women are lucky enough to only have “morning” sickness in the morning, it is actually pretty normal for the feeling to last all day and at varying degrees of severity. Some women only deal with a little bit of nausea; others battle with violent bouts of illness. No two women or two pregnancies are exactly the same, but the majority of women deal with morning sickness at some point in their pregnancies.
Gestational diabetes, unfortunately, can further complicate the issue of morning sickness. Erratic blood sugar levels can make nausea worse, as well as create other symptoms to add to your discomfort. There is also the added stress of eating the right things and eating often enough, which can be complicated when you have morning sickness or food aversions.
Here are some tips to help you manage your morning sickness with gestational diabetes:
Make Sure To Eat
Pregnancy related nausea is referred to as morning sickness because it usually occurs after a fast, or period of time without eating, and this very thing just so happens to occur every morning. Overnight, your stomach empties and your blood sugar drops. Your empty stomach is what makes you feel sick. Even when it is difficult due to your nausea, getting something in your stomach is what will help you the most.
If the morning time is the most difficult for you, consider keeping some crackers or other light snack close to your bed. Eat a small amount before you get up in the morning. This may help settle your stomach and allow you to get a better start on your day.
Eat Small Amounts, Often.
Eating small amounts quite often throughout the day will help in two parts. It will help maintain stable blood sugar levels, and it will also help with your morning sickness. Instead of eating large meals, which could overwhelm your finicky stomach, stick to small meals and snacks and eat more often. Try to have something to eat every two hours. Keeping food in your stomach can help to alleviate your nausea, and will also help keep your blood sugar levels from dropping.
Eat Lean Proteins
Some foods are easier to eat and keep down when you have pregnancy related nausea. Everyone is different, and so what works for one person may not work for you. It will take some trial and error to find foods that you can work with. Many women report that carbohydrates are the easiest to keep down, but your gestational diabetes diet unfortunately needs less carbs to keep your blood sugar levels stabilized. Try eating lean proteins to help balance out your blood sugar. Foods like baked chicken and eggs are often bland enough to not set off your nausea, and are healthy for your gestational diabetes.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking plenty of fluids is an important part of any pregnancy, but especially so if you are dealing with morning sickness. Constantly sipping cold water, perhaps with some fresh squeezed lemon, will help keep you hydrated and will take the edge off of your nausea.
Morning sickness is enough of a struggle. Adding gestational diabetes to the mix might make you feel helpless, but there is plenty you can do to help yourself during these tough periods of your pregnancy. Try these tips to help your morning sickness, and remember that this stage of pregnancy usually passes before you know it. For more information on gestational diabetes click here.
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