Green, sick, and awful, that’s how I have always felt the first few months of my pregnancies. Someone even accused me of being a glutton for punishment because I volunteered for so many! Of course, I know the benefits outweigh the difficulties, but it’s hard to stay positive when you are in a continuous stage of agony. I was even hospitalized a few times with extreme morning sickness!
Photo by Gabor Monori on Unsplash
Since ladies have been asking, I thought it a good idea to address the subject with a post.
Please note: My knowledge and the advice I am giving here is based on anecdotal evidence, or personal experience. It is not meant to be medical advice based on scientific research.
Actually, there have been two goals I focused on during the first trimesters of pregnancy:
Goal #1: Prevent Hyperemesis Gravidarum
What is this? Well, it is something a bit more serious than feeling bad.
Read this from the Hyperemesis Gravidarum Education and Research (HER) site:
a debilitating and potentially life-threatening pregnancy disease marked by rapid weight loss, malnutrition, and dehydration due to unrelenting nausea and/or vomiting with potential adverse consequences for the mom-to-be and the newborn(s).
Goal #2: Keep misery at bay so I can do life 🙂
I don’t think I need to explain this too much. Mothering a whole brood of children means there are no “sick days.” Meals must be prepared, clothes washed, and children kept out of danger no matter how Mom feels. In one way this seems unfair, but I have come to understand that having such responsibilities has probably saved my life, literally!
So, here are 15 ways I have tried to not only cope, but thrive during the challenges of the first few months, and a bit of advice to those who are experiencing them.
#1 Eat whatever you can keep down.
Go ahead, revel in those potato chips, or French fries. One pregnancy I craved Salisbury steak TV dinners!
#2 Throw up first thing in the morning, and then don’t throw up the rest of the day.
This is a head-game I played with myself. First thing in the morning my stomach was empty, there was no liquid or food that I was losing. I could throw up to my heart’s content! It may have even been beneficial; I could have been getting rid of any toxins that had concentrated there during my sleep.
#3 Eat Power Bars (or similar protein bars).
I nibbled on these all-day-long. Kept my energy up while giving my stomach something to work on besides its own lining.
#4 Lemon and lime it
Drinking water containing one or more of these fruits every few minutes really helped. You can buy the juice bottled in most grocery stores. Sam’s sells lemon juice in bulk (lime is a natural anti-emetic).
Trick: buy the bags of lemons and/or limes, wash and slice them and freeze in a single layer on a cookie sheet, then gather and bag them in Ziplocs in the freezer. Then you can just reach into the freezer and pop one or two in a cold glass of water whenever you need to.
#5 Ginger is your best friend.
I did this one in just about every form I could find. My first choice was crystallized ginger from the health food store, my second was ginger chews, but I also put the powdered variety directly into my hand and swallowed it.
#6 Beans
Some women swear by them–try this site for the low-down.
#7 Take a trip.
This is one of my favorite suggestions. Every time I took a trip while in my first trimester I experienced immediate and continual relief for the duration of the excursion.
It takes a little bit more to plan if you are including the whole family, but the wellness you feel will more than make up for it! My husband had to travel a few states away for a Bible conference for over a week smack dab in he middle of morning sickness with our 14th child. We took all of the children with us and enjoyed the accommodations of a very nice hotel; no cooking or cleaning that really mattered and the freedom to explore a new city or go swimming during the day. I felt wonderful the entire time!
#8 Relax your schedule.
Pressure and overwhelming feelings exacerbate morning sickness. Get rid of anything that isn’t essential and slow down.
#9 Read, to yourself and to your kids.
Reading relaxes your gastro-intestinal tract–that’s why people use the bathroom as a reading room.
#10 Surround yourself with fresh smells.
I have a theory that pregnancy nausea is caused by the body producing massive amounts of chemicals to prevent the baby from being seen as a “foreign object” and attacked by the immune system. These chemicals then overwhelm the liver’s ability to strain out toxins, and hence the feelings of toxicity, including the need to vomit to get rid of the unwanted chemicals.
Since smell is one of the ways we root out what is bad for us, we naturally become overly sensitive to anything noxious during this time. That’s why we need to surround ourselves with everything “fresh,” such as melons, lemons, limes, etc.
An old perfume that my grandmother recommended to me is Jean Nate. It is essentially the scent of lemon, something that is on the fresh scale and soothes the stomach while keeping you smelling fresh.
#11 When you really can’t keep anything down, try the “Ten-Minute Club.”
Did you know that dehydration will increase nausea? It’s a vicious cycle; you vomit because you can’t keep food or drink down, so you vomit because you couldn’t keep food or drink down.
Here is the trick I use with the entire family when someone is experiencing the dry heaves:
- Wait 1/2 hour after vomiting before drinking anything
- Set a timer and drink not more than two tablespoons of water every 10 minutes for a period of two hours.
This always works wonders and keeps us from having to run to the emergency room for an IV.
#12 Try some peppermint.
Read this from the University of Maryland Medical Center:
Peppermint (Mentha piperita), a popular flavoring for gum, toothpaste, and tea, is also used to soothe an upset stomach or to aid digestion. It has a calming and numbing effect, and is often used to treat headaches, skin irritation, nausea, diarrhea, menstrual cramps, flatulence, and anxiety associated with depression. It is also an ingredient in chest rubs used to treat symptoms of the common cold. In test tubes, peppermint kills some types of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, suggesting it may have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. Menthol and methyl salicylate, the main ingredients in peppermint, have antispasmodic effects, with calming effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Several studies support the use of peppermint for indigestion and irritable bowel syndrome.
#13 Find out when you are most energetic and use those hours to get things done.
It may take a few weeks, but you will eventually see a pattern to how you feel. You may do better in the morning hours, or the evening may be your time of relative normality. As soon as you figure it out, plan accordingly. Take it easy the rest of the day, maybe do a little planning so you can be as efficient as possible, and then hit the house full-force for the few hours you feel great.
#14 Sleep in a little longer.
Even a half hour can make a world of difference in how you feel the rest of the day.
Tip: Make a “breakfast bar” of food choices that your children can make for themselves to buy you that half-hour each day.
#15 Try eating eggs, avocados, potatoes, and dill pickles.
The eggs are a bit of a stretch, but they are such concentrated, vital nutrition that even eating just one is worth the trouble.
Avocados, on the other hand, were pure delight to me! I could eat an entire avocado in one sitting, mashed with a touch of salt and spread on a piece of toast. Turns out they are extremely high in vitamin b-6, something that can make a difference in how our livers deal with toxins.
And dill pickles! How can I count the ways…when I was in the Army working the graveyard shift they kept me from spending the entire night singing into the toilet!
One thing I learned through it all is that women suffering with morning sickness rarely receive any sympathy.
When asked if he was being helpful to his wife, who was in her first trimester, a local pastor replied, “Nah, she isn’t that pregnant yet!”
I suppose I can’t hold others accountable for their lack of compassion, after all, even though I was suffering, I didn’t look sick. Besides, the whole world kept turning; meals had to be prepared, clothes needed to be laundered (and ironed), babies needed to be diapered, toddlers needed to be entertained and supervised, older children needed to be educated, and even the teens needed someone to hold their hands through the crises of life!
Mom needed to be “on the ball.” No downtime, no sick days, not even time off for good behavior. It was so hard to communicate to everyone that it wasn’t just about my stomach; I felt like I was being poisoned all over, with chills and shakes and confusion to boot!
Sometimes all I could do was to wait until everyone was in bed and cry. Then even forming words into prayer was beyond my ability, but He knew. It was then that the Holy Spirit would bring scriptures to my mind:
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isaiah 53:3-4
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
It was often there, at my lowest ebb, that He would meet me, and His Word was like a warm blanket that cuddled my heart. The work that I was doing could not be seen by anyone else; it was private, an intimate secret that only the Creator, the Holy Ghost, could know about.
The scriptures say Christ was perfected by the things He suffered (Hebrews 2:10). Through these experiences, I have become convinced that there is something about suffering that brings about completeness and maturity in ways nothing else can.
For one thing, when I was pregnant, and totally helpless, I learned first-hand the profound meaning of 2 Corinthians 12:9:
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Amazingly, in my most dependent state, power was being perfected!
And what was this power?–the CROSS!
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18
Especially these days, when a woman opens up her life to carrying babies, she is doing more than fulfilling a biological function. She is defying a culture of death, she is a walking testimony to the fact that human beings are worthy of sacrifice and love, our love and God’s love. The costliness of children speaks to their worth.
This is a most holy service of a woman:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 12:1-2
Babies are not mere “products of conception,” they are eternal souls, conceived by God. His is the business of creating, redeeming, enjoying, and when we open ourselves to His business, we share in His ministry, His work. What we suffer only adds to the passion:
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Philippians 3:10
Now that I am at the end of my fertility, I can look back with perspective. My oldest child turns 34 this year, and my youngest child plays around my feet, still the age of eight. Along with suffering, I have experienced so much joy that I could burst. Children are the greatest blessings a woman could enjoy, their sweet charms are like bouquets of fragrant roses. My children have kept me going, kept me healthy, kept me so busy I haven’t had time to be unhappy!
I am so glad I was willing to shoulder my cross, even though sometimes my steps have faltered.
It’s the only way, you know, that leads to Heaven; the only way to life is straight through death. It is the way Jesus took when He went to Calvary.
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luke 9:23
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
Luke 9:24
Yes to lemons! When I couldn’t drink lemon water or even lick one (yes it helped:) )
Even just a fresh sliced lemon carried around in a ziplock bag in my purse worked! Repeatedly. Just opening and really breathing the smell in. What is it with lemons and limes? Odd.
I know–lemons are so wonderful when feeling icky, and I don’t quite get it, either, but I’m so glad they’re available!
Thank you so much Sherry. It is so kind of you to share wisdom about pregnancy even though you are not experiencing it yourself at present. The wisdom that you share with us is so Godly – Jesus really uses you as an instrument. I am 9 weeks pregnant with my sixth baby and I feel so wretched. Queasy most of the day and giddy but not actually physically sick. With my last baby ‘sea bands’ really seemed to help (usually for travel sickness) but not this time but they may work for some! Also similarly to lemon, cucumber slices in water is very pleasant and refreshing and can stave off queasiness. Thank you also for the scriptural encouragement and reassurance of His unfailing love and strength, that always helps any discomfort.
I may not be currently experiencing it, but I had so many experiences it is really indelible in my mind 🙂 I am so sorry you feel wretched now, but it won’t last forever, and you will look back on this experience and see how He carried you and blessed you through it, even though you don’t feel good about it now (and that’s OK, too).
I started to read this article just to get some practical advice and you spoke directly to my heart. Thank you so much for your encouragement! You reminded me of the beauty during a time where it’s easy to lose sight.
Aww, that’s great to hear, Elizabeth. Praying you and your babies will get through this season and look back and see how Jesus carried you 🙂
Thank you!!, your writings are precious to me, I do not speak English but google translate helps me. God Bless you.
You are very welcome, thank you for taking time to comment
Hi, Sherry!
Thanks so much for taking my request and publishing this post!! I really appreciate it!!
I enjoyed reading your post very much. Some of your tips were just what I myself have learned. Some, oddly enough, were the direct opposite of what I would say! In itself, this is interesting because it shows how different women’s experiences with pregnancy sickness can be!
The tips I would myself echo:
– Lemon
– Protein
– Sleeping in
– Relaxing one’s schedule
– Peppermint
– Fresh smells
The tips that puzzled me:
– The ten-minute rule: My advice is usually the opposite – I want to drink something immediately after throwing up, because of that brief window of nausea-free time that allows me to absorb some liquid before the nausea returns. I will have to try your method.
– Taking a trip: This is one that I just can’t imagine. I’m usually housebound, and going out is miserable, even for just a midwife’s appointment. Perhaps this is a personality thing! 🙂
– Beans: I’ve seen this article many times, but I don’t think it works – more’s the pity.
I absolutely loved what you had to say at the end, about a mother’s sacrifice validating the worth of children. When the world (and, God forgive us, even the church) sees us having children despite the suffering, it is a testimony against the culture of death – a testimony to the sacredness of human lives. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. I will be printing off this article so that I can re-read your words often!
My own blog, originally named The Whining Puker, was dedicated entirely to research regarding avoiding morning sickness. (Not so much dealing with it, but preventing it from manifesting.) There are a lot of women out there doing their own research on the subject, and I try to link to as much of that as I can. Feel free to check out the links on my left sidebar!
https://whiningpuker.blogspot.com/
Also, there is a new company out there, Pink Stork Solutions, that focuses on products for the prevention of morning sickness:
https://pinkstork.com/
Thanks again for writing this! I love your blog!!
Love,
Diana
I’m so glad my post blessed you, Diana. You are right, we are all so different! What works for one may not work for another. Thank you for the links. I remember hearing about Pink Stork a little while back. I also remember catching a glimpse of your blog:) We are blessed to have the Internet to connect and encourage each other, don’t you agree?
Amen to that, Sherry! I am so blessed by your blog, and I really appreciate all the work you do for it!! 🙂
I am expecting (30 weeks now) with our 9th. I don’t get bad morning sickness, but I’m sure it would be nice to try some of your suggestions if I need them again sometime. I am amazed at all of the godly wisdom in your articles. I look forward to reading more of them. It’s also comforting to hear about how other moms handle lots of children on a day to day basis.
Glad you found us, Sarah. I’m always happy to know that what I write is encouraging someone.
My advice for other moms with hyperemesis gravidarum would be to seek proper treatment with an experienced doctor. Because no tip or trick will even begin to help. I can remember throwing up as soon as water entered my mouth when I was pregnant with my first. Ginger was a joke. And the smell of peppermint still makes me cringe thanks to #2.
I’m sure these tips could be quite helpful to the mom suffering from morning sickness. But I have to say that I find it a little upsetting to see this targeted at preventing HG. Moms with hyperemesis need to be pointed towards thorough treatment plans, not led to think that if they had planned their day differently or even more protein they wouldn’t be so sick.
I am glad you chimed in, Julie. Yes, there definitely is a place for medical attention, especially for those who become dehydrated and are unable to eat. I’m so sorry this has been the case for you. However, there are those of us who are miserable but still able to eat and drink, but if they don’t take measures they could spiral down. This is the target audience for this post.
Magnesium tablets did wonders for me. I had morning sickness everyday with my first 2 pregnancies and was miserable. Halfway through my 3rd I developed restless leg syndrome, my midwife told me start taking magnesium. It helped the RLS and within a couple of days my morning sickness was gone. Fast forward a few years and was pregnant again, horrible morning sickness, started taking the magnesium around 7 weeks, no more morning sickness! I still had pills and was continuing to take them for over a year after she was born. Well, ended up preggers with number 5 but had know clue because my tell tale morning sickness didn’t come because I was still on magnesium!
Thanks for the input, Jamie. That really makes sense, since magnesium plays a role in relaxing muscle tissue. It would probably be best to take magnesium before one gets pregnant, as you have suggested.
I know this is an old post but I was wondering what brand of magnesium you used and how much??
Thanks!!
I’m glad this helped you–sorry, but I do not remember what brand or how much. I’m sure there must be some great information about this on the Net somewhere 🙂
Please tell me this article is a joke. “Prevent Hyperemesis”??? Are you kidding? You can’t prevent HG. No amount of lemon licking or smelling is going to keep me out of the hospital and off PICC lines. Listen, if you want to talk about morning sickness tips, then have at it. But please don’t even bring up HG in a goofy article like this. No amount of “tips” will help an HG mama. All she needs is a doctor who is experienced with HG treatment and serious medical intervention.
I apologize, Abby. It was not my intent to make light of something that can become a very serious condition. I’m sorry you have suffered so horribly. If I was near you right now I would have arms open wide to comfort and encourage you.
I hope you forgive me and look at this with the possibility there are different levels of this malady and maybe this could help someone who could overcome a lot of the symptoms (and keep from spiraling down due to dehydration, etc.) in these simple ways.
Noooooo NOT perfume!!! Any kind of perfume, cologne, lotion, dish detergent, bleach, scented flowers, scented laundry detergent, dryer sheet odors, the smell of coffee, gasoline fumes – it all would make me instantly start gagging and vomiting. Lemons, limes, grapefruit, oranges, would all make me vomit horrendously & would actually sting my nose with their pungent odor. A simple car trip to the ER would result in horrific vomiting and nausea. Being in a car or even just walking from the couch to the bathroom made the nausea so much worse. Often even being upright made me feel so much worse. An Hg mama’s best friend is an odor-free environment, and the refrigerator, freezer, and cupboard are her worst enemies because when they are opened, they trigger bouts of vomiting! Food is an Hg mama’s worst enemy, and so is any liquid water or any other liquid because they can cause her to vomit repeatedly. I understand that your symptoms were severe enough to be hospitalized at one point, but perhaps in later pregnancies, you only had very bad morning sickness and not Hg, if you could wear perfume and your symptoms could be so easily controlled. Hg cannot be controlled with snacking on protein bars. Just the mere mention of such a thing would have caused me to start gagging and vomiting. I could smell wrappers. I could taste the plastic wrappers on the food. What *did* help me was getting home health set up with a PICC IV line, and getting IV meds for nausea. For some of us, Marinol, Aloxi, Gabapentin, steroids, Kytril, Pyroxidine, Zofran, Diclegis, Phenergan, and Benadryl, are the only things which offer us even a small amount of relief from the vomiting. Even then, some of us need TPN (total parenental nutrition), nasojejeunal feeding tubes, or surgically-inserted PEG tubes. DL-5 Lactated Ringers (a specially formulated IV solution) can help to reduce nausea in Hg mamas, but Hg mamas should always have IV thiamine *first* before having any IV solution with dextrose or glucose, to prevent Wernicke’s Encephalopathy, which is a type of brain damage from thiamine deficiency. The excessive vomiting can cause thiamine deficiency, and receiving any form of glucose or dextrose in IV solutions can cause the stores of thiamine to be used up very rapidly, resulting in Wernicke’s Encephalopathy. There is more information about this on the helpher.org site. Also, one of the most important things is to ask your doctor for supplemental nutrition if your percent bodyweight has fallen to 10% of your normal level. There is a calculator on helpher.org to determine percent bodyweight lost. I realize that this blog post is targeted at more mild cases, but so many women with Hg go untreated, under-treated, or undiagnosed. So many doctors fail to admit mothers to the hospital and give them supplemental nutrition until it is nearly too late. There are babies who have had Vitamin K deficiencies from under-treated Hg, as well as babies who have had IUGR (intra-uterine growth restriction), and there are cases of babies who have died in the second trimester due to the malnutrition of their mother (See the Ayden Rae Foundation, and see Ashley McCall’s “Beyond Morning Sickness” book for a couple of documented cases). There are real and recent cases of Hg moms who have suffered from Wernicke’s Encephalopathy, and when they went to the ER, the ER doctors assumed that they were “on drugs” due to their symptoms, and failed to treat them appropriately. Read the Rosemomma blog https://rosemomma.wordpress.com/2015/10/ for a story of an HG mom who suffered a lack of nutrition for several days straight when various hospitals refused to admit her and replace her PEG tube. Her protein levels were below a 1, and still she was denied TPN (IV nutrition). Furthermore, no media outlet would even carry her story. This is serious stuff. Hg moms world-wide are not getting the care that they need, and they are being denied admission to the hospital when they are clearly suffering from malnutrition and dehydration. The HER Foundation has, in its research, discovered cases of untreated Hg in the medical literature which have led to serious brain damage and even death.
How heartbreaking! I had no idea. I am honestly not trying to be flippant, just dealing with the typical discomfort, not the type of suffering you have informed us with. I hope any of my readers who are suffering in this way will read your response and get the help they need.
Thank you so much for your article, I am 9 weeks pregnant right now with my 7th baby, and I normally stay sick throughout my entire pregnancy. I am feeling so down, and when I read the Scripture verses that you shared I just began weeping at the reminder of how our Savior shares in our infirmities, and He is always with us. Thank you so much for your sweet spirit.
It has always been such a sweetness to me to know that Jesus is there in the midst, even when I don’t feel “spiritual.” So glad you were blessed here today, Mary!
Another masterpiece Sherry…..
I always use your techniques and found a great response. I like your presentation and the way you simplify a complex thing. And most importantly, keep helping all the online community members, like the way you do now. God bless you…
Thank you, Sophie, I will do my best 🙂
Thank you for this post! Powerful! My husband had a vasectomy after our third because of my hyperemesis. Praise God though, we had a reversal and I just had reversal baby number 8! I now can get through an entire pregnancy with only puking once or twice! I do have to use a prescription drug though: zofran. I try to use no more than 12 mg a day and use it BEFORE I get too sick. If I can keep myself from throwing up (I know kind of the opposite of your philosophy 🙂 then I am able to keep it at bay all day. My number one recommendation is: unsweetened apple sauce packets. Yep. Those baby food packets that you can suck down! I usually eat about 6 throughout the night to keep nausea at bay and then many more during the day. (My nausea is severe and 24/7). Bless you for your ministry!! You are calming and inspiring at the same time 🙂 Love, Katie
Aww! So glad you found a strategy that works–those babies are so thankful their mommy has been willing to sacrifice so they could live! God bless you 🙂
Hey Sherry, thank you so much for the detailed tips. This is great! I wish I had found this when I had my first baby :’D
Have you tried secrets of tea’s morning sickness tea? my sister in law got me when I was having my first baby, worked like a charm! I stocked up few packs since I am having my 2nd baby!
https://secretsoftea.com/products/no-to-morning-sickness-tea-blood-orange
Thank you for that link–I will pass it on!
Looked online for advice on morning sickness – I’m currently pregnant with my 5th baby. I have never felt this sick before, but this article was VERY encouraging. I didn’t expect to read a sister in the Lord’s post… God always bring us to one another, especially for encouragement!! So thank you for the scriptures and tips – it’s much needed. God bless you….
That’s so wonderful! Praying for a blessed pregnancy 🙂
I randomly clicked on this blog to find an easy fix to my morning sickness. What I found was the most encouragement that I needed. That spoke directly to my heart and I feel so empowered through Christ. I chose that verse 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 as my verse in college when I was going through a dark time. That verse is still bringing me comfort many years later as I carry my first child. He is always our strength forever AMEN! Thank you for the encouragement.
That is so touching, Jamie! I love it when God uses different avenues to speak to us personally in an undeniable way. He must have had this in mind when I wrote this a few years back–just think of that! His love is mind-blowing!
This is my first time pregnant and I’m 41. I took a long time finding my person but he was worth the wait. We got married last May. I’m just at six weeks and beginning last Saturday I began having horrible headaches that still are ongoing (fortunately I can hold my head up now and they are less intense). Then the vomiting began on Tuesday. I ended up in the emergency room twice and received fluids both times due to dehydration. I now am on Zofran but I try to avoid taking it as much as possible. I’m so excited yet scared about this pregnancy. I have a new job and have already missed work twice. Any recommendations on what to do so that you can continue to work? I have ginger chews and crackers. Those haven’t helped much. I will get some peppermint and lemons this week to try too. Thank you!
I’m so sorry, Bre. I think what is happening to you is that your body has accumulated a lot of toxins over the years, so the pregnancy hormones are making this much worse. Don’t be discouraged, though; your baby will be well worth it! I have heard two things that may help; one is the bean diet (you’ll have to research this one), since beans have a type of starch that soaks up toxins in your digestive tract. Another thing is that you may need some extra B vitamins and milk thistle to support your liver, which is working overtime to eliminate these extra hormones being secreted.
I hope this helps you further–just hand in there, and know that when we have no strength, His grace is sufficient.
I’ve been enjoying your website, it’s very encouraging. I am a mom of 10 soon to be 11. And nauseous has hit hard to the point it’s very discouraging. Thank you for your wisdom, Your words and passages from the Bible were exactly what I needed to hear.
I’m so glad you found encouragement today–congratulations, and God bless you and your little ones!
Hi! I just found out that I am expecting baby #8. At age 44 after 10 years of no babies! We are so excited. Thanks for these tips. May I ask what age you were with your last baby? Just curious!
Sure, I was about your age, actually: 45!
Thank you for this post. I read it with my fourth baby in the depths of sickness, and now in the beginning of the sickness with our fifth, it still hits the spot. I needed that encouragement so much today. Feeling overwhelmed and pressured is the thing that sends my sickness into a worsening spiral. So I am blessed today by your words. All of this chaos is temporary and totally worth it. We haven’t told anyone in our families and don’t plan to for a while because their reaction usually hurts our hearts even though they love and cuddle every one of our children. Your words, our Lord’s words, gave me the boost I needed today.
I don’t think you’re being flippant at all. This is a very well written and comforting post. I don’t think I have HG because my sickness always goes away by 20 weeks, but I agree with you that I need to prevent it. Those two goals of yours are now mine.
Do you think that it is bad to just drink smoothies all day? Solid food just disgusts me, but I can drink a sour fruit smoothie made with yogurt. We have sheep which we milk, so I add the yogurt to the smoothies. Am I shortchanging myself and baby by existing on so narrow a list of foods? It’s better than last time though, I’d go days without eating anything and became dangerously underweight.
Anyway, thank you for your help and sharing God’s love. That helps more than anything!
I am so sorry you are feeling so ill 🙂 When I was feeling so very sick I considered any food I could take in to be a boon–especially if it is something as wonderful as the smoothies you describe. Just eat what makes you feel good in the moment, as you feel better you can concentrate more on nutrition 🙂 Sending love and prayers your way right now…