Coping
The primary goal when you are feeling nauseous and/or vomiting
is to eat and drink anything possible. That means eating
foods that may not be especially healthy. Don't worry about
that, just do the best you can and try to follow the strategies
we suggest to maximize your intake. Cravings and aversions
may be very stung and change often, so keep trying. Women
have reported drinking mostly soda throughout pregnancy instead
of water, or eating from fast foods places often. It is all
they could tolerate. If this is you, do your best and know
this will end. As you can, eat healthy foods but don't make
yourself feel guilty if you rarely eat foods like vegetables.
- Think
simple foods is often helpful - foods in their most natural
and unprocessed state are most healthy, too. For
example, apples dipped in peanut butter, whole milk (v. low-fat)
cheese sticks, toast with 100% fruit jelly, juice, carrot
sticks, baked potatoes, etc. Complex foods like lasagna are
often too difficult to digest and may have aversive ingredients.
- Think about the characteristics of the foods that
appeal,
such as crunchy and sweet, soft and tart, etc. Ask someone
to help you think of food that meet that criteria. If all
that sounds good is cinnamon bread, eat it rather than
nothing.
- Try foods that may not appeal but do not disgust you. For example, carrots may not appeal, but try a sweet baby
carrot
and just see if you can eat a few of them. That will help
you get much needed vitamins and other nutrients.
- Try taking vitamins at night with a snack and see
if you can tolerate them. Don't take prenatal vitamins or
vitamins
containing iron if they make you more nauseous.
- Don't eat and drink at the same time if it nauseates
you. Your digestive system is slower than normal and large
amounts
of fluids make digestion more difficult.
- Identify what foods
trigger your nausea and vomiting and ask those around you
to avoid them. Common culprits
are those
that are pungent, such as garlic and onions. You may be
able to smell them on other's skin or breath.
- Try to eat foods in the healthiest form tolerated. If
cereal sounds good, try purchasing a sweetened whole grain
cereal
over a highly processed one to increase the vitamin and
fiber content. Try whole grain bread over white. This may
take
a little experimentation and resourcefulness, but it is
well worth it.
- Avoid fatty or fried foods as they tax the liver and
gall bladder. Your body stores toxins in fat tissue and
rapid
fat loss means rapid elimination of toxins which have to
be processed by the liver. Organic foods are ideal.
- Drink any fluid that appeals, avoiding caffeine. Try
carbonated drinks, too, such as sparkling cider. Sports
drinks, juice
(100% fruit juice v. those with corn sugar, water, etc.),
and filtered water are best. This will keep you hydrated,
decrease constipation, and improve mental function. Freezing
water then sipping it as it melts may be more appealing.
Filtering water eliminates much of the aversive taste.
- Try cold foods. They have less odor. Ask those around
you to avoid highly seasoned food, especially those that
are
heated.
- Keep food close by or in a cooler for quick snacks. Motion worsens nausea and getting up to fix your food may
decrease
your ability to eat. Try making a plate of snacks that
appeal like diced fruit, cheese, crackers, carrot sticks,
etc. and
nibble on them over an hour or so.
- Eat and drink in small amounts. Distending the stomach
triggers nausea and vomiting. Large bites also may stimulate
gag reflex.
- Try to eat some protein. Research shows protein decreases
nausea better than carbohydrates.
- Liquid meals if tolerated can be easier to digest
and may decrease nausea. Try protein powders in a
milk shake or smoothie.
To make a smoothie, blend frozen fruit, milk, yogurt, nuts
or whatever appeals as thick as you prefer. You can also
freeze juice or smoothies in popsicle molds to make nutritious
snacks. (Get the Baby
Shake Recipe)
- As much as possible, avoid hydrogenated oils, pesticides,
nitrates (in smoked meats, lunch meat, hot dogs), growth
hormones (dairy & poultry), sugar substitutes, and
food dyes or additives.
- Consider taking digestive enzymes when you eat to
get the most from your food and speed digestion. This is
especially helpful if you are on acid blocking drugs. Be
careful of
the enzyme Protease if you have gastric ulcerations or
a
very irritated stomach.
- Collect menus from local take-out and delivery restaurants. If you have a craving, see what sounds good and call
it in. Sometimes a craving only lasts a short time.
Food Ideas »
Updated on:
Aug. 09, 2006 |
