Pregnant and SO Sick

Updated on November 15, 2009
K.G. asks from New Boston, MI
26 answers

I need some tips and advice. I am 8 weeks pregnant with my 4th baby and I feel
so sick that I can hardly function. I don't throw up I am just really
nausious(sp?). Do you have any tricks or suggestions? I don't know how long I
can live with this!
Thanks, K.

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K.S.

answers from Detroit on

eat eat eat, that really does help. Make it healthy though you are making a baby who needs the correct nutrients and fat(lots of Fat), and protein. Not pop and suckers. Lots of small meals. Good Luck

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M.D.

answers from Saginaw on

Hope this will help. When I was pregnant with all of my children (total of 3) I had that sick feeling for the first three months. I would put cheerios in a baggie and eat them pretty much all day long. I didn't feel quite as sick anymore and could function without feeling like I was going to throw up.

Good Luck and Congratulations!
M.

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J.H.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Been there done that.......so sorry for you to have to go throught this!
Wear sea bands, they help. Also sounds weird but works, keep cut up slices of lemon in a baggie. Smell them when you are feeling nausious.
Hope it passes soon!

More Answers

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T.Z.

answers from Detroit on

K.,

I SO feel your pain. I am on pregnancy #4, and I have just one little girl (so far). The other two ended in miscarriages, and although it was around 7-8 weeks, the nausea and vomiting lasted through 12 weeks with each of those. With the full term (actually, past full term) pregnancy with my daughter, I was sick with nausea and vomiting from pretty much the day I found out I was pregnant through the day I delivered her - including on the delivery bed!

This is a long explaination, but please bear with me!) I live in Canada (but I am 100% American, yeah!), and we have an anti-nausea drug here that is the ONLY drug that has been proven to be safe in pregnancy. It is called Diclectin, but used to be marketed in the USA under the name Bendectin. To make a long story short, the drug is no longer available in the USA because the company got tired of defending themselves against lawsuits. They won every lawsuit against them, but the court costs outweighed the profits they were making, so they chose to pull it from the shelves instead. It is still marketed in most other countries and readily used today.

These pills really helped me with my full-term pregnancy (and are now helping with #4 and I am 13 weeks along). It is simply an older anti-histamine and Vitamin B6 combined in a cute little pill with a pink silhouette of a pregnant woman. One of the other moms mentioned she took 1/2 tablet of Unisom and vitamin B (I am assuming she used B6). Unisom has the same antihistamine in it as the Diclectin/Bendectin. While I was researching the drug to be sure it was safe and I felt good about using it, I ran across some information about doctors in the USA "making" the same drug with Unisom and B6, so that might be an option for you! I think I would probably talk it over with your OB and see what he/she thinks and how much to take and how often.

The only other advice I can give is sometimes it is just better to puke and be done with the nausea for a while. I work so h*** o* not getting sick sometimes that I forget that you just need to let it out and be done with it.

Good luck, and I hope you find something that works for you!

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M.M.

answers from Saginaw on

Hi K.,

I know how you feel. I was terrible sick with both of my girls. Sometimes I actually hoped I would throw up for some relif. Some tricks I used was vernors/gingerail, hot tea(something with ginger in it), if your doctor says ok you could even take ginger pills. I have to to fly and I was pregnant when I flew last time and was able to take it. The other trick I found was always keeping something on my stomach. I could do some applesauce, saltines, pita bread anything fairly bland. It should end at 12 weeks. It was like someone flipped a swich at 12 weeks for me. Hope you get to doing better. M.:)

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M.W.

answers from Kalamazoo on

EAT! Eat lots of simple foods like fruits, breads, vegetables. Even if you feel sick, eating will help settle your stomach. I learned this from my sister who was going through chemo and it made a huge difference with my second pregnancy. The first time I just didn't eat since I felt sick and I lost 15 lbs in the first trimester.

Hope this helps. Also try a ginger smoothie for some quick relief.

P.A.

answers from Detroit on

COKE,regular or caffiene free, & the smell of citrus!!! hope this passes quickly :)

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C.R.

answers from Detroit on

Haver your tried Icee's from 7-11 or any place! Coke icee work it has something to do with the coke syrup. Good luck and Congrats.

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C.M.

answers from Detroit on

Ask your doctor. My doctor gave me some pills that took the edge off. They don't make it totally go away, but I also had kids to take care of, so I had to do something. The best part is that it usually ends in a few weeks :)

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J.L.

answers from Detroit on

That is me, but I am on my 2nd Baby. I didn't have nausea with #1 and this one has been brutal. I am happy to say that I am now 9 weeks and feeling a bit better. I found that sprite or 7Up have worked well (and I never drink pop). Ginger is supposed to be great, but I can't stand ginger. Scrambled eggs are also a life-saver for me. They are all I ever feel like eating!!!! Good luck. I sympathize.

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A.P.

answers from Denver on

Ugh, that was me! I really do sympathize. I suggest keeping something in your stomach at all times. As gross as it might sound, you'll feel better with a saltine and a little water than with a totally empty stomach. Try to eat a little bit at regular intervals throughout the day. I also found sour things appealed to me and helped stave off that horrible wave of sickness; I sucked on lemon drops for a long time! They make these things called Preggy Pops that have vitamins and stuff in them that are supposed to help with the nausea. They carry them at Pea in the Pod, if there's one near you. But I think for the price, some sour Lifesavers would work, too. Good luck!

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K.V.

answers from Grand Rapids on

I am one of the rare ones that is sick the ENTIRE 9 MONTHS. In fact, with my last child I threw up all during labor and delivery. And the person that said it gets better with each child is wrong - at least in my case. Mine was worse the second time. The first child I took a combination of vitamin B and 1/2 a Unisom every day. I would throw up usually only once each morning and just be nauseous the rest of the day. I ate whatever I could keep down. My second child I was put on Phenergan (sp?) because I had to take care of the other child. That stuff kept me from throwing up but I was very tired all the time and still nauseous. I'm hoping for the next one Zofran will work better otherwise it'll be a looooong 9 months... (oh, and btw, I am sooo not a "take drugs for every little thing that ails you" type person so you know it was bad when I was taking this stuff every day.)

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J.B.

answers from Detroit on

hi there,
did you try ginger? or vernors? that has ginger in it? also there is this one wrist band you can wear if you go on a cruise that puts pressure on your pressure point on your wrist and its supposed to help i wore it when i went ona cruise and it helped... somewhat..

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K.T.

answers from Detroit on

I had a small bag of veggies (pea pods and carrots) with me and grazed all day. I could eat a few every half hour or so and not feel so queasy. I gave in to my cravings (dairy) by taking just a spoonful or two of cottage cheese or premium vanilla ice cream - just enough to satisfy me but not pack on the pounds.
I found that if I kept just enough in my stomach but not too much, I could function. It was a delicate balance but one I had to keep or be miserable.

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K.O.

answers from Detroit on

I was the same way. I told my dr. and he said to try Sea Bands. I got mine at Walgreens. They are like sports braclets (caan't think of a diff. word right now) and they have a button on them so when you put them on the right way it's hits a pressure point that helps with the nausea. They helped me sooooo much. They were $10 and worth it!

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B.B.

answers from Detroit on

I just got past that point with MY 4th one... :-)
I found that MAKING myself nibble on something about every 2 hours sorta helped... But if I would more than nibble I would feel icky again... Oh, and throw in the "Not hungry for ANYTHING and even when I did feel hungry NOTHING sounded good at all" quesies. Sure does make you look forward to getting all fat and round so that your PAST the icky stage.lol

A couple questions:
Do you have all boys or girls? Have you been this icky with any others? My moms "sickest" pregnancy was the one boy that she had... My brother is now 14. :-) Plus, the older we get, the more babys we have the more we feel these symptoms... lol

When ever possible just let yourself veg out. Don't stress yourself about keeping a spotless house. DO what you MUST and don't push yourself too hard. Let your older kids, hubby, friends, etc help out. Hire someone to come in once a week and help you for the next month or so... GO to bed earlier when possible and don't forget your vitamins. Drink LOTS of OJ and go with the cravings when and if you have them. (there was a full week all I could eat was Subway Turkey and cheese subs.Noone elses... Had to be theirs. lol ) But at dinner I couldn't eat more than 2 bites of anything before my belly would say ugh, no more... Or else!!!

Good luck and the time will come quickly that the belly calms down...

M.Q.

answers from Detroit on

Hello K. ~ Congratulations! I feel for you! My husband had to take over the cooking (anything w/meat). Anyway, I didn't read all the other posts...I was sick through my whole entire pregnancy w/both kids (4 1/2 and 10 month old) peppermints, coke icee's (the BEST), plain cheerios (i would keep these by the bed so before I even got up I would eat a little) crackers, citrus flavor lollipops (preggie pops) eat small meals/snacks thoughout the day so that you always have something on your tummy. Hope this helps.

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D.H.

answers from Detroit on

K. ~
I am an OB nurse and we see this alot. Phenergan is good. Zofran is better, but some insurances limit how much you can get (it's pretty expensive). The seaband wrist bands can help some...they put pressure on the inside of your wrists on a pressure point. Try to nibble food...keep a little bit in your stomach all the time. Peppermint can help. Those preggie pops.. (I think that's the name)they are little suckers and are supposed to work pretty good...they have some herbs that are known to help.
Most often, the nausea only lasts the 1st 12 weeks...so hopefully there's an end in sight for you.
good luck!
D.

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A.A.

answers from Columbus on

Hi K.,

I felt ill for 6 months of my pregnancy. I think every person is different with what helps alleviate the nausea but here's what I tried:

In the beginning McDonalds happy meal with a small coke
I took the morning sickness pills (with ginseng) for all 6 months but have no idea if they actually helped.
Carried a small hankie that smelled of lavendar for all the times something smelled nasty and made me want to puke
Nibbled on crackers every two hours - went through every brand under the sun because after 2 days even the thought of crackers made me want to die, eventually I was able to stomach salty chips

To be honest, not much of this actually helped, but it helped me mentally to know I was trying to feel better. I hope you start to feel better soon, morning sickness is terrible. I thought it felt like a 6 month long hangover!

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C.N.

answers from Philadelphia on

With my third I was very nauseous, what really helped me was eating anything sour. I kept sour patch kids with me at all times, when I would feel sick I would eat one. It eventually came back but then I would eat another. Hope this helps. If you don't like these lemon heads work, anything sour would.

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J.H.

answers from Detroit on

I had nausea with both of my pregnancies - I almost never got sick but it felt like, during the first 3 months of both pregnancies, I had constant nausea... I kept Altoids Citrus Sours candies with me. They seemed to help... They come in a round tin.

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A.H.

answers from Detroit on

I did fine as I always had saltines for the acid stomach. Massage also helps to combat morning sickness and offers other benefits as well.

I was very lucky until near the end due to stress triggering things. Keep positive and relax!

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N.S.

answers from Detroit on

Congrats! I wore the accupuncture bands for motion sickness. I got sick, physically, 3-4 times a day. It was much better when I wore the bands. Good luck, hopefully it ends soon.

Oh, if you tried saltines and they didn't work, try a different brand. That worked for me.

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L.W.

answers from Detroit on

Hi K.. My heart breaks for you, because unless people have gone through such debilitating nausea...they have no idea. I was sick the whole nine months with my first and through month 5 with my other two, and that debilitating nausea (that literally made me unable to function) is still the toughest thing I have ever had to get through. You will most likely be like the majority of women who are blessed with it going away after the first trimester :)

In the meantime, my advice is to
1) Make sure your husband is in your corner and explain to him how much you need not only his help, but his "support" even if it is just sitting next to you/in the same room as you...otherwise it can get really lonely
2) Take any help that is offered to you from family/friends, especially if you happen to have other kids
3) Be sure to ALWAYS have pretzels, saltines or other dry salty snacks RIGHT AT YOUR BEDSIDE to shove in your mouth the moment you wake...and keep those snacks with you at all times.
4) Dum Dum suckers were also with me at all times to get the awful taste out of my mouth.
5) If any food happens to appeal to you, EAT IT. I cannot eat Arby's roast beef sandwhiches ever again because strangely enough they appealed to me just enough that I would not throw up/feel quite so nauseous. But boy was I thankful for them when I was sick and I would have never eaten them had I not been pregnant/sick
6) Keep yourself hydrated. I lived on pretzels/slurpees because the sweetness of the slurpees masked the awful taste in my mouth (unlike water spreading the taste around), but I could not handle soda/anything carbonated because the bubbles/fizz actually made my reflux (by the way that is a main contributor of the nausea) worse
7) Let go of having to eat a certain way you may be normally used to. I am always organic, lots of fruits and veggies, etc. when I am not pregnant...but when I am pregnant/nauseous, I throw all of that out the window and eat whatever makes me feel better or I can keep down.
8) One last thing that may sound unbearable but helped me tremendously is taking two teaspoons of good apple cider vinegar diluted in a glass of water (sweetened with honey if needed) with EVERY meal. It sounds crazy, but the acid in the vinegar actually helps your stomach break food down better so that you have no reflux. I know it sounds crazy and maybe it won't work for everyone...but it helped me so much that i would never be without it (and by the way, it kept my sugar levels in tact and also gave me energy). If you are willing to give it a shot, you MUST USE AN UNFILTERED VARIETY. Whole Foods 365 Brand is the best/sweetest tasting, then Trader Joes comes second. Braggs is a very popular brand but I found it way to harsh. The kind you find at typical grocery stores that is clear and filtered will not work.
9) Last thing...try to keep yourself busy. Even though the days are agonizingly long when you feel this way, they will go by just a little faster if you can get a bunch of good books, have people visit, etc.
10) Ok one more 'last thing'. I went off my prenantal at 8 weeks because I knew the folic acid had already done its most important job. I felt an improvement by not taking it because it was h*** o* my stomach. And I had three extremely healthy/smart babies. Check with your doctor, but it may be worth giving a try.

Best of luck K.! I truly truly hope this is over soon for you! Hang in there and know that you WILL get through it (and believe it or not) it will be a memory soon that is replaced with the greatest blessing/gift on earth!

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M.C.

answers from Detroit on

Yep, that was me a little under three months ago. I just had my 3rd baby and I wasn't sick for maybe 5 days out of the whole pregnancy. What helped me immensely was drinking sparkling water, mostly La Croix either the lime or lemon. It's just like soda, but no calories, salt or sugar. What also worked for me was to eat watermelon, honeydews, and cantaloupe. Papaya extract tablets are also suppose to work well. My doctor also put me on Zofran because I just couldn't function (I also have a 4 year old), so I needed to take care of him. I used the Zofran only when it was so bad that nothing else worked. My newborn was born healthy and has no problems, in case you are wondering if the Zofran affected him--we are all fine now:)

Congratulations on your new munchkin:)

M.

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S.F.

answers from Detroit on

Hi K.,
I also sympathize...was so sick with my first that I finally started taking Zofran at month 4. (my little one is happy and healthy-I was very nervous about taking it though) Lost 15 pounds and couldn't keep anything down so I had to do something:) I had to take it my whole pregnancy. I'm in my 4th month now with my second and same thing. I agree with everyone who syas if you can keep something in your stomach it helps. The problem with me was actually finding something i could get down. This time for me I live on Jolly Ranchers, they make that pukey feeling go away. I also did the frozen coke thing for awhile, I allowed myself one a day. I think everyone is different and you have to find what works for you...good luck and maybe you will be one of those lucky ones that it ends soon!

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