Week 6: Pregnancy Week by Week

Week 6: What to do about morning sickness and nausea

Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.

-Benjamin Franklin

What's Happening in Your Body?

You may begin to notice sensitivity to certain smells, especially food odors, or even experience slight nausea at times. Some women will experience more serious morning sickness or actually vomit. Take heart, this usually passes by the beginning of the second trimester.

What's Happening with Your Baby?

Your baby is about 1/8 of an inch long. Arm and leg buds are beginning to appear, and the beginnings of the eyes, ears, nose and mouth are forming, as are the heart and the liver.

Morning Sickness and Nausea

Almost three-quarters of women will experience some form of morning sickness or nausea during pregnancy. Some women will experience just a bit of queasiness when they first wake up. Others might experience it at a different time of the day. Some women will feel sick enough to vomit at times. Still others will notice that they have very marked food likes and dislikes during this time. Find out how to cope with Morning Sickness and Nausea.

Nourish Yourself

Consuming enough folate can reduce the incidence of severe neural tube defects by as much as two thirds. This matters very early in the pregnancy, before most women even know they are pregnant. Because of this, and because it is difficult to ingest adequate amounts of folate in the daily diet, all women of childbearing age are encouraged to take a multivitamin with folate in it. Even though your baby's spinal cord and brain are already fully formed by now, pregnant women are encouraged to continue to consume at least 600 mcg. of folate per day.

You can get about 400 mcg of folate in your daily diet if you eat the following:

• 1 glass of orange juice or 1/4 cup of wheat germ or a small handful of dried soybeans and
• 1 egg or 2 slices whole-wheat bread or 1/4 of a cantaloupe and
• 1 cup of pinto, black, or navy beans or two cups of cooked turnip greens, spinach, or asparagus or 1-tablespoon brewer's yeast.

Folate is also found in beans and peas, leafy green vegetables, asparagus, sunflower seeds, whole grains, papaya, blueberries and strawberries.

Oranges are a great source of folate. A delicious Orange Julius is a refreshing way to add more folate to your diet.

Body Wise

Try these acupressure points for relief from morning sickness and nausea. Probe each point until you feel a twinge. Then stimulate each one for a few minutes. The first point is two thumb widths above the crease on the inner surface of the wrists, directly in line with the middle finger. Another point is between the breasts, directly over the sternum notch. The hollow at the base of the front of the neck is another to try, especially to reduce the urge to vomit. You can also try the motion sickness pressure point bands available at most pharmacies.

Natural Soothers

Your sense of smell is heightened during pregnancy. You may be intensely attracted to some odors and strongly repelled by others. To keep the air in your home or office appealing, use an aromatic diffuser or simply place a few drops of essential oil in a bowl of water so that they can evaporate, naturally scenting the room. For tips on what specific safe oils to use for this (and to alleviate nausea), read Heavenly Scents.

Higher Ground

Gratitude
by Naomi Goldberg

I was drowning in waves of nausea. I felt lousy, and then some. My stomach wasn't cooperating, but my appetite was, an irony that I felt too ill to appreciate. I figured there was nothing I could do but mope hungrily about, watching as my family scarfed down the bounty that a Sunday night barbeque had to offer. "Don't you want anything to eat?" my sister asked me, noticing my empty plate. "It's really good." "No thanks, I'm just here as a spectator," I replied. "Perhaps I'll eat later." Read the full article.

Image by Durga Yael Bernhard

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